Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 15 August 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-08-15 — 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 Hotel Meridian

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Lobby, Gallery, Terrace, Cellar. Seven statements, four squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 8 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) · F — floor lamp · P — piano · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Ruben was in the lobby. leaves 7 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    FAPW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 7 of 23.
  2. Wanda was in the lobby. leaves 7 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    FAPW
    The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 7 of 23.
  3. Wanda was in column 2. leaves 1 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    FAPW
    The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 1 of 23.
  4. Beatrix was in row 4. leaves 4 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    FAPW
    The squares this one statement leaves Beatrix: 4 of 23.
  5. Beatrix was in column 4. leaves 1 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    FAPW
    The squares this one statement leaves Beatrix: 1 of 23.
  6. Queralt was in the terrace. leaves 7 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    FAPW
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 7 of 23.
  7. Queralt was in column 3. leaves 1 of 23 squares
Show the squares Ruben had left
FAPW
The squares still open to Ruben once their own statements are taken into account — 7 of 23.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

Show the solved board
FAPWR✕WBQ
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Beatrix is ringed in red.

Beginner · time attack — The Theatre Royal

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Balcony, Office, Dressing. Seven statements, six 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. 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) · C — chest · M — mirror (square stays free) · P — piano · 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.

  1. Julia was seated on the sofa. leaves 2 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSCAWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 2 of 23.
  2. Julia was in column 3. leaves 1 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSCAWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 1 of 23.
  3. Yago was in row 2. leaves 4 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSCAWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 4 of 23.
  4. Yago was in the dressing room. leaves 1 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSCAWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 1 of 23.
  5. Sofia was in the balcony. leaves 9 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSCAWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 9 of 23.
  6. Boris was in row 3. leaves 5 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSCAWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Boris: 5 of 23.
  7. Boris was in the office. leaves 1 of 23 squares
Show the squares Sofia had left
PSCAWM
The squares still open to Sofia once their own statements are taken into account — 9 of 23.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

Show the solved board
PSCAWMJYSB✕
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Boris is ringed in red.

Easy — The Backyard Garden

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Sunroom, Shed, Garden, Pond, Patio. Eight statements, eight 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.

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 — bed (square stays free) · BO — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · D — desk · F — flower bush · S — stove · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Tesa was in row 5. leaves 6 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECHBOSDCAFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 6 of 31.
  2. Tesa was beside the bed. leaves 1 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECHBOSDCAFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 1 of 31.
  3. Kira was in the pond. leaves 8 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECHBOSDCAFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 8 of 31.
  4. Vasco was in the sunroom or in the patio. leaves 9 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECHBOSDCAFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 9 of 31.
  5. Vasco was in row 4. leaves 1 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECHBOSDCAFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 1 of 31.
  6. Fabio was beside the flower bush. leaves 1 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECHBOSDCAFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Fabio: 1 of 31.
  7. Ines was in the tool shed or in the patio. leaves 14 of 31 squares
  8. Ines was in column 2. leaves 1 of 31 squares
Show the squares Kira had left
BECHBOSDCAFW
The squares still open to Kira once their own statements are taken into account — 8 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:

The answer

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

Show the solved board
BECHBOSDCAFWTKVF✕I
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Ines is ringed in red.

Easy · time attack — The Old Harbor

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Dock, Boathouse, Marina, Harbormaster's. Eight statements, six 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. B — boat · CA — cabinet · CH — chest · CO — computer · S — shark · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Fabio was beside the chest. leaves 1 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    COCABCHSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Fabio: 1 of 30.
  2. Kaspar was in the bottom row. leaves 5 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    COCABCHSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Kaspar: 5 of 30.
  3. Kaspar was in the leftmost column. leaves 1 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    COCABCHSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Kaspar: 1 of 30.
  4. Ruben was beside the computer. leaves 2 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    COCABCHSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 2 of 30.
  5. Ruben was in column 5. leaves 1 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    COCABCHSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 1 of 30.
  6. Celeste was in the dock or in the boathouse. leaves 13 of 30 squares
  7. Celeste was in column 3. leaves 3 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    COCABCHSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 3 of 30.
  8. Horacio was in the marina. leaves 9 of 30 squares
Show the squares Celeste had left
COCABCHSW
The squares still open to Celeste once their own statements are taken into account — 3 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:

The answer

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

Show the solved board
COCABCHSWFK✕RCH
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Ruben is ringed in red.

Medium · time attack — The Hotel Meridian

A 7×7 grid across 5 rooms: Bar, Ballroom, Office, Terrace, Cellar. Sixteen statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry — and one of the seven was lying throughout.

The twist: one suspect is an accomplice — every statement they make is false.

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 · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

What each person said. One of these 7 is the killer's accomplice and every word they said is false — but not which one, not yet.

  1. Tamara was in the same column as a window. if true, leaves 13 of 44
    Show it on the board
    FACHPOPIDBCAWWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 13 of 44.
  2. Tamara was in the ballroom or in the terrace. if true, leaves 10 of 44
    Show it on the board
    FACHPOPIDBCAWWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 10 of 44.
  3. Tamara was in the same row as a window. if true, leaves 4 of 44
    Show it on the board
    FACHPOPIDBCAWWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 4 of 44.
  4. Sofia was not in the ballroom. if true, leaves 36 of 44
  5. Sofia was beside the carpet. if true, leaves 3 of 44
    Show it on the board
    FACHPOPIDBCAWWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 3 of 44.
  6. Sofia was in the same row as the carpet. if true, leaves 2 of 44
    Show it on the board
    FACHPOPIDBCAWWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 2 of 44.
  7. Sofia was beside the bed. if true, leaves 1 of 44
    Show it on the board
    FACHPOPIDBCAWWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 1 of 44.
  8. Celeste was beside the desk. if true, leaves 2 of 44
  9. Ivan was in the ballroom or in the terrace. if true, leaves 19 of 44
  10. Ivan was in the ballroom or in the office. if true, leaves 8 of 44
  11. Ivan was not seated on anything.
  12. Wanda was in the same column as the bed. if true, leaves 31 of 44
  13. Wanda was in the terrace or in the cellar. if true, leaves 17 of 44
  14. Vasco was not seated on anything. if true, leaves 43 of 44
  15. Vasco was in the same row as the floor lamp. if true, leaves 6 of 44
  16. Vasco was in the ballroom. if true, leaves 1 of 44
Show the squares Celeste had left
FACHPOPIDBCAWWW
The squares still open to Celeste once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 44.
Unmasking the liar

One of these 7 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.

Another 1 candidates collapse the same way.

Wanda is the accomplice. Placement alone leaves 2 readings standing here, so it is the accusation itself that settles which — but everything Wanda said is read backwards from now on.

Read backwards, Wanda actually told you:

  1. Wanda was NOT in the same column as the bed.
  2. Wanda was in neither the terrace nor the cellar.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 13 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Show what goes wrong
FACHPOPIDBCAWWWSVT
Suppose Tamara stood on the dashed square. Wanda then has nowhere left to stand: every square still open to them is shaded out.

Another 9 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Wanda, in Bar (row 5, column 2). Wanda lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board
FACHPOPIDBCAWWWTS✕CIWV
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Wanda is ringed in red.

Medium — The Movie Studio

An 8×7 grid across 6 rooms: Sound Stage, Desert Set, Wardrobe, Editing Bay, Director's Office, Prop Warehouse. Nine statements, ten 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 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. 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 — bed (square stays free) · BO — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CO — computer · CR — crate · FI — film camera · FL — floor lamp · M — mirror (square stays free) · T — television

The testimony

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

  1. Ximena was beside the bookshelf. leaves 2 of 50 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBOFLCRCOBEFICAMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Ximena: 2 of 50.
  2. Helena was in the same row as the crate. leaves 7 of 50 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBOFLCRCOBEFICAMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Helena: 7 of 50.
  3. Helena was in column 5. leaves 1 of 50 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBOFLCRCOBEFICAMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Helena: 1 of 50.
  4. Beatrix was in the same room as Walter.
  5. Beatrix was in the same column as the floor lamp. leaves 6 of 50 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBOFLCRCOBEFICAMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Beatrix: 6 of 50.
  6. Tobias was in the same row as a mirror. leaves 14 of 50 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBOFLCRCOBEFICAMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Tobias: 14 of 50.
  7. Walter was in the desert set or in the wardrobe. leaves 16 of 50 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBOFLCRCOBEFICAMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 16 of 50.
  8. Delia was beside the computer. leaves 3 of 50 squares
  9. Nobody was in the editing bay.
Show the squares Ximena had left
TBOFLCRCOBEFICAMM
The squares still open to Ximena once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 50.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Helena, in Sound Stage (row 2, column 5).

Show the solved board
TBOFLCRCOBEFICAMMXHBT✕WD
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Helena is ringed in red.

Hard — The Night Express

A 10×8 grid across 6 rooms: Platform, Locomotive, Baggage, Dining, Observation, Sleeper. Twelve statements, thirteen 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 — bed (square stays free) · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · 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.

  1. Fabio was in the same row as a sofa. leaves 28 of 74 squares
    Show it on the board
    DBCHGSOCRFCASTASOWP
    The squares this one statement leaves Fabio: 28 of 74.
  2. Hugo was somewhere north of Tobias.
  3. Hugo was exactly 8 columns east of the Professor.
  4. Hugo was in the same room as Ada.
  5. Vasco was exactly 3 rows south of the Chef.
  6. Vasco was in the same column as the bed. leaves 15 of 74 squares
    Show it on the board
    DBCHGSOCRFCASTASOWP
    The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 15 of 74.
  7. Vasco was all alone in a room.
  8. Ada was somewhere east of the Gardener.
  9. Tobias was somewhere west of the Diva.
  10. Wren was beside the window. leaves 1 of 74 squares
    Show it on the board
    DBCHGSOCRFCASTASOWP
    The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 1 of 74.
  11. Greta was exactly 3 columns west of the Gardener.
  12. Nobody was in the platform.
Show the squares Vasco had left
DBCHGSOCRFCASTASOWP
The squares still open to Vasco once their own statements are taken into account — 15 of 74.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 90 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Show what goes wrong
DBCHGSOCRFCASTASOWPWF
Suppose Fabio stood on the dashed square. Greta then has nowhere left to stand: every square still open to them is shaded out.

Another 86 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board
DBCHGSOCRFCASTASOWPF✕HVATWG
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Tobias is ringed in red.

Hard · time attack — A Walk in the Park

An 8×8 grid across 7 rooms: Boathouse, Path, Rose garden, Kiosk, Duck pond, Playground, Bandstand. Ten statements, ten 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.

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 · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CR — crate · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · FU — fountain · S — shrub · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Pablo was in the same row as the crate. leaves 7 of 56 squares
    Show it on the board
    CABOFOTFUSBECRFLW
    The squares this one statement leaves Pablo: 7 of 56.
  2. Walter was in the same room as the Butler.
  3. Vasco was in the same row as the shrub. leaves 7 of 56 squares
    Show it on the board
    CABOFOTFUSBECRFLW
    The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 7 of 56.
  4. Kaspar was exactly 4 columns west of Pablo.
  5. Flora was not in the kiosk. leaves 49 of 56 squares
  6. Flora was exactly 5 rows south of Walter.
  7. Flora was all alone in a room.
  8. Ines was in the same column as the carpet. leaves 16 of 56 squares
    Show it on the board
    CABOFOTFUSBECRFLW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 16 of 56.
  9. Bianca was in the same column as the boulder. leaves 7 of 56 squares
    Show it on the board
    CABOFOTFUSBECRFLW
    The squares this one statement leaves Bianca: 7 of 56.
  10. Bianca was exactly 1 row south of Ines.
Show the squares Pablo had left
CABOFOTFUSBECRFLW
The squares still open to Pablo once their own statements are taken into account — 7 of 56.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 107 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Show what goes wrong
CABOFOTFUSBECRFLWP
Suppose Pablo stood on the dashed square. Bianca then has nowhere left to stand: every square still open to them is shaded out.

Another 103 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board
CABOFOTFUSBECRFLWPWVKF✕IB
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Vasco is ringed in red.

Expert — Movie Night

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Pantry, Laundry, Guest Room, TV Den, Hallway, Kitchen, Study, Balcony. Fifteen statements, sixteen 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.

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 — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CO — computer · F — floor lamp · PA — painting (square stays free) · PO — potted plant · R — radio · S — sofa (square stays free) · T — television · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Olivia was in the same column as the painting. leaves 9 of 81 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPOSFACARBCOBCACORWWPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Olivia: 9 of 81.
  2. Vivienne was somewhere north of the Heiress.
  3. Vivienne was exactly 1 column east of Margot.
  4. Vivienne and Alistair were alone together in one room.
  5. Lorenzo was somewhere north of the Heiress.
  6. Nestor was exactly 5 rows north of the Diva.
  7. Nestor was in the leftmost column. leaves 8 of 81 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPOSFACARBCOBCACORWWPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 8 of 81.
  8. Nestor was exactly 3 rows north of Elias.
  9. Margot was somewhere north of the Gardener.
  10. Yago was in the same row as the potted plant. leaves 8 of 81 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPOSFACARBCOBCACORWWPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 8 of 81.
  11. Yago was in the same column as a window. leaves 2 of 81 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPOSFACARBCOBCACORWWPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 2 of 81.
  12. Alistair was somewhere west of the Magician.
  13. Alistair was in the same column as a carpet. leaves 24 of 81 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPOSFACARBCOBCACORWWPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Alistair: 24 of 81.
  14. Elias was somewhere north of the Diva.
  15. Exactly 3 people were in the study.
Show the squares Yago had left
TPOSFACARBCOBCACORWWPA
The squares still open to Yago once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 81.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 229 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Show what goes wrong
TPOSFACARBCOBCACORWWPAO
Suppose Olivia stood on the dashed square. Olivia then has nowhere left to stand: every square still open to them is shaded out.

Another 225 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.

  1. Margot's motive would have been buried secrets.
  2. Elias's motive would have been ambition.
  3. Lorenzo's motive would have been inheritance.
  4. Alistair's motive would have been revenge.
  5. Vivienne's motive would have been jealousy.
  6. Yago was not driven by blackmail.
  7. Whoever did it was not driven by debts.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Yago, in TV Den (row 9, column 5).

The only motive left standing for Yago is obsession.

Show the solved board
TPOSFACARBCOBCACORWWPAOVLNMYA✕E
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Yago is ringed in red.

Expert · time attack — The Hotel Meridian

A 9×9 grid across 8 rooms: Terrace, Suite, Ballroom, Gallery, Lobby, Cellar, Office, Bar. Eighteen statements, fourteen 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; 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. A — armchair (square stays free) · B — bed (square stays free) · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CL — clock · D — desk · F — floor lamp · M — mirror (square stays free) · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · S — sofa (square stays free) · 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.

  1. Selma was beside the desk. if true, leaves 2 of 74
    Show it on the board
    CHSFPICAACLPODBCLWWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Selma: 2 of 74.
  2. Ivan was in the same row as the potted plant. if true, leaves 8 of 74
    Show it on the board
    CHSFPICAACLPODBCLWWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 8 of 74.
  3. Ivan was not beside the piano.
  4. Ivan was in the same column as a clock. if true, leaves 2 of 74
    Show it on the board
    CHSFPICAACLPODBCLWWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 2 of 74.
  5. Quentin was in the southern half of the scene. if true, leaves 43 of 74
  6. Quentin was in the same row as the potted plant.
  7. Quentin was in the same column as the mirror. if true, leaves 38 of 74
  8. Nico was in the northern half of the scene. if true, leaves 35 of 74
  9. Nico was in the same column as the chest. if true, leaves 4 of 74
    Show it on the board
    CHSFPICAACLPODBCLWWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 4 of 74.
  10. Nico was not beside a window. if true, leaves 3 of 74
    Show it on the board
    CHSFPICAACLPODBCLWWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 3 of 74.
  11. Wren was in the same row as the sofa. if true, leaves 9 of 74
    Show it on the board
    CHSFPICAACLPODBCLWWM
    The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 9 of 74.
  12. Wren was in the same column as the bed. if true, leaves 2 of 74
  13. Yolanda was in the same row as the piano. if true, leaves 8 of 74
  14. Yolanda was in the same column as the armchair. if true, leaves 1 of 74
  15. Ruben was in column 4. if true, leaves 9 of 74
  16. Milo was in the same column as a clock. if true, leaves 15 of 74
  17. Milo was in the same row as the carpet. if true, leaves 2 of 74
  18. Exactly 2 people were in the lobby.
Show the squares Selma had left
CHSFPICAACLPODBCLWWM
The squares still open to Selma once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 74.
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.

Another 4 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Quentin actually told you:

  1. Quentin was NOT in the southern half of the scene.
  2. Quentin was NOT in the same row as the potted plant.
  3. Quentin was NOT in the same column as the mirror.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

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.

  1. Yolanda's motive would have been obsession.
  2. Nico's motive would have been debts.
  3. Ruben's motive would have been inheritance.
  4. Milo's motive would have been revenge.
  5. Ivan's motive would have been jealousy.
  6. Wren was not driven by ambition.
  7. Wren was not driven by buried secrets.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Wren, in Lobby (row 1, column 7). Quentin lied throughout and was never charged.

The only motive left standing for Wren is blackmail.

Show the solved board
CHSFPICAACLPODBCLWWMSIQN✕WYRM
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Wren 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

The standard dockets for the fifteenth of August opened smoothly enough. At The Hotel Meridian, a 5x5 layout across four rooms saw seven investigators enter and seven depart satisfied, led by a guest detective in thirty-four seconds. David took the six-room Backyard Garden in fifty-six seconds, while Annemarie claimed the Movie Studio in three minutes and eighteen seconds. Matters stiffened considerably aboard The Night Express, an eight-room affair where only David found the solution out of three attempts, logging nine minutes and fourteen seconds. Meanwhile, a single investigator tackled the 10x9 Movie Night case, which added the requirement of proving motive across eight rooms, but departed without resolving it.

Across the timed roster, the clocks ran quietly without a single entrant. The Theatre Royal sat untried on its 5x5 board with three rooms, as did the four-room puzzle at The Old Harbor. A second trip to The Hotel Meridian introduced a liar into a seven-by-seven, five-room case, yet went undisturbed. The eight-by-eight grounds of A Walk in the Park also saw no callers. The day's final challenge—a 9x9 Hotel Meridian board that stacked eight rooms, an active liar, and a required motive—likewise remained completely untouched, leaving its secrets intact until another day.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: a guest detective — 0m 34s · Easy: david — 0m 56s · Medium: annemarie — 3m 18s · Hard: david — 9m 14s

The solutions

The solved boards — spoilers for every case of 15 August 2026

Key: red ring = the murderer · amber dashes = the lying accomplice · ✕ = the victim · initials mark where each suspect was proved to stand.

Beginner — The Hotel Meridian

R✕WBQ
Beatrix (Heiress)Beatrix (heiress) was named and charged; 7 detectives closed this one.

Easy — The Backyard Garden

TKVF✕I
Ines (Chef)The cell door shut on Ines (chef), on the evidence of 4 detectives.

Medium — The Movie Studio

XHBT✕WD
Helena (Diva)4 detectives put Helena (diva) away before the day was out.

Hard — The Night Express

F✕HVATWG
Tobias (Gardener)Tobias (gardener) is in custody — the case was closed by one detective.

Expert — Movie Night

OVLNMYA✕E
Yago (Gardener)Yago (gardener) walked free: nobody closed this case. Last seen boarding the night ferry with a single case. The obsession has what it wanted.

Beginner · time attack — The Theatre Royal

JYSB✕
Boris (Curator)Boris (curator) is still at large — the day ended without a conviction. A berth on the sleeper train was booked that evening under a name nobody recognized.

Easy · time attack — The Old Harbor

FK✕RCH
Ruben (Chauffeur)Nobody named Ruben (chauffeur); the file stays open. The harbormaster remembers a late rowboat and no lantern.

Medium · time attack — The Hotel Meridian

TS✕CIWV
Wanda (Professor)Wanda (professor) slipped away — no detective cracked this board. The morning mail brought a postcard with no signature and a foreign stamp. Wanda lied for them and was never charged.

Hard · time attack — A Walk in the Park

PWVKF✕IB
Vasco (Colonel)Vasco (colonel) was never charged — the day produced no conviction. A hired car left the coast road before dawn and was never returned.

Expert · time attack — The Hotel Meridian

SIQN✕WYRM
Wren (Chef)Wren (chef) walked free: nobody closed this case. Last seen boarding the night ferry with a single case. The blackmail letters stopped coming. Quentin lied for them and was never charged.

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Every day's cases — the calendar · ← the cases for 14 August

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