Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 1 December 2019

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2019-12-01 — each difficulty published twice, once untimed and once as time attack. Each case is procedurally generated and then proved to have exactly one logical solution before it is published, including the cases where somebody is lying. You place every suspect back on the map using only their testimony: exactly one person per row, never two in a column. Whoever is left alone with the victim did it.

Beginner — The Botanical Garden

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Cactus House, Seed Vault, Visitor Center. Seven statements, four squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

How this case was cracked — the full solution to this board, step by step

Every step below is the solver’s own — the same one that proved this board has exactly one answer. The counts are real: you can check them against the grid.

Lettered squares are objects. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · S — statue

The testimony

What each person said, and how much of the board it rules out.

Wren was in the seed vault. leaves 8 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 8 of 21.
Wren was in row 2. leaves 2 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 2 of 21.
Felix was in the seed vault. leaves 8 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 8 of 21.
Felix was in row 3. leaves 3 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 3 of 21.
Vera was in the bottom row. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 4 of 21.
Celeste was in the seed vault. leaves 8 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 8 of 21.
Celeste was in column 4. leaves 3 of 21 squares

Show the squares Wren had left

The squares still open to Wren once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 21.

What the testimony settles on its own

Nobody shares a row or a column, so each placement narrows everyone else. Before a single guess:

Wren can only be in Seed Vault (row 2, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Percy can only be in Cactus House (row 4, column 2) — down from 21 possible squares.
Felix can only be in Seed Vault (row 3, column 3) — down from 3 possible squares.
Vera can only be in Cactus House (row 5, column 1) — down from 4 possible squares.
Celeste can only be in Seed Vault (row 1, column 4) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Vera, in Cactus House (row 5, column 1).

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Vera is ringed in red.

Easy — The Botanical Garden

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Lily Pond, Seed Vault, Garden Path, Orchid House, Tropical House. Eight statements, eight squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

How this case was cracked — the full solution to this board, step by step

Every step below is the solver’s own — the same one that proved this board has exactly one answer. The counts are real: you can check them against the grid.

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. BE — bench · BO — boulder · F — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

What each person said, and how much of the board it rules out.

Gilda was in column 5. leaves 4 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 4 of 29.
Gilda was on the lily pad. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 1 of 29.
Olivia was beside the boulder. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Olivia: 2 of 29.
Horacio was in the lily pond. leaves 9 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 9 of 29.
Rufus was in the orchid house. leaves 3 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 3 of 29.
Rufus was in column 4. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 1 of 29.
Felix was in the tropical house. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Felix was in column 2. leaves 1 of 29 squares

Show the squares Olivia had left

The squares still open to Olivia once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 29.

What the testimony settles on its own

Nobody shares a row or a column, so each placement narrows everyone else. Before a single guess:

Olivia can only be in Garden Path (row 6, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Horacio can only be in Lily Pond (row 4, column 1) — down from 9 possible squares.
Enzo can only be in Garden Path (row 5, column 3) — down from 29 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Olivia, in Garden Path (row 6, column 6).

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Olivia is ringed in red.

Medium — The Botanical Garden

A 7×7 grid across 6 rooms: Garden Path, Visitor Center, Compost Yard, Tropical House, Lily Pond, Cactus House. Eleven statements, ten squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

How this case was cracked — the full solution to this board, step by step

Every step below is the solver’s own — the same one that proved this board has exactly one answer. The counts are real: you can check them against the grid.

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

What each person said, and how much of the board it rules out.

Julian was in the same column as the fountain. leaves 5 of 40 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julian: 5 of 40.
Julian was beside the lily pad. leaves 1 of 40 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julian: 1 of 40.
Nestor was in the visitor center or in the tropical house. leaves 12 of 40 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 12 of 40.
Nestor was in the western half of the scene. leaves 10 of 40 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 10 of 40.
Wanda was in the same column as the cactus. leaves 5 of 40 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 5 of 40.
Wanda was in the same row as the statue. leaves 1 of 40 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 1 of 40.
Dante was in the same column as the lily pad. leaves 6 of 40 squares
Dante was in the same row as the boulder. leaves 1 of 40 squares
Zaida was in the garden path or in the compost yard. leaves 14 of 40 squares
Sol was in the same row as the fountain. leaves 5 of 40 squares
Sol was in the same column as the statue. leaves 1 of 40 squares

Show the squares Nestor had left

The squares still open to Nestor once their own statements are taken into account — 10 of 40.

What the testimony settles on its own

Nobody shares a row or a column, so each placement narrows everyone else. Before a single guess:

Nestor can only be in Visitor Center (row 3, column 3) — down from 10 possible squares.
Zaida can only be in Garden Path (row 4, column 7) — down from 14 possible squares.
Marco can only be in Lily Pond (row 6, column 4) — down from 40 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Julian, in Lily Pond (row 7, column 6).

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Julian is ringed in red.

Hard — The Botanical Garden

A 10×8 grid across 7 rooms: Orchid House, Compost Yard, Visitor Center, Tropical House, Garden Path, Lily Pond, Seed Vault. Fourteen statements, fourteen squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

The twist: the accusation also demands the motive, not just the name.

How this case was cracked — the full solution to this board, step by step

Every step below is the solver’s own — the same one that proved this board has exactly one answer. The counts are real: you can check them against the grid.

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

What each person said, and how much of the board it rules out.

Flora was in the same column as the boulder. leaves 7 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Flora: 7 of 68.
Flora was all alone in a room.
Flora was somewhere north of the Journalist.
Flora was exactly 3 rows north of Ignacio.
Flora was exactly 4 rows north of Hugo.
Ignacio was in the same column as the tree. leaves 6 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 6 of 68.
Tamara was all alone in a room.
Tamara was in column 2. leaves 8 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 8 of 68.
Selma was somewhere north of the Chef.
Selma was exactly 1 column west of the Magician.
Hugo was in the same row as the potted plant. leaves 8 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 8 of 68.
Percy was in the same column as the flower bush. leaves 6 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Percy: 6 of 68.
Estela was in the same column as the fountain. leaves 7 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Estela: 7 of 68.
Nobody was in the garden path.

Show the squares Ignacio had left

The squares still open to Ignacio once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 68.

What the testimony settles on its own

Nobody shares a row or a column, so each placement narrows everyone else. Before a single guess:

Flora can only be in Compost Yard (row 3, column 5) — down from 7 possible squares.
Ignacio can only be in Lily Pond (row 6, column 6) — down from 6 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 11 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Tamara stood in Seed Vault (row 4, column 2), Hugo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Delia stood in Visitor Center (row 2, column 10), Percy would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Selma stood in Seed Vault (row 1, column 3), Percy would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Hugo stood in Lily Pond (row 7, column 4), Selma would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

Suppose Tamara stood on the dashed square. Hugo then has nowhere left to stand: every square still open to them is shaded out.

Another 7 squares fell the same way.

The motive

This case demands the why as well as the who: naming the killer without proving the motive counts for nothing. 7 motives are in play, and these statements narrow them.

Selma's motive would have been blackmail.
Hugo's motive would have been revenge.
Estela's motive would have been obsession.
Ignacio's motive would have been debts.
Whoever did it was not driven by ambition.
Whoever did it was not driven by jealousy.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Percy, in Seed Vault (row 4, column 3).

The only motive left standing for Percy is buried secrets.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Percy is ringed in red.

Expert — The Botanical Garden

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Orchid House, Tropical House, Cactus House, Compost Yard, Visitor Center, Seed Vault, Garden Path, Lily Pond. Fifteen statements, thirteen squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

The twist: the accusation also demands the motive, not just the name.

How this case was cracked — the full solution to this board, step by step

Every step below is the solver’s own — the same one that proved this board has exactly one answer. The counts are real: you can check them against the grid.

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

What each person said, and how much of the board it rules out.

Ivan and Petra were alone together in one room.
Ivan was in the same column as a cactus. leaves 15 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 15 of 78.
Petra was in row 5. leaves 9 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Petra: 9 of 78.
Clara was somewhere west of Boris.
Clara was all alone in a room.
Clara was in the same row as a cactus. leaves 5 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Clara: 5 of 78.
Marina was all alone in a room.
Marina was in the same column as the potted plant. leaves 8 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 8 of 78.
Nico was in the same column as the lily pad. leaves 16 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 16 of 78.
Ofelia was in the same column as the shrub. leaves 7 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ofelia: 7 of 78.
Ofelia was exactly 1 row north of the Magician.
Boris was in the same row as the boulder. leaves 9 of 78 squares
Ada was somewhere south of Ivan.
Ada was all alone in a room.
Ada was in the same column as the bench. leaves 7 of 78 squares

Show the squares Clara had left

The squares still open to Clara once their own statements are taken into account — 5 of 78.

What the testimony settles on its own

Nobody shares a row or a column, so each placement narrows everyone else. Before a single guess:

Petra can only be in Tropical House (row 5, column 3) — down from 9 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 42 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Put Clara in Seed Vault (row 7, column 9) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Marina stood in Garden Path (row 6, column 6), Clara would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Yolanda stood in Lily Pond (row 1, column 5), Nico would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Nico stood in Lily Pond (row 3, column 5), Boris would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

Suppose Clara stood on the dashed square. Clara then has nowhere left to stand: every square still open to them is shaded out.

Another 38 squares fell the same way.

Ivan can only be in Tropical House (row 8, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.

The motive

This case demands the why as well as the who: naming the killer without proving the motive counts for nothing. 8 motives are in play, and these statements narrow them.

Petra's motive would have been ambition.
Ivan's motive would have been obsession.
Marina's motive would have been buried secrets.
Ada's motive would have been inheritance.
Clara's motive would have been jealousy.
Whoever did it was not driven by blackmail.
Whoever did it was not driven by debts.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Boris, in Seed Vault (row 3, column 10).

The only motive left standing for Boris is revenge.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Boris is ringed in red.

How to read a case above

The grid size is the size of the crime scene, so a 10×9 expert case is a far larger search than a 5×5 beginner one — but the difficulty is really carried by the clues, not the square count. A beginner case tells you almost directly where somebody stood. An expert case tells you where somebody was not, three times, and expects you to do the rest — and on half of them one of those statements is a lie told to protect the killer. If a case lists a motive, naming the right person is not enough on its own; you have to prove why.

How to play · Solving cases with a liar · Techniques

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