Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 17 August 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-08-17 — 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: Water Hazard, Green, Clubhouse, Rough. Six statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 11 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.

Nico was in the green. leaves 4 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 4 of 20.
Cesar was in column 3. leaves 4 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Cesar: 4 of 20.
Cesar was in row 4. leaves 1 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Cesar: 1 of 20.
Hilda was in column 2. leaves 2 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 2 of 20.
Sofia was in row 3. leaves 4 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 4 of 20.
Sofia was in the clubhouse. leaves 2 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 2 of 20.

Show the squares Hilda had left

The squares still open to Hilda once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 20.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Percy can only be in Water Hazard (row 2, column 5) — down from 20 possible squares.
Nico can only be in Green (row 5, column 1) — down from 4 possible squares.
Hilda can only be in Rough (row 1, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Sofia can only be in Clubhouse (row 3, column 4) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Beginner · time attack — The Old Harbor

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Warehouse, Harbormaster's, Fish Market. Six statements, seven 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.

The testimony

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

Fabio was in the warehouse. leaves 11 of 19 squares
Boris was in the rightmost column. leaves 4 of 19 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Boris: 4 of 19.
Boris was in the top row. leaves 1 of 19 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Boris: 1 of 19.
Rosa was in the warehouse. leaves 11 of 19 squares
Rosa was in column 2. leaves 3 of 19 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 3 of 19.
Helena was in row 4. leaves 4 of 19 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Helena: 4 of 19.

Show the squares Rosa had left

The squares still open to Rosa once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 19.

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 Warehouse (row 2, column 4) — down from 11 possible squares.
Rosa can only be in Warehouse (row 3, column 2) — down from 3 possible squares.
Helena can only be in Fish Market (row 4, column 1) — down from 4 possible squares.
Clara can only be in Fish Market (row 5, column 3) — down from 19 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Helena, in Fish Market (row 4, column 1).

Show the solved board

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

Easy — A Walk in the Park

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Kiosk, Bandstand, Duck pond, Lawn. Eight statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 9 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 — bench · BO — boulder · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CR — crate · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · S — shrub · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Yago was in column 5. leaves 3 of 28 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 3 of 28.
Simon was beside the shrub. leaves 1 of 28 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 1 of 28.
Gaspar was in the duck pond. leaves 9 of 28 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gaspar: 9 of 28.
Gaspar was in the southern half of the scene. leaves 5 of 28 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gaspar: 5 of 28.
Ines was in the lawn. leaves 6 of 28 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 6 of 28.
Ines was in row 2. leaves 2 of 28 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 2 of 28.
Dante was beside the crate. leaves 3 of 28 squares
Dante was in column 3. leaves 1 of 28 squares

Show the squares Ines had left

The squares still open to Ines once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 28.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Yago can only be in Bandstand (row 6, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.
Gaspar can only be in Duck pond (row 4, column 1) — down from 5 possible squares.
Ines can only be in Lawn (row 2, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Ada can only be in Duck pond (row 1, column 2) — down from 28 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Gaspar, in Duck pond (row 4, column 1).

Show the solved board

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

Easy · time attack — The Night Express

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Sleeper, Baggage, Corridor, Locomotive, Saloon. Eight statements, nine 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. A — armchair (square stays free) · B — bed (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Kurt was beside the crate. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kurt: 1 of 30.
Sol was in row 2. leaves 6 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sol: 6 of 30.
Sol was in the locomotive. leaves 2 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sol: 2 of 30.
Rufus was in the baggage car. leaves 7 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 7 of 30.
Wanda was in the sleeper car or in the locomotive. leaves 15 of 30 squares
Wanda was in the rightmost column. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 1 of 30.
Elena was in the locomotive. leaves 8 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Elena: 8 of 30.
Elena was in row 4. leaves 1 of 30 squares

Show the squares Sol had left

The squares still open to Sol 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:

Fabio can only be in Sleeper (row 3, column 5) — down from 30 possible squares.
Sol can only be in Locomotive (row 2, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Rufus can only be in Baggage (row 5, column 3) — down from 7 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Medium · time attack — The Bunker

An 8×7 grid across 6 rooms: Shelter, Airlock, Dormitory, Radio Room, Watchtower, Workroom. Twelve statements, thirteen 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.

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) · CA — cabinet · CO — computer · CR — crate · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · S — stove

The testimony

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

Elias was in column 3. leaves 7 of 44 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Elias: 7 of 44.
Elias was in the same row as the garbage can. leaves 1 of 44 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Elias: 1 of 44.
Frida was in the shelter or in the dormitory. leaves 22 of 44 squares
Frida was in the western half of the scene. leaves 4 of 44 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 4 of 44.
Cesar was in the same column as the stove. leaves 6 of 44 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Cesar: 6 of 44.
Cesar was in the same row as the crate. leaves 1 of 44 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Cesar: 1 of 44.
Gilda was in column 6. leaves 7 of 44 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 7 of 44.
Gilda was in the airlock or in the radio room. leaves 1 of 44 squares
Dante was in the same column as the radio. leaves 5 of 44 squares
Dante was somewhere north of the Professor.
Dante was in the same room as Lidia.
Lidia was in the same row as the potted plant. leaves 7 of 44 squares

Show the squares Frida had left

The squares still open to Frida once their own statements are taken into account — 4 of 44.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Tristan can only be in Shelter (row 5, column 5) — down from 44 possible squares.
Frida can only be in Shelter (row 3, column 4) — down from 4 possible squares.
Dante can only be in Dormitory (row 1, column 8) — down from 5 possible squares.
Lidia can only be in Dormitory (row 4, column 7) — down from 7 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Zoo

A 7×7 grid across 6 rooms: Gift shop, Lion den, Entrance, Aviary, Bear pit, Elephant yard. Eight 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 7 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 — bear · BN — bench · BO — boulder · CO — crocodile · CR — crate · D — desk · E — elephant · F — floor lamp · S — shrub · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Tesa was in the bear pit or in the elephant yard. leaves 12 of 33 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 12 of 33.
Tesa was in the leftmost column. leaves 1 of 33 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 1 of 33.
Jonas was in the same row as the tree. leaves 5 of 33 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jonas: 5 of 33.
Jonas was in the same column as the window. leaves 1 of 33 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jonas: 1 of 33.
Dora was beside the bench. leaves 2 of 33 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 2 of 33.
Victor was in the same column as the tree. leaves 4 of 33 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 4 of 33.
Ursula was in the aviary or in the bear pit. leaves 10 of 33 squares
Gilda was beside the shrub. leaves 3 of 33 squares

Show the squares Dora had left

The squares still open to Dora once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 33.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Sol can only be in Entrance (row 3, column 3) — down from 33 possible squares.
Dora can only be in Lion den (row 6, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Victor can only be in Entrance (row 5, column 4) — down from 4 possible squares.
Ursula can only be in Aviary (row 4, column 7) — down from 10 possible squares.
Gilda can only be in Bear pit (row 1, column 6) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Cookie Thief

An 8×8 grid across 7 rooms: Dining Room, Living room, Nursery, Hallway, Guest Room, Cellar, Kitchen. Twelve statements, eighteen 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.

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 — Christmas tree · CL — clock · G — gift · PA — painting (square stays free) · PL — plate of cookies · PO — potted plant · S — stove

The testimony

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

Zaida was somewhere east of Abel.
Zaida was all alone in a room.
Victor was somewhere west of the Gardener.
Gilda was all alone in a room.
Abel was exactly 3 rows south of Jimena.
Abel was somewhere east of Victor.
Jimena was all alone in a room.
Jimena was in the same column as the plate of cookies. leaves 6 of 50 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jimena: 6 of 50.
Jimena was exactly 1 column east of Rufus.
Ivan was exactly 1 column west of the Journalist.
Ivan was exactly 5 rows north of Rufus.
Rufus was in the same row as the painting. leaves 5 of 50 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 5 of 50.

Show the squares Rufus had left

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

Rufus can only be in Living room (row 8, column 3) — down from 5 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 91 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Zaida stood in Cellar (row 1, column 5), Victor would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Victor stood in Cellar (row 1, column 2), Zaida would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Boris in Cellar (row 1, column 1) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Gilda in Hallway (row 1, column 6) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 87 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Ivan, in Hallway (row 3, column 7).

Show the solved board

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

Hard · time attack — The Royal Greenhouse

A 10×8 grid across 7 rooms: Palm house, Orchid room, Seed bank, Shed, Potting shed, Fountain, Arbor. Thirteen statements, seventeen 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. A — armchair (square stays free) · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CR — crate · D — desk · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · G — grandfather clock · P — potted plant · SO — sofa (square stays free) · ST — statue · SV — stove · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Simon was in the same column as the carpet. leaves 14 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 14 of 68.
Elias was exactly 6 columns west of the Chef.
Kaspar was in the same column as the flower bush. leaves 7 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kaspar: 7 of 68.
Kaspar was somewhere north of the Magician.
Kaspar was exactly 2 rows north of the Gardener.
Kaspar was in the same row as the statue. leaves 1 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kaspar: 1 of 68.
Hugo was in the leftmost column. leaves 5 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 5 of 68.
Nadia was somewhere south of Marina.
Marina was exactly 2 rows north of the Colonel.
Marina was exactly 5 columns east of Simon.
Julia was all alone in a room.
Julia was in the same row as a window. leaves 18 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 18 of 68.
Julia was in column 6. leaves 2 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 2 of 68.

Show the squares Julia had left

The squares still open to Julia once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 68.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Hugo can only be in Fountain (row 8, column 1) — down from 5 possible squares.
Julia can only be in Arbor (row 1, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 6 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Put Simon in Orchid room (row 6, column 4) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Elias stood in Orchid room (row 5, column 4), Simon would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Nadia stood in Shed (row 7, column 10), Elias would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Marina in Shed (row 3, column 9) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 2 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Expert — A Walk in the Park

A 9×9 grid across 8 rooms: Lawn, Picnic area, Kiosk, Rose garden, Boathouse, Playground, Duck pond, Path. Sixteen statements, fifteen 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.

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 · 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. 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 same column as the floor lamp. if true, leaves 7 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 7 of 70.
Dora was in the same column as the carpet. if true, leaves 15 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 15 of 70.
Rosa was not beside a boulder. if true, leaves 67 of 70
Rosa was in the same column as the flower bush. if true, leaves 8 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 8 of 70.
Rosa was in the same row as the crate. if true, leaves 1 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 1 of 70.
Yago was in the same column as the bench. if true, leaves 8 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 8 of 70.
Yago was in the same row as a tree. if true, leaves 2 of 70
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 2 of 70.
Horacio was in the same column as a boulder. if true, leaves 7 of 70
Horacio was in the same row as the shrub. if true, leaves 1 of 70
Kaspar was in the same row as a boulder. if true, leaves 14 of 70
Vivienne was in the lawn or in the picnic area. if true, leaves 47 of 70
Vivienne was in the same column as the flower bush. if true, leaves 43 of 70
Sol was not in the picnic area. if true, leaves 59 of 70
Sol was in column 8. if true, leaves 5 of 70
Exactly 2 people were in the picnic area.
Exactly 2 people were in the rose garden.

Show the squares Yago had left

The squares still open to Yago 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 Felix 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 Walter were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Rosa were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 4 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Vivienne actually told you:

Vivienne was in neither the lawn nor the picnic area.
Vivienne was NOT in the same column as the flower bush.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Felix can only be in Boathouse (row 4, column 2) — down from 7 possible squares.
Dora can only be in Rose garden (row 7, column 4) — down from 15 possible squares.
Walter can only be in Picnic area (row 8, column 7) — down from 70 possible squares.
Yago can only be in Lawn (row 2, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.
Kaspar can only be in Lawn (row 1, column 5) — down from 14 possible squares.
Vivienne can only be in Rose garden (row 6, column 6) — down from 43 possible squares.
Sol can only be in Kiosk (row 5, column 8) — down from 5 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.

Sol's motive would have been ambition.
Dora's motive would have been debts.
Vivienne's motive would have been buried secrets.
Rosa's motive would have been blackmail.
Felix's motive would have been jealousy.
Horacio was not driven by obsession.
Horacio was not driven by revenge.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Horacio, in Picnic area (row 9, column 9). Vivienne lied throughout and was never charged.

The only motive left standing for Horacio is inheritance.

Show the solved board

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

Expert · time attack — The Hiking Trip

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Summit, Cave, Forest Path, Overlook, Ranger Station, Riverbank, Meadow, Trailhead. Thirteen statements, eighteen 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.

The twist: 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. 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, and how much of the board it rules out.

Quentin was somewhere west of Ofelia.
Ignacio was in the same row as the tree. leaves 6 of 72 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 6 of 72.
Ignacio was somewhere north of the Heiress.
Greta was exactly 3 columns east of Quentin.
Simon was all alone in a room.
Simon was exactly 2 columns west of Petra.
Petra was in the same column as a desk. leaves 5 of 72 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Petra: 5 of 72.
Ofelia was in the same row as a floor lamp. leaves 13 of 72 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ofelia: 13 of 72.
Nadia was exactly 6 rows north of Simon.
Nadia was exactly 1 row north of the Diva.
Nadia was in column 7. leaves 9 of 72 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nadia: 9 of 72.
Elena was exactly 4 columns west of the Professor.
Exactly 3 people were in the cave.

Show the squares Petra had left

The squares still open to Petra once their own statements are taken into account — 5 of 72.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 122 eliminations across 2 rounds of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Quentin stood in Forest Path (row 1, column 7), Nadia would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Ignacio stood in Cave (row 5, column 4), Petra would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Greta stood in Riverbank (row 6, column 7), Nadia would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Petra stood in Cave (row 5, column 4), Ignacio would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 118 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.

Greta's motive would have been ambition.
Ignacio's motive would have been buried secrets.
Petra's motive would have been blackmail.
Quentin's motive would have been inheritance.
Simon's motive would have been revenge.
Nadia was not driven by debts.
Whoever did it was not driven by obsession.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Nadia, in Forest Path (row 2, column 7).

The only motive left standing for Nadia is jealousy.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Nadia 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 untimed dockets offered steady ground before turning decidedly cold. At The Golf Course, twenty-one investigators made an attempt, with ten finding the mark; a guest detective set the benchmark at twenty-nine seconds. A Walk in the Park saw eight clearances out of eleven plays, led by matt in one minute and thirteen seconds. Over at The Zoo, six of nine contenders solved the case, where a guest detective logged the quickest time of two minutes and fifty-six seconds. The trail ended abruptly at The Cookie Thief, which stumped all four who tried, while the expert visit to A Walk in the Park—requiring both a motive and the exposure of a liar—saw no takers at all.

The timed roster remained practically untouched throughout the day. A lone investigator ventured down to The Old Harbor, though the clock claimed the case before a solution could be found. Beyond that single effort, the boards stood entirely idle. The Night Express, The Bunker, and The Royal Greenhouse drew no activity. Even The Hiking Trip, an expert board demanding motive along with speed across its eight rooms, concluded the day without a single step taken.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: a guest detective — 0m 29s · Easy: matt — 1m 13s · Medium: a guest detective — 2m 56s

The solutions

The solved boards — spoilers for every case of 17 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 Golf Course

Cesar (magician) is in custody — the case was closed by 10 detectives.

Easy — A Walk in the Park

Gaspar (butler) ended the day behind bars — convicted by 8 detectives.

Medium — The Zoo

Victor (butler) was named and charged; 6 detectives closed this one.

Hard — The Cookie Thief

Ivan (gardener) slipped away — no detective cracked this board. A hired car left the coast road before dawn and was never returned.

Expert — A Walk in the Park

Horacio (colonel) was never charged — the day produced no conviction. Last seen boarding the night ferry with a single case. The inheritance was quietly claimed. Vivienne lied for them and was never charged.

Beginner · time attack — The Old Harbor

Helena (heiress) walked free: nobody closed this case. A berth on the sleeper train was booked that evening under a name nobody recognized.

Easy · time attack — The Night Express

Wanda (doctor) is still at large — the day ended without a conviction. The harbormaster remembers a late rowboat and no lantern.

Medium · time attack — The Bunker

Nobody named Frida (professor); the file stays open. The morning mail brought a postcard with no signature and a foreign stamp.

Hard · time attack — The Royal Greenhouse

Elias (colonel) slipped away — no detective cracked this board. A hired car left the coast road before dawn and was never returned.

Expert · time attack — The Hiking Trip

Nadia (doctor) was never charged — the day produced no conviction. Last seen boarding the night ferry with a single case. The jealousy has nothing left to feed on.

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Every day's cases — the calendar · ← the cases for 16 August

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