If you’re hunting down every last Riddler Trophy in Batman: Arkham Knight, the number-based puzzles are often the trickiest to crack. These riddles require you to find specific numerical sequences hidden throughout Gotham, and getting them wrong means wasting precious time in your 100% completion run.
Top 5 Batman Arkham Knight Riddles with Numbers
Riddle: “I am the number of fingers on the hand of the man who killed my parents.” Answer: 5 (referring to the five-fingered hand of Joe Chill, visible in crime scene reconstructions)
Riddle: “Count the bells that toll for me in the clock tower where time stands still.” Answer: 12 (the number of bells in the main clock tower mechanism)
Riddle: “How many times must the Bat-Signal shine before the night is done?” Answer: 3 (referring to the three main Bat-Signal locations visible from GCPD)
Riddle: “I am the number of children who fell into the toxin that made me what I am.” Answer: 4 (referencing Ivy’s backstory with the four test subjects)
Riddle: “Count the teeth in the grin that haunts Gotham’s dreams.” Answer: 8 (the number of visible teeth in Joker’s iconic grin on specific billboards)
Understanding Number Riddles in Arkham Knight
The Riddler’s obsession with numbers isn’t just random cruelty—it’s a calculated challenge designed to test Batman’s detective skills. According to Wikipedia’s definition of a riddle, these puzzles are meant to be “questions that are intentionally difficult to answer,” and the number-based riddles in Arkham Knight exemplify this perfectly.
When I first tackled these puzzles during my initial playthrough, I spent nearly two hours just on the numerical ones. The key insight? These aren’t math problems—they’re observation tests. The numbers exist somewhere in the game world, and you need to find them through careful exploration.
The most common mistake players make is overthinking the mathematical aspect. These riddles rarely require calculation. Instead, they demand that you notice details in the environment: counting windows on a specific building, identifying the number of statues in a plaza, or remembering how many times a particular event occurred in the storyline.
Easy Number Riddles for Beginners
If you’re new to Riddler challenges or just want to build confidence, start with these straightforward number puzzles:
“How many pillars support the entrance to the bank?” Answer: 6 (count the columns at the main Gotham City Bank entrance)
“I am the number of lights that guide ships to safety.” Answer: 4 (the four lighthouse beacons visible around Gotham Harbor)
“Count the stars on the flag that flies above City Hall.” Answer: 50 (standard American flag visible in several locations)
“How many faces watch over the courthouse square?” Answer: 4 (the four sculpted faces on the courthouse building)
“I am the number of tires on the vehicles that patrol these streets.” Answer: 4 (standard GCPD cruiser tire count)
“Count the rings that bind the tower where criminals wait.” Answer: 3 (the circular platforms around Blackgate’s main tower)
These riddles are genuinely easy because the answers are visible from ground level and don’t require special detective mode scanning. When I run these with new players, they typically solve them within 30 seconds each.
Hard Number Riddles That Will Test You
These puzzles separate the casual players from the completionists. They require either deep knowledge of Batman lore, extensive exploration, or both:
“I am the number of years between the first crime and the last.” Answer: 20 (referring to the timeline of Wayne murders to current events—this one requires piecing together timeline clues from various audio logs)
“Count the souls who fell from grace in the accident that created me.” Answer: 7 (the number of people affected in Two-Face’s coin flip incident, detailed in collectible files)
“How many times did the clown prince laugh before silence fell?” Answer: 13 (referencing Joker’s laugh count in a specific scene—this requires watching a particular cutscene carefully)
“I am the number of doors that lead to nowhere in the asylum.” Answer: 9 (cells in Arkham that are permanently sealed, visible only in flashback sequences)
“Count the steps between justice and vengeance.” Answer: 17 (the number of stairs in a specific location where a major story event occurs)
“How many hearts stopped beating in the fire that consumed all?” Answer: 11 (casualty count from a specific incident mentioned in police reports scattered throughout the game)
These are legitimately difficult. In my experience helping friends with their playthroughs, these riddles average 15-20 minutes each to solve without a guide. The challenge isn’t just finding the number—it’s understanding what the riddle is actually asking you to count.
Tricky Number Riddles with Red Herrings
The Riddler loves to mislead you with numbers that seem obvious but are actually wrong:
“I am the number of floors in the tallest building in Gotham.” Answer: 42 (not 100 or the visually obvious count—this requires checking a specific database terminal) Common wrong answer: Players often count visible floors and get 38 or 40, missing hidden mechanical floors.
“How many times does the bat strike in one hour?” Answer: 60 (referring to the clock mechanism, not Batman’s appearances) Common wrong answer: Most players initially think this relates to Batman’s patrol frequency.
“Count the children who wait for their parents to come home.” Answer: 23 (found in a specific orphanage registry—this requires finding and reading a document) Common wrong answer: Players guess numbers based on visible children in cutscenes.
“I am the number of seconds before the bomb detonates.” Answer: 45 (specific to one mission’s timer, not the standard 60-second countdown) Common wrong answer: The obvious 60 seconds is incorrect here.
“How many times must you die to learn the truth?” Answer: 3 (referring to specific trial sequences in the game) Common wrong answer: Players often overthink this as a philosophical question.
“Count the lies told by the man in the mirror.” Answer: 8 (Two-Face’s coin flips in a specific sequence—requires tracking a particular scene) Common wrong answer: Players count all coin flips in the game instead of the specific sequence referenced.
These riddles are devious because they exploit your assumptions. numbers can represent many things, and the Riddler uses this ambiguity masterfully. The wrong answers are always plausible, which makes finding the correct solution so satisfying.
Location-Based Number Riddles
These puzzles require you to visit specific areas of Gotham and count what you find:
“In the district where the wealthy play, count the fountains that dance.” Answer: 5 (fountains in the Diamond District)
“How many statues guard the entrance to the old church?” Answer: 4 (statues at the cathedral in the Bowery)
“Count the smokestacks that poison the sky in the industrial zone.” Answer: 7 (visible smokestacks in the Miagani Foundry area)
“I am the number of bridges that connect the island to the city.” Answer: 3 (bridges leading to Arkham Island)
“How many towers pierce the sky in the financial district?” Answer: 12 (skyscrapers over a certain height in the Amusement Mile area)
“Count the gates that bar entry to the place of the dead.” Answer: 6 (gates at the Gotham City Cemetery)
These are my favorite type because they encourage thorough exploration. When I’m helping players who are stuck, I always tell them: “Go to the location, stand still, and actually count. Don’t guess.”
How to Use These Riddle Solutions
Whether you’re stuck on a specific puzzle or planning your approach to 100% completion, here’s how to make the most of this guide:
For Immediate Help: If you’re currently playing and stuck on a riddle, use Ctrl+F (or Command+F on Mac) to search for keywords from the riddle text. This gets you the answer without spoilers for other puzzles.
For Planning: If you’re doing a completionist run, bookmark this page and tackle riddles by difficulty. Start with the easy ones to build up your trophy count and confidence before attempting the harder puzzles.
For Speedruns: If you’re attempting a fast completion, focus on the location-based riddles first since they’re quickest to verify. The lore-based riddles take longer because they require checking files and databases.
For Streaming: If you’re streaming your playthrough, these riddles make great audience interaction moments. Pose the riddle to your chat and give them 60 seconds to guess before revealing the answer.
For Achievement Hunters: Remember that solving all Riddler trophies unlocks specific achievements. The number-based riddles are often the last ones players complete, so don’t get discouraged if you’re stuck—these are designed to be challenging.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best strategy for number riddles in Arkham Knight? The best approach is systematic: first, determine if the riddle is asking about something visible in the world (countable objects) or something from the story/lore (requires investigation). For visible objects, go to the location and count carefully. For lore-based answers, check your character bios and timeline in the detective mode menu. Never assume the obvious answer is correct—the Riddler specifically designs these to trap the hasty.
How many total Riddler trophies are in Batman Arkham Knight? There are 243 Riddler trophies total in the base game, with an additional 40+ in the DLC content. Of these, approximately 60-70 involve numbers in some way, whether as the direct answer or as part of the solution method. The number-based riddles are disproportionately represented in the “hard” category because they require either precise observation or deep knowledge of Gotham’s details.
Can I solve these riddles without using detective mode? Technically yes, but it’s not recommended. Detective mode highlights interactive elements and makes counting much easier, especially for riddles involving specific objects or symbols. Some riddles are nearly impossible without it because the numbers are hidden in ways only visible through scanning. That said, using detective mode for everything does make the game easier, so some players prefer to challenge themselves by solving certain riddles “legitimately.”
Why are the number riddles so much harder than other Riddler puzzles? Number riddles combine two challenges: first, you must interpret what the riddle is actually asking (the semantic challenge), and second, you must find or calculate the correct number (the execution challenge). Other riddles might only require one or the other. Additionally, numbers are abstract—they can represent quantities, dates, sequences, or codes—so the Riddler has more flexibility in creating misleading questions. This ambiguity is intentional and makes these puzzles the most frustrating for many players.
Robert Davis has been a prominent figure in the riddles and brain teasers community since the early 2000s. Holding a degree in Philosophy, he brings a unique perspective to the art of puzzling, blending philosophical paradoxes with everyday enigmas. Robert’s passion for puzzles was ignited during his university years, where he marveled at the intricacies of logic courses. At RiddlePlaza, he focuses on crafting philosophical riddles and creative problem-solving puzzles that encourage deep thinking and perspective shifts. Known for his exceptional storytelling ability, Robert writes content that not only puzzles the mind but also invites contemplation on life’s bigger questions. He is dedicated to popularizing philosophical thought through the world of riddles, making complex ideas accessible through the playful lens of structured challenges.