Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 8 August 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-08-08 — 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 Hiking Trip

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Forest Path, Campsite, Riverbank. Seven statements, four squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 5 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. B — boulder · C — campfire · TE — tent · TR — tree

The testimony

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

Horacio was in column 2. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 4 of 21.
Horacio was in the top row. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 1 of 21.
Ines was beside the boulder. leaves 2 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 2 of 21.
Ines was in the rightmost column. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 1 of 21.
Gaspar was in the campsite. leaves 5 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gaspar: 5 of 21.
Ursula was in row 3. leaves 2 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 2 of 21.
Ursula was in the campsite. leaves 1 of 21 squares

Show the squares Gaspar had left

The squares still open to Gaspar once their own statements are taken into account — 5 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:

Beatrix can only be in Riverbank (row 2, column 1) — down from 21 possible squares.
Gaspar can only be in Campsite (row 4, column 4) — down from 5 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Horacio, in Riverbank (row 1, column 2).

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Bunker

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Shelter, Pantry, Generator Room, Airlock. Eight statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 5 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.

The testimony

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

Hilda was in column 5. leaves 6 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 6 of 30.
Hilda was in row 3. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 1 of 30.
Jonas was in the bottom row. leaves 5 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jonas: 5 of 30.
Jonas was beside the radio. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jonas: 1 of 30.
Tesa was beside the crate. leaves 2 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 2 of 30.
Elias was in column 2. leaves 4 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Elias: 4 of 30.
Elias was beside the crate. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Alistair was in the generator room. leaves 8 of 30 squares

Show the squares Tesa had left

The squares still open to Tesa 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:

Tesa can only be in Airlock (row 2, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.
Ximena can only be in Pantry (row 5, column 6) — down from 30 possible squares.
Alistair can only be in Generator Room (row 4, column 1) — down from 8 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Jonas, in Pantry (row 6, column 4).

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Hiking Trip

A 7×7 grid across 6 rooms: Ranger Station, Trailhead, Cave, Riverbank, Overlook, Meadow. Nine statements, seven 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 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. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. B — bear · CA — campfire · CR — crate · D — desk · S — shrub · TE — tent · TR — tree

The testimony

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

Ximena was in the same column as the shrub. leaves 6 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ximena: 6 of 42.
Quentin was in the same row as the crate. leaves 6 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 6 of 42.
Quentin was in the cave or in the riverbank. leaves 2 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 2 of 42.
Elena was beside the bear. leaves 2 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Elena: 2 of 42.
Gordon was in the eastern half of the scene. leaves 20 of 42 squares
Gordon was in row 2. leaves 3 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 3 of 42.
Gordon was somewhere north of the Diva.
Pablo was beside the tent. leaves 1 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Pablo: 1 of 42.
Nico was beside the tree. leaves 2 of 42 squares

Show the squares Quentin had left

The squares still open to Quentin 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:

Ximena can only be in Ranger Station (row 5, column 5) — down from 6 possible squares.
Quentin can only be in Riverbank (row 3, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Elena can only be in Meadow (row 4, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.
Gordon can only be in Overlook (row 2, column 7) — down from 3 possible squares.
Nico can only be in Meadow (row 7, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.
Tobias can only be in Riverbank (row 1, column 4) — down from 42 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Quentin, in Riverbank (row 3, column 6).

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Hotel Meridian

An 8×8 grid across 7 rooms: Cellar, Office, Suite, Gallery, Bar, Kitchen, Lobby. Twelve statements, twelve 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 — and one of the eight 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. 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 · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · PA — painting (square stays free) · PI — piano · S — sofa (square stays free) · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

What each person said. One of these 8 is the killer's accomplice and every word they said is false — but not which one, not yet.

Alistair was in the same row as the grandfather clock. if true, leaves 7 of 59
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Alistair: 7 of 59.
Ruben was in the same row as a window. if true, leaves 16 of 59
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 16 of 59.
Ruben was beside the carpet. if true, leaves 1 of 59
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 1 of 59.
Horacio was in the same row as the sofa. if true, leaves 15 of 59
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 15 of 59.
Horacio was in the same column as the floor lamp. if true, leaves 2 of 59
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 2 of 59.
Oscar was in the same row as the desk. if true, leaves 7 of 59
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Oscar: 7 of 59.
Oscar was not touching the outer wall. if true, leaves 5 of 59
Kurt was beside the bed. if true, leaves 57 of 59
Kurt was in the same column as the desk. if true, leaves 51 of 59
Gilda was in the same column as the bed. if true, leaves 7 of 59
Sofia was beside the armchair. if true, leaves 2 of 59
Nobody was in the lobby.

Show the squares Horacio had left

The squares still open to Horacio once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 59.

Unmasking the liar

One of these 8 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 Nestor were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Alistair were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Ruben were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Horacio were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 3 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Kurt actually told you:

Kurt was NOT beside the bed.
Kurt was NOT in the same column as the desk.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 75 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Nestor stood in Bar (row 2, column 2), Oscar would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Alistair stood in Cellar (row 8, column 4), Horacio would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Horacio in Cellar (row 8, column 4) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Oscar in Bar (row 3, column 4) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 71 squares fell the same way.

Nestor can only be in Suite (row 5, column 7) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Gilda, in Suite (row 6, column 6). Kurt lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Backyard Garden

A 9×9 grid across 7 rooms: Living room, Patio, Garden, Shed, Sunroom, Pond, Bedroom. Fifteen statements, thirteen 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.

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) · BE — bed (square stays free) · BO — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · D — desk · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · SO — sofa (square stays free) · ST — stove · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

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.

Gordon was in the same column as the bookshelf. if true, leaves 8 of 73
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 8 of 73.
Gordon was not seated on anything.
Gordon was in the same row as the tree. if true, leaves 1 of 73
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 1 of 73.
Kaspar was in the same row as the carpet. if true, leaves 9 of 73
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kaspar: 9 of 73.
Simon was in the same column as the tree. if true, leaves 7 of 73
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 7 of 73.
Quentin was in the same column as the bed. if true, leaves 8 of 73
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 8 of 73.
Quentin was in the same row as the flower bush. if true, leaves 1 of 73
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 1 of 73.
Beatrix was in the same row as the bookshelf. if true, leaves 6 of 73
Tamara was in the same column as the carpet. if true, leaves 17 of 73
Tamara was in the same row as the bed. if true, leaves 4 of 73
Tamara was not beside the bed. if true, leaves 2 of 73
Ruben was not in the patio. if true, leaves 17 of 73
Ruben was in the same column as the bookshelf. if true, leaves 16 of 73
Ursula was in the same row as the sofa. if true, leaves 17 of 73
Exactly 2 people were in the sunroom.

Show the squares Tamara had left

The squares still open to Tamara once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 73.

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 Gordon were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Kaspar were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Simon were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Quentin were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 4 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Ruben actually told you:

Ruben WAS in the patio.
Ruben was NOT in the same column as the bookshelf.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Kaspar can only be in Sunroom (row 9, column 7) — down from 9 possible squares.
Simon can only be in Bedroom (row 7, column 3) — down from 7 possible squares.
Beatrix can only be in Living room (row 1, column 2) — down from 6 possible squares.
Alistair can only be in Sunroom (row 6, column 5) — down from 73 possible squares.
Tamara can only be in Shed (row 2, column 8) — down from 2 possible squares.
Ruben can only be in Patio (row 5, column 9) — down from 16 possible squares.
Ursula can only be in Pond (row 4, column 1) — down from 17 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Kaspar, in Sunroom (row 9, column 7). Ruben lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Kaspar 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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