Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 5 August 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-08-05 — 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 Golf Course

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Clubhouse, Green, Bunker, Tee Box. Seven statements, five squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 4 detectives 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 — boulder · FL — flag (square stays free) · FO — flower bush · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Rita was in the sand bunker. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 4 of 22.
Rita was in column 3. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 1 of 22.
Felix was in the green. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 4 of 22.
Felix was in the leftmost column. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 1 of 22.
Alma was in row 3. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Alma: 4 of 22.
Alma was in column 4. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Alma: 1 of 22.
Elena was in the tee box. leaves 7 of 22 squares

Show the squares Elena had left

The squares still open to Elena once their own statements are taken into account — 7 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:

Octavio can only be in Clubhouse (row 4, column 5) — down from 22 possible squares.
Elena can only be in Tee Box (row 2, column 2) — down from 7 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Repair Shop

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Paint Booth, Repair Bay, Parts Room, Storeroom. Eight statements, eight squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 3 detectives 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. CA — cabinet · CO — computer · CR — crate · O — oil slick (square stays free) · R — radio · T — television · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Vera was in row 2. leaves 6 of 31 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 6 of 31.
Vera was on the oil slick. leaves 1 of 31 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 1 of 31.
Ruben was beside the computer. leaves 2 of 31 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 2 of 31.
Ruben was in column 2. leaves 1 of 31 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 1 of 31.
Horacio was in the paint booth. leaves 15 of 31 squares
Horacio was in the rightmost column. leaves 3 of 31 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 3 of 31.
Zeno was beside the crate. leaves 3 of 31 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Zeno: 3 of 31.
Alma was in the storeroom. leaves 6 of 31 squares

Show the squares Horacio had left

The squares still open to Horacio once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 31.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Horacio can only be in Paint Booth (row 6, column 6) — down from 3 possible squares.
Zeno can only be in Paint Booth (row 5, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.
Jonas can only be in Parts Room (row 3, column 1) — down from 31 possible squares.
Alma can only be in Storeroom (row 1, column 3) — down from 6 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Old Observatory

A 7×7 grid across 5 rooms: Archive, Terrace, Workshop, Garden, Dome. Nine statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 3 detectives 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 — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CR — crate · D — desk · G — grandfather clock · P — potted plant · S — statue · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Ignacio was beside the grandfather clock. leaves 2 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 2 of 42.
Conrad was in the same column as a window. leaves 12 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 12 of 42.
Conrad was in the same row as the desk. leaves 2 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 2 of 42.
Tesa was in the same column as the desk. leaves 6 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 6 of 42.
Tesa was in the same row as the tree. leaves 1 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 1 of 42.
Ada was in the workshop or in the garden. leaves 17 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 17 of 42.
Ada was in the eastern half of the scene. leaves 7 of 42 squares
Xavier was beside the bookshelf. leaves 1 of 42 squares
Frida was beside the crate. leaves 2 of 42 squares

Show the squares Ignacio had left

The squares still open to Ignacio once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 42.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Ignacio can only be in Workshop (row 3, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Conrad can only be in Terrace (row 5, column 7) — down from 2 possible squares.
Rufus can only be in Archive (row 7, column 4) — down from 42 possible squares.
Ada can only be in Garden (row 2, column 5) — down from 7 possible squares.
Frida can only be in Archive (row 6, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Frida, in Archive (row 6, column 1).

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Old Observatory

An 8×8 grid across 6 rooms: Office, Library, Lounge, Terrace, Dome, Workshop. Twelve statements, ten squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

Cracked by 2 detectives 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 — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — flower bush · G — grandfather clock · S — sofa (square stays free) · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Greta was exactly 1 row south of Clara.
Yago was exactly 4 columns west of the Chef.
Yago was all alone in a room.
Helena was in the same row as the armchair. leaves 8 of 58 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Helena: 8 of 58.
Helena was in the same room as Margot.
Helena was in the same room as the Doctor.
Clara was exactly 6 columns east of Ada.
Clara was somewhere west of the Butler.
Margot was in the same room as the Butler.
Felix was somewhere north of Greta.
Ada was exactly 4 rows south of the Diva.
Ada was all alone in a room.

Show the squares Helena had left

The squares still open to Helena once their own statements are taken into account — 8 of 58.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 85 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Greta stood in Lounge (row 3, column 3), Helena would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Yago in Lounge (row 2, column 4) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Helena stood in Library (row 1, column 8), Felix would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Pablo in Lounge (row 1, column 2) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 81 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Hiking Trip

A 9×9 grid across 8 rooms: Riverbank, Trailhead, Forest Path, Summit, Meadow, Cave, Ranger Station, Overlook. Fifteen statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, 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.

Cracked by 2 detectives 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 — bear · BO — boulder · CA — campfire · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · R — radio · S — shrub · TE — tent · TR — 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.

Bruno was in the same column as the campfire. if true, leaves 8 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Bruno: 8 of 70.
Yolanda was in the same row as the desk. if true, leaves 8 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yolanda: 8 of 70.
Horacio was in the same column as a shrub. if true, leaves 15 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 15 of 70.
Horacio was not beside a shrub. if true, leaves 13 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 13 of 70.
Horacio was in row 5. if true, leaves 2 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 2 of 70.
Nestor was in the same row as the crate. if true, leaves 62 of 70
Nestor was in the same column as a shrub. if true, leaves 49 of 70
Zaida was in column 2. if true, leaves 9 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Zaida: 9 of 70.
Zaida was in the same row as the campfire. if true, leaves 1 of 70
Pablo was in the same row as the floor lamp. if true, leaves 8 of 70
Enzo was in the same column as the boulder. if true, leaves 7 of 70
Vera was in the same row as the bear. if true, leaves 8 of 70
Vera was in the same column as the radio. if true, leaves 1 of 70
Exactly 2 people were in the trailhead.
Exactly 2 people were in the meadow.

Show the squares Horacio had left

The squares still open to Horacio once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 70.

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 Bruno were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Yolanda were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Horacio were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Marco were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 4 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Nestor actually told you:

Nestor was NOT in the same row as the crate.
Nestor was NOT in the same column as a shrub.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 82 eliminations across 2 rounds of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Bruno stood in Meadow (row 1, column 6), Yolanda would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Yolanda stood in Overlook (row 1, column 1), Enzo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Horacio stood in Forest Path (row 5, column 4), Enzo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Nestor stood in Meadow (row 1, column 3), Yolanda would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 78 squares fell the same way.

Bruno can only be in Meadow (row 2, column 6) — down from 3 possible squares.
Yolanda can only be in Meadow (row 1, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Enzo, in Trailhead (row 8, column 4). Nestor lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Enzo 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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