Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Puzzle 111 (US): Mystery Item

Original diagram for Puzzle 111 (US): Mystery Item

Fix a matchstick word to answer a riddle about something every home slowly uses up.

Chapter
Chapter 2
Location
Park Road
Picarats
40 picarats
Type
Matchstick
Region
US / North America · EU version: Making a Square
Hint 1: A gentle nudge. Tap to flip.
Hint 1

Answer the riddle first. Don't worry about the matches yet.

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Hint 2: The key idea. Unlocks after the previous card is flipped.
Hint 2

Think about what disappears from a kitchen bit by bit every day.

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Hint 3: Almost there. Unlocks after the previous card is flipped.
Hint 3

Now look at the four shapes as letters. The one with a missing match is the one to fix.

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Answer: See the answer. Unlocks after the previous card is flipped.
Answer

The answer is FOOD.

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Solution, FAQ and sources

Solution

The riddle describes **food**: everyone needs it, almost every home has some, and it gets eaten up over time.

Read the four matchstick shapes as letters: once the shape that's a match short is completed, they spell **FOOD**. (The exact match to move is something we'll confirm in the game; the answer itself is agreed by both sources we checked.)

About this puzzle

Four little shapes are made from matchsticks, and one of them has one match fewer than the others. Alongside them comes a riddle: something every person needs, that you’ll find in almost every home, and that slowly gets used up the longer it’s around. What is it — spelled out in matches?

Unofficial fan guide, not affiliated with LEVEL-5. Puzzle description, hints and solution written by Hint by Hint.

Similar puzzles: Puzzle 111: Making a Square, Puzzle 009: One Poor Pooch, Puzzle 108: Not Knots, Puzzle 116: The Largest Total

All Professor Layton and the Curious Village puzzles

FAQ

What is the answer to Puzzle 111, Mystery Item, in Professor Layton and the Curious Village?

The answer is FOOD. This is the North American version of Puzzle 111.

Where do you find Puzzle 111 in Curious Village?

Puzzle 111 appears in Chapter 2, in the Park Road area.

How many picarats is Curious Village Puzzle 111 worth?

40 picarats.

Is Puzzle 111 the same in the European version?

No. In the European (UK) version, Puzzle 111 is Making a Square, where you pick the one part that isn't needed to build a square.

Sources

Facts checked on November 14, 2026

Unofficial fan guide. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by LEVEL-5 Inc. Professor Layton, The New World of Steam, and all related names, characters, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.