New optical illusion: Only people with best observation skills can spot Rudolph in this festive challenge

A new holiday-themed optical illusion is driving people a little cross-eyed. The image, first shared on Reddit, shows a herd of cartoon reindeer packed tightly together - each one nearly identical, except for one small detail. Somewhere in the mix is Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer himself. Your job? Find him before your patience runs out.

Optical Illusion

At first glance, it looks easy. A sea of brown faces, white muzzles, and antlers fills the frame, and you’d think a bright red nose would pop right out. Not so fast. The artist who created this clever puzzle clearly knew how to mess with human perception. The repetitive patterns trick your brain into skipping over details, making Rudolph’s shiny nose much harder to catch than you would expect.

Check it out here:

Social media users have been squinting at the image for minutes, some even giving up halfway through. One viewer joked, “Who is the cool dude in the shades though!?” while another admitted, “It took a bit.” The illusion has already racked up thousands of comments and shares, with most agreeing that this one is tougher than it looks.

The science behind the confusion

Optical illusions like this work because our brains prefer shortcuts. When we see patterns - in this case, rows of similar faces - our eyes focus on the rhythm rather than the outlier. The red nose gets lost amid the repetition until something suddenly clicks.

Experts say that the brain’s tendency to fill in missing details can make even obvious differences harder to catch. It is why puzzles like this one are so addictive - that instant “aha” moment releases a tiny hit of dopamine.

Also read: Optical illusion: Viral image hides one bunny among hundreds of cats. Can you spot it in 10 seconds?

Still cannot find? Here is the reveal

If your eyes are starting to ache, here is a hint: look four rows up from the bottom, on the left side. There he is - Rudolph, flashing his trademark red nose among his identical brown buddies.

The artist’s small tweak in shading and placement makes all the difference. It is a perfect reminder of how our vision can be tricked by something as simple as symmetry and repetition.

So next time you see a Christmas card or wrapping paper filled with reindeer, take a closer look. Rudolph might be hiding there, too.