Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 23 July 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-07-23 — 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 Steamship Aurora

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Engine, Lounge, Saloon, Deck. Seven statements, five squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by one detective so far.

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.

The testimony

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

Tristan was in row 2. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tristan: 4 of 22.
Tristan was in column 4. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tristan: 1 of 22.
Enzo was in the lounge. leaves 3 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Enzo: 3 of 22.
Jonas was in the bottom row. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jonas: 4 of 22.
Jonas was in column 3. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jonas: 1 of 22.
Felix was in row 4. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 4 of 22.
Felix was in the engine room. leaves 1 of 22 squares

Show the squares Enzo had left

The squares still open to Enzo once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 22.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Enzo can only be in Lounge (row 1, column 2) — down from 3 possible squares.
Gordon can only be in Saloon (row 3, column 5) — down from 22 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Tristan, in Saloon (row 2, column 4).

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Steamship Aurora

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Bridge, Dining, Lounge, Engine, Galley. Seven statements, nine squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by one detective so far.

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. B — bed (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · G — grandfather clock · SO — sofa (square stays free) · ST — stove · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Conrad was in the lounge. leaves 6 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 6 of 30.
Conrad was in column 4. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 1 of 30.
Paloma was beside the desk. leaves 2 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Paloma: 2 of 30.
Marina was in the galley. leaves 3 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 3 of 30.
Alistair was in the lounge. leaves 6 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Alistair: 6 of 30.
Alistair was in column 2. leaves 2 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Alistair: 2 of 30.
Dora was beside the grandfather clock. leaves 1 of 30 squares

Show the squares Paloma had left

The squares still open to Paloma once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 30.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Leo can only be in Dining (row 1, column 5) — down from 30 possible squares.
Paloma can only be in Dining (row 2, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Marina can only be in Galley (row 6, column 3) — down from 3 possible squares.
Alistair can only be in Lounge (row 4, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Paloma, in Dining (row 2, column 6).

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Steamship Aurora

An 8×7 grid across 6 rooms: Hold, Galley, Lounge, Engine, Cabin, Dining. Nine statements, fourteen squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by one detective so far.

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. A — armchair (square stays free) · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · M — mirror (square stays free) · P — painting (square stays free) · SO — sofa (square stays free) · ST — stove · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Tamara was in the same room as Bruno.
Tamara was in the same row as the grandfather clock. leaves 6 of 48 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 6 of 48.
Tamara was in the same column as the floor lamp. leaves 1 of 48 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 1 of 48.
Bruno was somewhere north of Wilfred.
Leo was on the carpet. leaves 2 of 48 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Leo: 2 of 48.
Gordon was in the same column as the desk. leaves 5 of 48 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 5 of 48.
Wilfred was beside the painting. leaves 1 of 48 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wilfred: 1 of 48.
Rufus was beside the armchair. leaves 3 of 48 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 3 of 48.
Nobody was in the lounge.

Show the squares Leo had left

The squares still open to Leo once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 48.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Fabio can only be in Dining (row 4, column 4) — down from 48 possible squares.
Bruno can only be in Engine (row 3, column 7) — down from 48 possible squares.
Leo can only be in Hold (row 1, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Gordon can only be in Galley (row 6, column 1) — down from 5 possible squares.
Rufus can only be in Hold (row 2, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Wilfred, in Dining (row 5, column 3).

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Steamship Aurora

A 9×8 grid across 6 rooms: Galley, Hold, Dining, Deck, Engine, Cabin. Twelve statements, fourteen squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

Cracked by one detective so far.

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. A — armchair (square stays free) · B — bed (square stays free) · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · SO — sofa (square stays free) · ST — stove · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Alistair was exactly 1 row north of Katia.
Sol was somewhere north of Katia.
Sol was exactly 2 columns west of the Butler.
Cesar was in the same row as the carpet. leaves 17 of 64 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Cesar: 17 of 64.
Cesar was in the same room as the Heiress.
Cesar was somewhere west of the Heiress.
Nadia was somewhere east of the Journalist.
Katia was in the same column as the bed. leaves 8 of 64 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Katia: 8 of 64.
Katia was all alone in a room.
Xavier was in the same row as the floor lamp. leaves 7 of 64 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Xavier: 7 of 64.
Gilda was in the same row as the grandfather clock. leaves 7 of 64 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 7 of 64.
Gilda was exactly 2 columns east of Xavier.

Show the squares Xavier had left

The squares still open to Xavier once their own statements are taken into account — 7 of 64.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 149 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Alistair stood in Cabin (row 1, column 1), Sol would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Sol in Cabin (row 1, column 1) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Cesar in Hold (row 4, column 3) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Nadia in Cabin (row 1, column 9) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 145 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Xavier, in Galley (row 7, column 5).

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Steamship Aurora

A 10×9 grid across 7 rooms: Saloon, Galley, Engine, Cabin, Dining, Deck, Lounge. Fourteen statements, twenty squares nobody could stand on, and two rounds of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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

Cracked by one detective so far.

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. A — armchair (square stays free) · B — bed (square stays free) · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CL — clock · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · P — painting (square stays free) · SO — sofa (square stays free) · ST — stove · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Fabio was in the same column as a chest. leaves 15 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Fabio: 15 of 78.
Delia was in the same column as a sofa. leaves 24 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Delia: 24 of 78.
Delia was somewhere north of Fabio.
Gordon was in the same row as the window. leaves 10 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 10 of 78.
Zeno was in the same row as a sofa. leaves 18 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Zeno: 18 of 78.
Tesa was exactly 1 column west of Fabio.
Tesa was in row 4. leaves 9 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 9 of 78.
Milo was exactly 8 columns west of Zeno.
Queralt was somewhere south of Tesa.
Ivan was exactly 6 columns east of Milo.
Ivan was somewhere south of Fabio.
Exactly 2 people were in the dining room.
Exactly 3 people were in the engine room.
Exactly 3 people were in the lounge.

Show the squares Tesa had left

The squares still open to Tesa once their own statements are taken into account — 9 of 78.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 161 eliminations across 2 rounds of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Put Fabio in Deck (row 6, column 4) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Delia stood in Dining (row 1, column 4), Gordon would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Gordon stood in Dining (row 1, column 4), Fabio would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Milo stood in Lounge (row 1, column 1), Gordon would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 157 squares fell the same way.

Zeno can only be in Engine (row 8, column 10) — down from 4 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.

Delia's motive would have been debts.
Milo's motive would have been ambition.
Tesa's motive would have been jealousy.
Fabio's motive would have been blackmail.
Ivan's motive would have been revenge.
Whoever did it was not driven by obsession.
Whoever did it was not driven by buried secrets.

The answer

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

The only motive left standing for Gordon is inheritance.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Gordon 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

The day in review for this date has not been written yet — it appears here once it is.

Every day's cases — the calendar · ← the cases for 22 July

Play free — no download