Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 27 July 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-07-27 — 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 4 rooms: Orchid House, Lily Pond, Tropical House, Visitor Center. Seven statements, four 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.

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. C — cactus · F — flower bush · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant

The testimony

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

Greta was in column 3. leaves 5 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Greta: 5 of 22.
Wilfred was in column 4. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wilfred: 4 of 22.
Wilfred was in the tropical house. leaves 2 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wilfred: 2 of 22.
Yolanda was in the lily pond. leaves 6 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yolanda: 6 of 22.
Yolanda was in column 2. leaves 2 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yolanda: 2 of 22.
Ximena was in row 2. leaves 5 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ximena: 5 of 22.
Ximena was in the orchid house. leaves 3 of 22 squares

Show the squares Wilfred had left

The squares still open to Wilfred once their own statements are taken into account — 2 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:

Greta can only be in Tropical House (row 5, column 3) — down from 5 possible squares.
Wilfred can only be in Tropical House (row 4, column 4) — down from 2 possible squares.
Yolanda can only be in Lily Pond (row 3, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Nadia can only be in Lily Pond (row 1, column 1) — down from 22 possible squares.
Ximena can only be in Orchid House (row 2, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Yolanda, in Lily Pond (row 3, column 2).

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Botanical Garden

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Compost Yard, Tropical House, Seed Vault, Lily Pond. Seven statements, eight 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.

The testimony

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

Tobias was beside the potted plant. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tobias: 2 of 29.
Percy was in column 4. leaves 5 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Percy: 5 of 29.
Percy was beside the shrub. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Percy: 1 of 29.
Katia was in the seed vault. leaves 8 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Katia: 8 of 29.
Ivan was in column 2. leaves 5 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 5 of 29.
Ivan was in row 4. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 1 of 29.
Gaspar was in row 5. leaves 4 of 29 squares

Show the squares Tobias had left

The squares still open to Tobias 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:

Tobias can only be in Seed Vault (row 3, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.
Katia can only be in Seed Vault (row 2, column 3) — down from 8 possible squares.
Gaspar can only be in Tropical House (row 5, column 6) — down from 4 possible squares.
Delia can only be in Tropical House (row 6, column 5) — down from 29 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Gaspar, in Tropical House (row 5, column 6).

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Botanical Garden

A 7×7 grid across 6 rooms: Tropical House, Lily Pond, Orchid House, Compost Yard, Garden Path, Cactus House. Ten statements, nine 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.

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. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · F — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · S — statue · T — tree

The testimony

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

Ursula was in the same room as Tobias.
Ursula was in the same column as the boulder. leaves 6 of 41 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 6 of 41.
Hugo was in column 4. leaves 6 of 41 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 6 of 41.
Hugo was in the same row as the boulder. leaves 1 of 41 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 1 of 41.
Lorenzo was beside the statue. leaves 2 of 41 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Lorenzo: 2 of 41.
Tobias was in the same column as the cactus. leaves 6 of 41 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tobias: 6 of 41.
Tobias was in the same row as the tree. leaves 1 of 41 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tobias: 1 of 41.
Olivia was in the lily pond or in the orchid house. leaves 14 of 41 squares
Olivia was in the same row as the cactus. leaves 2 of 41 squares
Margot was beside the fountain. leaves 3 of 41 squares

Show the squares Lorenzo had left

The squares still open to Lorenzo once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 41.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Ursula can only be in Orchid House (row 1, column 7) — down from 6 possible squares.
Nestor can only be in Cactus House (row 7, column 5) — down from 41 possible squares.
Lorenzo can only be in Garden Path (row 4, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Olivia can only be in Lily Pond (row 6, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.
Margot can only be in Garden Path (row 3, column 3) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Hugo, in Cactus House (row 5, column 4).

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Botanical Garden

An 8×8 grid across 6 rooms: Cactus House, Lily Pond, Visitor Center, Garden Path, Palm Pavilion, Seed Vault. Eleven statements, ten 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. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue

The testimony

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

Gaspar was exactly 1 column west of the Chef.
Gaspar was in the same row as the potted plant. leaves 6 of 55 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gaspar: 6 of 55.
Gaspar was exactly 3 rows south of Delia.
Lorenzo was all alone in a room.
Lorenzo was exactly 2 columns west of the Gardener.
Enzo was beside the fountain. leaves 2 of 55 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Enzo: 2 of 55.
Kira was somewhere south of Marina.
Delia was somewhere west of the Curator.
Marina was in the same column as the bench. leaves 6 of 55 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 6 of 55.
Victor was somewhere north of Kira.
Victor was in the same row as the fountain. leaves 6 of 55 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 6 of 55.

Show the squares Enzo had left

The squares still open to Enzo once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 55.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 80 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Gaspar stood in Seed Vault (row 5, column 5), Marina would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Hugo stood in Palm Pavilion (row 1, column 1), Enzo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Lorenzo stood in Palm Pavilion (row 1, column 3), Gaspar would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Enzo in Garden Path (row 5, column 1) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 76 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Botanical Garden

A 9×9 grid across 7 rooms: Cactus House, Orchid House, Seed Vault, Visitor Center, Palm Pavilion, Garden Path, Tropical House. Nineteen statements, fourteen squares nobody could stand on, and two rounds of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry — and one of the nine was lying throughout.

The twist: one suspect is an accomplice — every statement they make is false; 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. 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 · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

What each person said. One of these 9 is the killer's accomplice and every word they said is false — but not which one, not yet.

Felix was in the western half of the scene. if true, leaves 39 of 67
Felix was in the same row as the tree. if true, leaves 34 of 67
Jimena was in the same column as the boulder. if true, leaves 8 of 67
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jimena: 8 of 67.
Jimena was in the same row as the cactus. if true, leaves 1 of 67
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jimena: 1 of 67.
Jimena was somewhere south of the Magician.
Pablo was somewhere east of Felix.
Pablo was somewhere east of Victor.
Dora was somewhere west of Victor.
Dora was somewhere east of the Chef.
Dora was somewhere south of the Journalist.
Dora was somewhere north of the Professor.
Nico was in the same row as a bench. if true, leaves 2 of 67
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 2 of 67.
Gilda was somewhere east of the Butler.
Gilda was in the same column as a shrub. if true, leaves 14 of 67
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 14 of 67.
Victor was in the same row as the tree. if true, leaves 7 of 67
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 7 of 67.
Tesa was in the same column as the tree. if true, leaves 6 of 67
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 6 of 67.
Tesa was somewhere north of the Gardener.
Exactly 2 people were in the visitor center.
Exactly 2 people were in the orchid house.

Show the squares Nico had left

The squares still open to Nico once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 67.

Unmasking the liar

One of these 9 people is the killer's accomplice, and every word they said is false — but you are not told which. Take each in turn: read their statements backwards and ask whether the rest of the testimony can still be satisfied.

If Jimena were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Pablo were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Dora were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Nico were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 4 candidates collapse the same way.

Only Felix survives the test. That is the accomplice, and everything they said is now read backwards.

Read backwards, Felix actually told you:

Felix was NOT in the western half of the scene.
Felix was NOT in the same row as the tree.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Pablo can only be in Visitor Center (row 3, column 9) — down from 67 possible squares.
Nico can only be in Garden Path (row 2, column 4) — down from 2 possible squares.
Gilda can only be in Visitor Center (row 1, column 6) — down from 14 possible squares.
Tesa can only be in Tropical House (row 6, column 1) — down from 6 possible squares.
Marco can only be in Orchid House (row 8, column 2) — down from 67 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 4 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Put Felix in Orchid House (row 9, column 5) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Dora stood in Cactus House (row 5, column 7), Victor would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Victor in Orchid House (row 7, column 8) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 1 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. 8 motives are in play, and these statements narrow them.

Victor's motive would have been revenge.
Nico's motive would have been debts.
Jimena's motive would have been inheritance.
Dora's motive would have been blackmail.
Tesa's motive would have been ambition.
Felix was not driven by jealousy.
Whoever did it was not driven by obsession.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Felix, in Orchid House (row 9, column 8). Felix lied throughout and was never charged.

The only motive left standing for Felix is buried secrets.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Felix 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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