The Elusive Crutch: A Viral Puzzle That’s Got Everyone Scratching Their Heads

The internet is filled with brain-teasing challenges, but every now and then, a puzzle emerges that leaves even the sharpest minds baffled. One such image has recently gone viral—an illustration that asks viewers to find four hidden objects: an egg, a glove, an envelope, and a crutch. Sounds simple, right? Think again.

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary bathroom scene, but hidden within the artwork are objects so cleverly disguised that most people miss them entirely. Do you have what it takes to spot them all? Let’s dive into this tricky puzzle and break it down step by step.

Can You Find the Four Hidden Objects?

Take a close look at the image above. Somewhere within this seemingly normal scene, four everyday objects are hiding in plain sight. Your challenge? Find the egg, glove, envelope, and crutch before reading further.

Don’t be too quick to assume you’ve spotted them all. Many people rush through the puzzle and overlook key details. Do you trust your observation skills? Let’s test them!

Common Mistakes That Trip People Up

Many participants find themselves stuck on this puzzle for a few reasons:

  1. Overconfidence in First Impressions – Most people assume they’ll find all four objects in seconds. However, the trick lies in the clever way they’re blended into the scene.
  2. Ignoring Camouflage Techniques – The objects aren’t just “placed” in the picture; they’re hidden by color matching, shape manipulation, and strategic positioning.
  3. Focusing Only on the Main Characters – While the people in the illustration draw attention, the hidden objects are placed in unexpected locations.
  4. Giving Up Too Quickly – Some people get frustrated and stop searching before truly analyzing the details.

If you’ve fallen into one of these traps, don’t worry—you’re not alone! Now, let’s break down the puzzle and reveal where each object is hiding.

Video : Find the 4th object

Step-by-Step Breakdown: Finding Each Hidden Object

1. The Egg – A Sneaky Facial Feature 🥚

Location: The egg is cleverly hidden as part of the nose of the man standing on the left side of the image.

At first glance, his nose seems normal, but upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that it has been shaped and shaded to resemble an egg. This is a classic example of camouflaged placement—where an object blends seamlessly into another element of the scene.

Many people fail to spot the egg because they assume they are looking for a traditional, standalone egg. However, this puzzle plays with expectations, making the challenge even more difficult.

2. The Glove – Hidden in the Clothing 🧤

Location: The glove is subtly incorporated into the skirt of the person in the middle.

At first, it appears as just a fold in the fabric, but if you focus on the shape and outline, you’ll see that it’s a perfectly formed glove. The designer of this puzzle used color blending to make the glove look like part of the skirt, tricking the eye into overlooking it.

This is a common technique in optical illusions—using shadows, textures, and positioning to make objects “disappear” into their surroundings.

3. The Envelope – Hiding in the Tiles ✉️

Location: The envelope is disguised as part of the bathroom wall tiles behind the woman in blue.

Unlike the other objects, which rely on shape manipulation, the envelope blends in using color and symmetry. The white tiles create a perfect backdrop, making it difficult to recognize the faint outline of an envelope.

The trick to spotting this one is to change how you look at the image. Instead of focusing on what you expect an envelope to look like, scan the background for anything slightly “off.” That’s where the hidden envelope reveals itself.

4. The Crutch – A Difficult One to Spot 🩼

Location: The crutch is cleverly placed near the bottom right of the image, blending into the chair legs.

This is perhaps the hardest object to find. Most people assume a crutch would be near the people or propped against the wall. Instead, the artist merged it with another element of the scene, making it appear as part of the background furniture.

To find it, you have to look at angles and lines that don’t quite match up with the rest of the objects in the room. Once you notice the slight curvature and the different shading, the crutch stands out.

What Makes This Puzzle So Challenging?

This puzzle is a perfect example of how our brains process visual information. When looking at an image, we naturally focus on key elements—faces, objects in the foreground, and high-contrast details. However, our brains tend to overlook background details that seem unimportant.

This is why the puzzle is so tricky. The artist deliberately placed the objects in unexpected locations and used visual tricks to blend them into their surroundings. Our brain struggles to separate what is “important” from what is “hidden,” leading to the difficulty in spotting all four objects.

The Fun of Optical Illusions and Hidden Object Puzzles

This type of puzzle isn’t just entertaining—it also helps train your observation skills and attention to detail. Studies have shown that engaging in visual challenges like this can:

  • Improve focus and concentration
  • Enhance problem-solving skills
  • Strengthen pattern recognition abilities
  • Increase patience and persistence

So, the next time you find yourself struggling with a hidden object puzzle, remember—every moment you spend searching strengthens your brain!

Video : Find 4 hidden objects

Final Challenge: Can You Find the Objects Faster Than Others?

Now that you know where each object is hidden, share this puzzle with your friends and family. See how quickly they can find all four objects. You might be surprised—some people will spot them instantly, while others will take much longer!

🔍 How long did it take you to find them? Share your answer in the comments!

If you enjoyed this challenge, be sure to check out more mind-bending puzzles and hidden object games to keep your brain sharp and entertained. Who knows? The next puzzle might be even trickier!

Now, Are You Ready for Another Challenge?

Stay tuned for more exciting brain teasers and visual puzzles. In the meantime, keep training your eyes—you never know when you’ll need them for the next mind-blowing illusion!

My MIL Demanded I Give Her a Key to Our House Because ‘That’s What Good DILs Do’

When my mother-in-law demanded a key to our home, claiming, “That’s what good daughters-in-law do,” I realized she had no concept of boundaries. So, I came up with a plan that would teach her what privacy actually means, without destroying our relationship in the process.

There’s something uniquely challenging about loving someone whose mother thinks her son’s marriage certificate includes her name, too.

My husband Josh is wonderful. His mother, Diane? Let’s just say she missed the memo that umbilical cords are cut at birth.

A woman standing in her living room | Source: Midjourney

A woman standing in her living room | Source: Midjourney

Diane is the kind of woman who’ll greet you with a big, genuine smile and do everything to make you feel comfortable. When you first meet her, you’re instantly charmed. She remembers your coffee order after hearing it once. She sends thoughtful birthday cards with handwritten notes.

She’s the kind of woman you’d want to be friends with because she’s what you call a “girl’s girl.” She’s the kind of woman who’s always there for her loved ones. She’s kind. Nice. Caring.

But when it comes to her son? She’s a whole new person.

A man looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney

A man looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney

“Josh always loved my chicken pot pie recipe,” she’d announce while rearranging the dishes in our kitchen cabinet. “You should really learn to make it properly.”

She is one of those women who thinks being a “boy mom” gives her permanent access to her son’s entire existence. And by extension, mine too.

I met Josh at the marketing firm where we both worked. He was the quiet creative director who surprised me with his dry humor during late-night campaign preparations.

A man working in his office | Source: Pexels

A man working in his office | Source: Pexels

After our third coffee break that somehow stretched into dinner, I knew he was special. Six months later, we were engaged, and I was happier than I’d ever been.

“You proposed already?” Diane had said when Josh called to share the news. I was sitting right beside him and heard her voice clear as day through the phone. “Don’t you think that’s a bit rushed? Remember what happened with Sarah from college?”

Josh just laughed it off.

“Mom, this is different,” he said. “Kiara is different.”

A man using his phone | Source: Pexels

A man using his phone | Source: Pexels

I should have known then what I was in for, but love has a way of making red flags look like regular flags caught in a romantic breeze.

The real trouble started when I got pregnant, barely a year into our marriage. What should have been the happiest time became an exercise in boundary-setting.

“You’re carrying too low. It’s definitely a boy,” Diane would declare, placing her hands on my belly without asking. “Josh was carried exactly the same way.”

When I opted for a gender reveal party and discovered we were having a girl, Diane’s smile froze.

A woman with wide eyes | Source: Midjourney

A woman with wide eyes | Source: Midjourney

“Well,” she said, sipping her champagne, “Men in our family usually have boys first. Must be your family’s influence.”

Then came the unsolicited advice about everything from what I should eat (“No spicy food, it’ll give the baby colic!”) to how I should sleep (“Never on your right side, it restricts blood flow!”).

None of it backed by medical science, all of it delivered with the confidence of someone who believed raising one child 40 years ago made her an expert.

When Josh and I moved into our first home, she visited the following week without asking.

A woman standing in her son's house | Source: Midjourney

A woman standing in her son’s house | Source: Midjourney

I opened the door in a robe, mascara under my eyes, and our colicky three-month-old daughter on my hip. The house was a mess with dishes piled in the sink and baby clothes scattered across the living room. I hadn’t showered in two days.

“Oh, I figured you’d be home,” she said, brushing past me into our entryway. “I brought my own cleaner. This place needs some real help.”

That should’ve been my warning.

A vacuum cleaner | Source: Pexels

A vacuum cleaner | Source: Pexels

Since then, Diane’s boundary-crossing became a regular feature in our lives. Like the time she rearranged our living room furniture while we were at work.

“The feng shui was all wrong,” she explained when I came home to find my reading nook completely dismantled. “This arrangement brings better energy for the baby.”

Josh just shrugged when I complained later.

“That’s just Mom being Mom,” he said, as if that explained everything.

A man talking to his wife | Source: Midjourney

A man talking to his wife | Source: Midjourney

Then there was the time she tossed out all the “unhealthy” snacks from our pantry. My secret stash of chocolate-covered pretzels, the spicy chips I’d been craving since pregnancy, and even Josh’s protein bars. All gone.

“You’ll thank me later,” she insisted. “Processed food is basically poison.”

But the final straw? Walking in on me breastfeeding in our bedroom.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” she said, barely pausing as she placed fresh towels in our en-suite bathroom. “I’ve seen it all before.”

A woman standing in her son's bedroom | Source: Midjourney

A woman standing in her son’s bedroom | Source: Midjourney

I clutched the nursing cover tighter, feeling violated in what should have been my most private moment.

“Diane,” I said, “I’d appreciate a knock next time.”

She looked puzzled, as if the concept was entirely foreign to her. “We’re all family here,” she replied breezily.

It was too much.

A month ago, at our regular Sunday brunch, she dropped it casually between bites of lemon scone.

A tray of scones | Source: Pexels

A tray of scones | Source: Pexels

“I’ll need a key to your house,” she announced, dabbing her lips with a napkin. “That’s what good daughters-in-law do, you know.”

I nearly choked on my coffee. The audacity of the request (read: the demand) left me speechless for a moment.

“Excuse me?” I finally managed.

“For emergencies,” she explained, as if I were slow to understand a perfectly reasonable request. “For when I drop things off. For being part of the family.” She reached across the table to pat my hand. “It’s not like I’d misuse it.”

A woman in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney

A woman in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney

Josh looked at me. I looked at him. He wisely shoved another bite of scone into his mouth and stayed out of it.

But Diane? She wouldn’t let it go.

“Every woman in my bridge group has access to her grandkids and her son’s house,” she continued, stirring another sugar cube into her already-sweet tea. “Phyllis even has her own bedroom at her son’s place. Is there something you’re hiding from me?”

The question hung in the air between us.

A close-up shot of a woman's eye | Source: Midjourney

A close-up shot of a woman’s eye | Source: Midjourney

What was I hiding?

Only my sanity. My autonomy. My right to live in my own home without wondering if my mother-in-law might appear at any moment to critique my housekeeping, parenting, or the way I loaded the dishwasher.

On the drive home, Josh finally spoke.

“Maybe we should just give her a key,” he suggested tentatively. “It might make life easier.”

I stared out the window, watching suburban houses blur past, each one a sanctuary I suddenly envied.

The view from a car driving on a road | Source: Pexels

The view from a car driving on a road | Source: Pexels

“Easier for whom?” I asked quietly.

He had no answer.

***

After weeks of texts asking, “Have you made a copy yet?” and phone calls reminding me how “normal families share keys,” Diane finally wore us down.

Or rather, she wore Josh down, and by extension, me.

“It’s just easier to give her what she wants,” Josh sighed one night after his mother’s third call that day. “You know how she gets.”

I did know. And that’s when we came up with an idea.

The following weekend, at our usual Sunday brunch, I handed Diane a small gift box with a ribbon on top.

A gift box | Source: Midjourney

A gift box | Source: Midjourney

Inside, nestled on a bed of tissue paper, lay a shiny brass key.

“Oh!” Her eyes lit up as she lifted it out. She looked smug. Triumphant. Like she’d won something.

“This is what good DILs do,” she said, pocketing it like a trophy. “You won’t regret this, Kiara.”

But I knew better.

Fast forward to the following weekend.

Josh and I were out on a rare brunch date, enjoying our eggs benedict and mimosas, when my phone buzzed with a Ring camera alert.

A phone on a table | Source: Midjourney

A phone on a table | Source: Midjourney

There she was. At our front door. Key in hand. Trying to unlock it.

Jiggle. Twist. Try again. Nothing.

She bent down, inspecting the doorknob. Looked confused. Then annoyed. She tried again, more forcefully this time, as if the lock might yield to her determination.

I answered through the camera, sipping my coffee.

“Everything okay, Diane?”

She squinted into the lens, startled.

“The key’s not working,” she huffed. “Did you give me the wrong one?”

A key in a keyhole | Source: Pexels

A key in a keyhole | Source: Pexels

I smiled, meeting Josh’s supportive gaze across the table before answering.

“Nope. It’s the key to Josh’s old bedroom at your house. You know, the one you used to walk into without knocking? That was your space. But this house? This life? It’s ours. No unannounced visits anymore.”

She didn’t respond. Just stared for a moment, mouth slightly open, and then walked back to her car with rigid shoulders.

Later that evening, Josh texted her.

“We’re happy to have you visit, Mom. But from now on, visits are by invitation, not surprise entry.”

A person texting | Source: Pexels

A person texting | Source: Pexels

She didn’t reply for a few days.

The silence was new territory in our relationship with Diane. She had always been quick with responses.

I didn’t text her. I didn’t call her. I wanted to give her time to understand what she’d done and what we wanted from her.

And that worked.

When she finally called Josh the following Wednesday, her tone was different. He put the call on speaker so I could hear.

A man holding his phone | Source: Midjourney

A man holding his phone | Source: Midjourney

“I’ve been thinking,” she said, her voice lacking its usual authority. “I may have overstepped.”

Coming from Diane, this was practically a full confession and apology.

“I just worry about you,” she continued. “And the baby. I want to be involved.”

“You can be involved, Mom,” Josh said gently. “Just on our terms.”

When she came over for dinner that Friday, after texting to ask if the time worked for us, she brought a homemade chocolate cake and a small gift.

A chocolate cake | Source: Pexels

A chocolate cake | Source: Pexels

“It’s a doorbell,” she said with a small smile. “For when I visit.”

And when she needed to use the bathroom? She knocked on my bedroom door before entering.

Isn’t that amazing? I was shocked but also happy to see she’d finally learned her lesson.

That night, after she left, Josh put his arm around me on the couch.

“That was kind of brilliant,” he admitted. “The key switch.”

I leaned into him, relieved. “I guess you’re never too old to start learning about boundaries.”

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