Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 20 August 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-08-20 — 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 Art School

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Gallery, Atelier, Courtyard. Six statements, eight squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 27 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 · D — desk · F — floor lamp · M — mirror (square stays free) · PA — painting (square stays free) · PO — potted plant · S — statue

The testimony

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

  1. Rita was in row 3. leaves 3 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BDFPOBSPAM
    The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 3 of 19.
  2. Wanda was in column 3. leaves 5 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BDFPOBSPAM
    The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 5 of 19.
  3. Wanda was in the atelier. leaves 1 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BDFPOBSPAM
    The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 1 of 19.
  4. Abel was in row 4. leaves 5 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BDFPOBSPAM
    The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 5 of 19.
  5. Xavier was in the courtyard. leaves 11 of 19 squares
  6. Xavier was in the rightmost column. leaves 3 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BDFPOBSPAM
    The squares this one statement leaves Xavier: 3 of 19.
Show the squares Rita had left
BDFPOBSPAM
The squares still open to Rita 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:

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Wanda, in Atelier (row 1, column 3).

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

Beginner · time attack — The Old Harbor

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Cold Store, Pier, Warehouse, Fish Market. Six statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

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 — boat · CA — cabinet · CH — chest · CR — crate · R — radio · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Kira was in column 3. leaves 5 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BRCACRCHWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 5 of 19.
  2. Kira was in the warehouse. leaves 1 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BRCACRCHWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 1 of 19.
  3. Vivienne was in row 2. leaves 4 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BRCACRCHWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 4 of 19.
  4. Vivienne was in the cold store. leaves 3 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BRCACRCHWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 3 of 19.
  5. Alma was in the fish market. leaves 4 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BRCACRCHWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Alma: 4 of 19.
  6. Leo was in column 4. leaves 3 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    BRCACRCHWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Leo: 3 of 19.
Show the squares Vivienne had left
BRCACRCHWW
The squares still open to Vivienne 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:

The answer

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

Show the solved board
BRCACRCHWWKVAL✕
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Vivienne is ringed in red.

Easy — A Walk in the Park

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Bandstand, Kiosk, Picnic area, Playground. Eight statements, twelve squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 21 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 · FU — fountain · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Selma was in the bandstand. leaves 4 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    CATFLFUFOCRBOFLFOBEWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Selma: 4 of 27.
  2. Gordon was in column 2. leaves 5 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    CATFLFUFOCRBOFLFOBEWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 5 of 27.
  3. Gordon was in the playground. leaves 1 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    CATFLFUFOCRBOFLFOBEWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 1 of 27.
  4. Leo was beside the carpet. leaves 3 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    CATFLFUFOCRBOFLFOBEWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Leo: 3 of 27.
  5. Vasco was in the top row. leaves 4 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    CATFLFUFOCRBOFLFOBEWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 4 of 27.
  6. Vasco was in column 5. leaves 1 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    CATFLFUFOCRBOFLFOBEWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 1 of 27.
  7. Ada was on the carpet. leaves 4 of 27 squares
  8. Ada was in row 5. leaves 2 of 27 squares
Show the squares Ada had left
CATFLFUFOCRBOFLFOBEWW
The squares still open to Ada once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 27.
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: Gordon, in Playground (row 6, column 2).

Show the solved board
CATFLFUFOCRBOFLFOBEWWSG✕LVA
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Gordon is ringed in red.

Easy · time attack — A Walk in the Park

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Picnic area, Lawn, Path, Boathouse. Eight statements, ten squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by one detective so far.

How this case was cracked — the full solution to this board, step by step

Every step below is the solver’s own — the same one that proved this board has exactly one answer. The counts are real: you can check them against the grid.

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 · F — 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. Ursula was beside the carpet. leaves 4 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FBETBOCABESCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 4 of 29.
  2. Ursula was in row 4. leaves 2 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FBETBOCABESCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 2 of 29.
  3. Walter was in column 3. leaves 6 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FBETBOCABESCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 6 of 29.
  4. Walter was in the top row. leaves 1 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FBETBOCABESCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 1 of 29.
  5. Milo was in the boathouse. leaves 12 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FBETBOCABESCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Milo: 12 of 29.
  6. Milo was in row 3. leaves 1 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FBETBOCABESCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Milo: 1 of 29.
  7. Hilda was in the path. leaves 7 of 29 squares
  8. Luna was in the bottom row. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show the squares Ursula had left
FBETBOCABESCRWW
The squares still open to Ursula once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 29.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

Show the solved board
FBETBOCABESCRWWUWMH✕L
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Luna is ringed in red.

Medium · time attack — A Walk in the Park

An 8×7 grid across 6 rooms: Path, Picnic area, Lawn, Boathouse, Duck pond, Playground. Eleven statements, twelve 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 — bench · 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. Ofelia was beside the flower bush. leaves 3 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    FUBCACRTSFOBFLSWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ofelia: 3 of 47.
  2. Hilda was not touching the outer wall. leaves 23 of 47 squares
  3. Hilda was somewhere north of Fabio.
  4. Rufus was in the boathouse or in the playground. leaves 21 of 47 squares
  5. Rufus was in column 5. leaves 3 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    FUBCACRTSFOBFLSWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 3 of 47.
  6. Gilda was in the same column as the fountain. leaves 5 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    FUBCACRTSFOBFLSWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 5 of 47.
  7. Gilda was in the southern half of the scene. leaves 3 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    FUBCACRTSFOBFLSWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 3 of 47.
  8. Elena was in the western half of the scene. leaves 25 of 47 squares
  9. Elena was in the boathouse or in the duck pond. leaves 2 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    FUBCACRTSFOBFLSWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Elena: 2 of 47.
  10. Elena was somewhere east of Hilda.
  11. Fabio was in the same row as the fountain. leaves 6 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    FUBCACRTSFOBFLSWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Fabio: 6 of 47.
Show the squares Elena had left
FUBCACRTSFOBFLSWW
The squares still open to Elena once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 47.
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: Gilda, in Picnic area (row 5, column 2).

Show the solved board
FUBCACRTSFOBFLSWW✕OHRGEF
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Gilda is ringed in red.

Medium — The Royal Greenhouse

An 8×7 grid across 6 rooms: Arbor, Fountain, Terrace, Palm house, Seed bank, Orchid room. Eight statements, thirteen 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 15 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) · CH — chest · CR — crate · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · 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.

  1. Zeno was in the same row as the stove. leaves 5 of 46 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHSVFLSOCRTPAFOSTCRSTW
    The squares this one statement leaves Zeno: 5 of 46.
  2. Gilda was beside the sofa. leaves 3 of 46 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHSVFLSOCRTPAFOSTCRSTW
    The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 3 of 46.
  3. Rita was beside the window. leaves 1 of 46 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHSVFLSOCRTPAFOSTCRSTW
    The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 1 of 46.
  4. Victor was beside the tree. leaves 2 of 46 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHSVFLSOCRTPAFOSTCRSTW
    The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 2 of 46.
  5. Yago was in the same room as Queralt.
  6. Queralt was beside the potted plant. leaves 2 of 46 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHSVFLSOCRTPAFOSTCRSTW
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 2 of 46.
  7. Nobody was in the orchid room.
  8. Nobody was in the fountain court.
Show the squares Victor had left
CHSVFLSOCRTPAFOSTCRSTW
The squares still open to Victor once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 46.
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: Zeno, in Terrace (row 6, column 6).

Show the solved board
CHSVFLSOCRTPAFOSTCRSTWZGRVY✕Q
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Zeno is ringed in red.

Hard — The Movie Studio

A 9×8 grid across 6 rooms: Desert Set, Editing Bay, Director's Office, Wardrobe, Backlot, Cafeteria. Twelve statements, fourteen squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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 — cactus · CO — computer · CR — carpet (square stays free) · CT — 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. Lorenzo was in the same column as the cactus. leaves 5 of 61 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECTBOFLCOCATFICRFITFIFLM
    The squares this one statement leaves Lorenzo: 5 of 61.
  2. Lorenzo was in the same room as Clara.
  3. Bianca was exactly 3 columns west of Lorenzo.
  4. Bianca was exactly 3 rows north of Horacio.
  5. Frida was in the same row as the bookshelf. leaves 4 of 61 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECTBOFLCOCATFICRFITFIFLM
    The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 4 of 61.
  6. Frida was all alone in a room.
  7. Gordon was exactly 2 rows south of Horacio.
  8. Gordon was exactly 3 columns east of Frida.
  9. Horacio was somewhere west of the Gardener.
  10. Clara was in the same column as the computer. leaves 6 of 61 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECTBOFLCOCATFICRFITFIFLM
    The squares this one statement leaves Clara: 6 of 61.
  11. Rufus was exactly 6 columns east of Horacio.
  12. Rufus was exactly 1 row north of the Chauffeur.
Show the squares Frida had left
BECTBOFLCOCATFICRFITFIFLM
The squares still open to Frida once their own statements are taken into account — 4 of 61.
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 squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 50 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 46 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board
BECTBOFLCOCATFICRFITFIFLMLBFGH✕CR
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Gordon is ringed in red.

Hard · time attack — The Night Express

A 9×8 grid across 6 rooms: Locomotive, Sleeper, Galley, Dining, Observation, Saloon. Ten statements, nineteen squares nobody could stand on, 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) · B — bed (square stays free) · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · M — mirror (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. Alma was exactly 6 columns east of Ines.
  2. Ulises was in the same column as the floor lamp. leaves 7 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    SODCHAFSTCRBCAGCHCHDDCRDWMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Ulises: 7 of 60.
  3. Tobias was beside the stove. leaves 2 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    SODCHAFSTCRBCAGCHCHDDCRDWMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Tobias: 2 of 60.
  4. Fabio was in the same column as the grandfather clock. leaves 5 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    SODCHAFSTCRBCAGCHCHDDCRDWMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Fabio: 5 of 60.
  5. Fabio was exactly 3 rows north of the Diva.
  6. Ines was in the same column as the stove. leaves 7 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    SODCHAFSTCRBCAGCHCHDDCRDWMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 7 of 60.
  7. Milo was beside the bed. leaves 4 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    SODCHAFSTCRBCAGCHCHDDCRDWMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Milo: 4 of 60.
  8. Milo was all alone in a room.
  9. Celeste was all alone in a room.
  10. Celeste was in the same row as the window. leaves 6 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    SODCHAFSTCRBCAGCHCHDDCRDWMM
    The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 6 of 60.
Show the squares Tobias had left
SODCHAFSTCRBCAGCHCHDDCRDWMM
The squares still open to Tobias once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 60.
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 squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 28 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 24 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board
SODCHAFSTCRBCAGCHCHDDCRDWMMAUTFI✕MC
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Fabio is ringed in red.

Expert — The Cookie Thief

A 10×9 grid across 7 rooms: Attic, Living room, Cellar, Guest Room, Hallway, Sunroom, Dining Room. Thirteen statements, nineteen squares nobody could stand on, 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) · 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.

  1. Tristan was exactly 1 row north of the Butler.
  2. Tristan and Olivia were alone together in one room.
  3. Tristan was somewhere south of the Chef.
  4. Lidia and Alistair were alone together in one room.
  5. Alistair was somewhere north of the Doctor.
  6. Julian was exactly 3 rows south of Alistair.
  7. Julian and Marina were alone together in one room.
  8. Marina was exactly 3 rows south of the Heiress.
  9. Vivienne was exactly 7 columns west of the Chauffeur.
  10. Olivia was in the same row as the plate of cookies. leaves 9 of 76 squares
    Show it on the board
    SABOPLCLCACHPOGBECLGGCLCHCHCHPAPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Olivia: 9 of 76.
  11. Olivia was exactly 2 columns east of Julian.
  12. Frida was exactly 3 columns west of the Journalist.
  13. Exactly 2 people were in the sunroom.
Show the squares Olivia had left
SABOPLCLCACHPOGBECLGGCLCHCHCHPAPA
The squares still open to Olivia once their own statements are taken into account — 9 of 76.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 223 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 219 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. Alistair's motive would have been blackmail.
  2. Olivia's motive would have been jealousy.
  3. Marina's motive would have been revenge.
  4. Lidia's motive would have been debts.
  5. Frida's motive would have been buried secrets.
  6. Vivienne was not driven by inheritance.
  7. Vivienne was not driven by obsession.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Vivienne, in Sunroom (row 1, column 3).

The only motive left standing for Vivienne is ambition.

Show the solved board
SABOPLCLCACHPOGBECLGGCLCHCHCHPAPA✕TLAJMVOF
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Vivienne is ringed in red.

Expert · time attack — The Movie Studio

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Wardrobe, Prop Warehouse, Backlot, Cafeteria, Sound Stage, Director's Office, Green Room, Editing Bay. Twelve statements, 22 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 — bed (square stays free) · BO — bookshelf · CA — cactus · CO — computer · CR — carpet (square stays free) · CT — crate · FI — film camera · FL — floor lamp · M — mirror (square stays free) · P — painting (square stays free) · T — television

The testimony

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

  1. Quentin and Cesar were alone together in one room.
  2. Quentin was exactly 2 columns west of the Professor.
  3. Gordon and Alma were alone together in one room.
  4. Rosa and Victor were alone together in one room.
  5. Victor was exactly 3 columns east of the Colonel.
  6. Victor was in the same row as the crate. leaves 8 of 75 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBOCTCABEFLCOFICRBEBOCRTBOCATFLFIFIMPP
    The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 8 of 75.
  7. Alma was exactly 7 columns east of Zeno.
  8. Ursula was exactly 9 columns west of the Professor.
  9. Zeno was exactly 8 rows south of Ursula.
  10. Cesar was exactly 1 row south of the Gardener.
  11. Cesar was somewhere east of Gordon.
  12. Exactly 2 people were in the director's office.
Show the squares Victor had left
TBOCTCABEFLCOFICRBEBOCRTBOCATFLFIFIMPP
The squares still open to Victor once their own statements are taken into account — 8 of 75.
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 squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 14 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 10 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Ursula, in Director's Office (row 1, column 1).

Show the solved board
TBOCTCABEFLCOFICRBEBOCRTBOCATFLFIFIMPPQGR✕VAUZC
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Ursula 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 day’s docket opened quietly across several familiar scenes. In the standard cases, twenty-six detectives found their way through the three rooms at The Art School, where a guest detective set the mark at 21 seconds. A Walk in the Park saw twenty solutions, led by a guest detective in 35 seconds, while the six rooms of The Royal Greenhouse yielded fourteen successes, topped by a guest detective in 1 minute 12 seconds. Matters grew considerably heavier at The Movie Studio, where only two of eight investigators resolved the 9x8 board, Zarbo claiming the fastest time in 26 minutes 47 seconds. The day’s lone motive requirement awaited at The Cookie Thief, though its seven rooms went entirely unvisited.

Against the clock, investigators moved through varied ground. Dirk_M cleared the four rooms at The Old Harbor in 48 seconds, leading four successful inquiries out of five. David took on the timed run of A Walk in the Park, navigating the 6x6 grid in 1 minute 26 seconds. The medium investigation back at A Walk in the Park resisted both attempts made against it, leaving its six rooms unsolved. The remaining timed assignments—a 9x8 run aboard The Night Express and an eight-room inquiry at The Movie Studio—drew no contenders before the night was out. None of the day's ten cases featured a liar.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: a guest detective — 0m 21s · Easy: a guest detective — 0m 35s · Medium: a guest detective — 1m 12s · Hard: Zarbo — 26m 47s · Beginner · time attack: Dirk_M — 0m 48s · Easy · time attack: david — 1m 26s

The solutions

The solved boards — spoilers for every case of 20 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 Art School

R✕WAX
Wanda (Journalist)Wanda (journalist) was named and charged; 26 detectives closed this one.

Easy — A Walk in the Park

SG✕LVA
Gordon (Gardener)The cell door shut on Gordon (gardener), on the evidence of 20 detectives.

Medium — The Royal Greenhouse

ZGRVY✕Q
Zeno (Magician)14 detectives put Zeno (magician) away before the day was out.

Hard — The Movie Studio

LBFGH✕CR
Gordon (Chauffeur)Gordon (chauffeur) is in custody — the case was closed by 2 detectives.

Expert — The Cookie Thief

✕TLAJMVOF
Vivienne (Chef)Vivienne (chef) slipped away — no detective cracked this board. The harbormaster remembers a late rowboat and no lantern. The ambition found its vacancy at last.

Beginner · time attack — The Old Harbor

KVAL✕
Vivienne (Heiress)Vivienne (heiress) was named and charged; 4 detectives closed this one.

Easy · time attack — A Walk in the Park

UWMH✕L
Luna (Diva)The cell door shut on Luna (diva), on the evidence of one detective.

Medium · time attack — A Walk in the Park

✕OHRGEF
Gilda (Diva)Gilda (diva) is still at large — the day ended without a conviction. Last seen boarding the night ferry with a single case.

Hard · time attack — The Night Express

AUTFI✕MC
Fabio (Curator)Nobody named Fabio (curator); the file stays open. A berth on the sleeper train was booked that evening under a name nobody recognized.

Expert · time attack — The Movie Studio

QGR✕VAUZC
Ursula (Doctor)Ursula (doctor) slipped away — no detective cracked this board. The harbormaster remembers a late rowboat and no lantern.

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Every day's cases — the calendar · ← the cases for 19 August

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