Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 25 August 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-08-25 — 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 Museum of Curiosities

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Workshop, Library, Vault. Seven statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 32 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. C — crate · D — desk · P — potted plant · SO — sofa (square stays free) · ST — statue · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Ursula was in row 4. leaves 3 of 20 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSTPSOSTDW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 3 of 20.
  2. Ursula was in column 3. leaves 1 of 20 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSTPSOSTDW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 1 of 20.
  3. Leo was in the vault. leaves 4 of 20 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSTPSOSTDW
    The squares this one statement leaves Leo: 4 of 20.
  4. Marco was in the vault. leaves 4 of 20 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSTPSOSTDW
    The squares this one statement leaves Marco: 4 of 20.
  5. Marco was in column 4. leaves 1 of 20 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSTPSOSTDW
    The squares this one statement leaves Marco: 1 of 20.
  6. Celeste was in the bottom row. leaves 4 of 20 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSTPSOSTDW
    The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 4 of 20.
  7. Celeste was in the leftmost column. leaves 1 of 20 squares
Show the squares Leo had left
CSTPSOSTDW
The squares still open to Leo once their own statements are taken into account — 4 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:

The answer

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

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

Beginner · time attack — The Backyard Garden

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Bedroom, Living room, Pond. 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. CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · F — floor lamp · S — stove · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Octavio was in row 4. leaves 5 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHCASFSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Octavio: 5 of 21.
  2. Octavio was in column 3. leaves 1 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHCASFSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Octavio: 1 of 21.
  3. Ivan was in the living room. leaves 5 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHCASFSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 5 of 21.
  4. Rufus was in the rightmost column. leaves 4 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHCASFSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 4 of 21.
  5. Rufus was in the top row. leaves 1 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHCASFSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 1 of 21.
  6. Tristan was in column 2. leaves 4 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    CHCASFSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Tristan: 4 of 21.
  7. Tristan was in row 3. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show the squares Ivan had left
CHCASFSW
The squares still open to Ivan once their own statements are taken into account — 5 of 21.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Tristan, in Pond (row 3, column 2).

Show the solved board
CHCASFSWOIR✕T
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Tristan is ringed in red.

Easy — The Botanical Garden

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Compost Yard, Cactus House, Seed Vault, Garden Path, Tropical House. Seven statements, ten squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 31 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

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

  1. Greta was beside the bench. leaves 1 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBEFLSTPSHBOCFOC
    The squares this one statement leaves Greta: 1 of 26.
  2. Tamara was in the bottom row. leaves 2 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBEFLSTPSHBOCFOC
    The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 2 of 26.
  3. Tamara was beside the statue. leaves 1 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBEFLSTPSHBOCFOC
    The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 1 of 26.
  4. Ximena was in row 3. leaves 5 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBEFLSTPSHBOCFOC
    The squares this one statement leaves Ximena: 5 of 26.
  5. Ximena was in the garden path. leaves 1 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBEFLSTPSHBOCFOC
    The squares this one statement leaves Ximena: 1 of 26.
  6. Horacio was in the cactus house. leaves 4 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBEFLSTPSHBOCFOC
    The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 4 of 26.
  7. Sol was in the cactus house or in the tropical house. leaves 8 of 26 squares
Show the squares Horacio had left
TBEFLSTPSHBOCFOC
The squares still open to Horacio once their own statements are taken into account — 4 of 26.
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: Tamara, in Seed Vault (row 6, column 2).

Show the solved board
TBEFLSTPSHBOCFOCGTXHS✕
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Tamara is ringed in red.

Easy · time attack — The Zoo

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Elephant yard, Aviary, Bear pit, Main path, Lion den. Seven statements, eight 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. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. BE — bear · BN — bench · BO — boulder · C — crate · S — shrub · T — tree

The testimony

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

  1. Cesar was in column 3. leaves 5 of 28 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSBECBNTBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Cesar: 5 of 28.
  2. Tristan was in the elephant yard or in the lion den. leaves 11 of 28 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSBECBNTBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Tristan: 11 of 28.
  3. Elena was in row 3. leaves 3 of 28 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSBECBNTBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Elena: 3 of 28.
  4. Alma was in the top row. leaves 5 of 28 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSBECBNTBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Alma: 5 of 28.
  5. Alma was in column 5. leaves 1 of 28 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSBECBNTBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Alma: 1 of 28.
  6. Beatrix was in the lion den. leaves 9 of 28 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSBECBNTBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Beatrix: 9 of 28.
  7. Beatrix was in the leftmost column. leaves 2 of 28 squares
Show the squares Beatrix had left
TSBECBNTBOBE
The squares still open to Beatrix 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:

The answer

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

Show the solved board
TSBECBNTBOBEC✕TEAB
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Alma is ringed in red.

Medium · time attack — The Cookie Thief

An 8×7 grid across 5 rooms: Living room, Nursery, Attic, Kitchen, Guest Room. Ten statements, fifteen 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) · BE — bed (square stays free) · BO — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — Christmas tree · GI — gift · GR — grandfather clock · PA — painting (square stays free) · PL — plate of cookies · PO — potted plant

The testimony

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

  1. Kaspar was in the same room as Ignacio.
  2. Kaspar was in the same room as Pablo.
  3. Kaspar was somewhere north of Tristan.
  4. Ignacio was beside the armchair. leaves 3 of 45 squares
    Show it on the board
    GRABEPOGICACHBOPLGIGIGIPLCHPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 3 of 45.
  5. Pablo was in the same column as the painting. leaves 6 of 45 squares
    Show it on the board
    GRABEPOGICACHBOPLGIGIGIPLCHPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Pablo: 6 of 45.
  6. Tristan was in the same column as the bookshelf. leaves 5 of 45 squares
    Show it on the board
    GRABEPOGICACHBOPLGIGIGIPLCHPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Tristan: 5 of 45.
  7. Luna was in the leftmost column. leaves 6 of 45 squares
    Show it on the board
    GRABEPOGICACHBOPLGIGIGIPLCHPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Luna: 6 of 45.
  8. Bianca was in the nursery or in the attic. leaves 26 of 45 squares
  9. Bianca was in the same column as the grandfather clock. leaves 4 of 45 squares
    Show it on the board
    GRABEPOGICACHBOPLGIGIGIPLCHPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Bianca: 4 of 45.
  10. Nobody was in the kitchen.
Show the squares Ignacio had left
GRABEPOGICACHBOPLGIGIGIPLCHPA
The squares still open to Ignacio once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 45.
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 Guest Room (row 1, column 1).

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

Medium — Movie Night

An 8×7 grid across 5 rooms: Balcony, Guest Room, Living room, Pantry, Hallway. Eleven statements, thirteen squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 19 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. A — armchair (square stays free) · B — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CO — computer · F — floor lamp · P — 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. Paloma was somewhere south of Marina.
  2. Paloma was somewhere east of Sol.
  3. Paloma was in the balcony or in the guest room. leaves 26 of 47 squares
  4. Sol was somewhere south of Lidia.
  5. Sol was somewhere north of the Journalist.
  6. Sol was in the same room as the Journalist.
  7. Julia was in the same row as the bookshelf. leaves 6 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    COSBCAFPRATFTFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 6 of 47.
  8. Julia was in the same column as the radio. leaves 1 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    COSBCAFPRATFTFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 1 of 47.
  9. Tamara was in the living room or in the hallway. leaves 15 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    COSBCAFPRATFTFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 15 of 47.
  10. Lidia was in the same column as the armchair. leaves 7 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    COSBCAFPRATFTFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Lidia: 7 of 47.
  11. Marina was beside the potted plant. leaves 3 of 47 squares
    Show it on the board
    COSBCAFPRATFTFW
    The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 3 of 47.
Show the squares Marina had left
COSBCAFPRATFTFW
The squares still open to Marina once their own statements are taken into account — 3 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: Julia, in Living room (row 6, column 5).

Show the solved board
COSBCAFPRATFTFWPSJTLM✕
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Julia is ringed in red.

Hard — The Golf Course

A 9×8 grid across 6 rooms: Clubhouse, Cart Path, Tee Box, Rough, Water Hazard, Green. Eleven statements, sixteen squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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.

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 — bench · BO — boulder · D — desk · FL — flag (square stays free) · FO — flower bush · GL — golf tee (square stays free) · GO — golf cart · 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. Hugo was in the same column as the golf cart. leaves 6 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    BEDGOFOTBOSAGLFLTBOBEBEFOW
    The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 6 of 60.
  2. Petra was exactly 2 rows north of Hugo.
  3. Petra was exactly 1 row south of the Curator.
  4. Kira was somewhere east of the Magician.
  5. Kira was exactly 3 columns east of the Curator.
  6. Kira was in the same row as a tree. leaves 13 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    BEDGOFOTBOSAGLFLTBOBEBEFOW
    The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 13 of 60.
  7. Julian was in the same row as the armchair. leaves 7 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    BEDGOFOTBOSAGLFLTBOBEBEFOW
    The squares this one statement leaves Julian: 7 of 60.
  8. Alistair was in the same row as the desk. leaves 8 of 60 squares
    Show it on the board
    BEDGOFOTBOSAGLFLTBOBEBEFOW
    The squares this one statement leaves Alistair: 8 of 60.
  9. Alistair was exactly 6 columns east of Petra.
  10. Sol was somewhere north of the Journalist.
  11. Tesa was all alone in a room.
Show the squares Hugo had left
BEDGOFOTBOSAGLFLTBOBEBEFOW
The squares still open to Hugo once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 60.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 133 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 129 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board
BEDGOFOTBOSAGLFLTBOBEBEFOWHPK✕JAST
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Julian is ringed in red.

Hard · time attack — The Steamship Aurora

A 9×8 grid across 6 rooms: Engine, Galley, Hold, Cabin, Saloon, Lounge. Eleven statements, eighteen 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 · 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. Felix was somewhere north of the Colonel.
  2. Felix was exactly 3 rows north of the Magician.
  3. Celeste was all alone in a room.
  4. Kira was in the same row as the desk. leaves 7 of 59 squares
    Show it on the board
    GSOCHCADAFBCRSTFFFSTFCRCRW
    The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 7 of 59.
  5. Ulises was all alone in a room.
  6. Ulises was in the same column as the chest. leaves 4 of 59 squares
    Show it on the board
    GSOCHCADAFBCRSTFFFSTFCRCRW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ulises: 4 of 59.
  7. Dora was somewhere east of Kira.
  8. Ruben was somewhere north of the Journalist.
  9. Ruben was exactly 6 columns east of Celeste.
  10. Ignacio was in the same row as the grandfather clock. leaves 5 of 59 squares
    Show it on the board
    GSOCHCADAFBCRSTFFFSTFCRCRW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 5 of 59.
  11. Ignacio was in the same column as the desk. leaves 1 of 59 squares
    Show it on the board
    GSOCHCADAFBCRSTFFFSTFCRCRW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 1 of 59.
Show the squares Ulises had left
GSOCHCADAFBCRSTFFFSTFCRCRW
The squares still open to Ulises once their own statements are taken into account — 4 of 59.
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
GSOCHCADAFBCRSTFFFSTFCRCRWIF
Suppose Felix stood on the dashed square. Kira 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: Felix, in Galley (row 3, column 6).

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

Expert — The Hotel Meridian

A 10×9 grid across 7 rooms: Suite, Lobby, Kitchen, Gallery, Ballroom, Cellar, Bar. Thirteen statements, 23 squares nobody could stand on, and two rounds of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

The twist: the accusation also demands the motive, not just the name.

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. A — armchair (square stays free) · B — bed (square stays free) · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CL — clock · D — desk · F — floor lamp · PA — painting (square stays free) · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · 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. Delia and Xavier were alone together in one room.
  2. Xavier was exactly 2 columns west of the Professor.
  3. Greta was exactly 3 rows north of Xavier.
  4. Ignacio was exactly 3 columns east of the Curator.
  5. Ignacio was somewhere north of the Journalist.
  6. Ulises was in the same column as the floor lamp. leaves 6 of 76 squares
    Show it on the board
    APICLFCACHBDSPOADSPICHCLPOCLPOCHWWPA
    The squares this one statement leaves Ulises: 6 of 76.
  7. Marco was somewhere south of Delia.
  8. Marco was exactly 1 row south of the Gardener.
  9. Petra was all alone in a room.
  10. Petra was exactly 2 columns east of the Journalist.
  11. Petra was exactly 4 rows south of the Professor.
  12. Oscar was somewhere west of the Colonel.
  13. Exactly 3 people were in the suite.
Show the squares Ulises had left
APICLFCACHBDSPOADSPICHCLPOCLPOCHWWPA
The squares still open to Ulises once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 76.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 226 eliminations across 2 rounds of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 222 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. Ignacio's motive would have been jealousy.
  2. Petra's motive would have been debts.
  3. Ulises's motive would have been blackmail.
  4. Marco's motive would have been inheritance.
  5. Delia's motive would have been ambition.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by buried secrets.
  7. Whoever did it was not driven by revenge.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Greta, in Lobby (row 6, column 7).

The only motive left standing for Greta is obsession.

Show the solved board
APICLFCACHBDSPOADSPICHCLPOCLPOCHWWPAD✕XGIUMPO
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Greta is ringed in red.

Expert · time attack — The Hiking Trip

A 10×9 grid across 7 rooms: Cave, Riverbank, Meadow, Summit, Ranger Station, Campsite, Trailhead. Thirteen statements, seventeen 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.

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.

  1. Flora and Percy were alone together in one room.
  2. Lidia and Vera were alone together in one room.
  3. Lidia was exactly 3 rows south of the Doctor.
  4. Conrad was exactly 4 columns west of Katia.
  5. Percy was exactly 2 columns west of Flora.
  6. Percy was exactly 2 rows north of the Colonel.
  7. Gilda was in the same column as the boulder. leaves 7 of 73 squares
    Show it on the board
    CRFDBOTRSRCATEBESFCACRDSTR
    The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 7 of 73.
  8. Quentin was exactly 4 rows south of the Doctor.
  9. Katia was exactly 5 columns east of the Curator.
  10. Katia was all alone in a room.
  11. Vera was somewhere east of the Heiress.
  12. Vera was exactly 1 row south of Flora.
  13. Exactly 2 people were in the trailhead.
Show the squares Gilda had left
CRFDBOTRSRCATEBESFCACRDSTR
The squares still open to Gilda once their own statements are taken into account — 7 of 73.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 164 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 160 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. Lidia's motive would have been blackmail.
  2. Percy's motive would have been debts.
  3. Gilda's motive would have been revenge.
  4. Conrad's motive would have been buried secrets.
  5. Flora's motive would have been inheritance.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by jealousy.
  7. Quentin was not driven by obsession.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Quentin, in Trailhead (row 5, column 7).

The only motive left standing for Quentin is ambition.

Show the solved board
CRFDBOTRSRCATEBESFCACRDSTRF✕LCPGQKV
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Quentin 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 untimed cases saw steady attention from the precinct on the twenty-fifth of August. At The Museum of Curiosities, thirty of forty-eight investigators closed the matter, led by a guest detective in thirteen seconds. The Botanical Garden proved nearly transparent, solved twenty-nine times out of thirty attempts, with a guest detective posting the quickest mark at twenty-two seconds. Movie Night offered a stiffer test, seeing eighteen solutions from thirty-seven tries, led by a guest detective in one minute and thirty-eight seconds. Out on The Golf Course, ten of fourteen inquiries succeeded, topped by a guest detective in fifty-six seconds. The standard slate concluded at The Hotel Meridian, which added a required motive to its ten-by-nine layout; three of four detectives navigated the seven rooms, with a guest detective prevailing in seven minutes and fifty-seven seconds. None of the untimed boards featured a liar.

The timed docket remained quiet, with no successful solutions recorded across the board. The Backyard Garden, The Zoo, and the motive-dependent expedition of The Hiking Trip sat entirely untouched with zero plays. A few ventured into the field elsewhere—two attempts at The Cookie Thief and a lone inquiry aboard The Steamship Aurora—though both scenes yielded no answers before the clock ran out. Neither assignment contained a liar.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: a guest detective — 0m 13s · Easy: a guest detective — 0m 22s · Medium: a guest detective — 1m 38s · Hard: a guest detective — 0m 56s · Expert: a guest detective — 7m 57s

The solutions

The solved boards — spoilers for every case of 25 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 Museum of Curiosities

UL✕MC
Ursula (Professor)30 detectives put Ursula (professor) away before the day was out.

Easy — The Botanical Garden

GTXHS✕
Tamara (Journalist)Tamara (journalist) is in custody — the case was closed by 29 detectives.

Medium — Movie Night

PSJTLM✕
Julia (Professor)Julia (professor) ended the day behind bars — convicted by 18 detectives.

Hard — The Golf Course

HPK✕JAST
Julian (Magician)Julian (magician) was named and charged; 10 detectives closed this one.

Expert — The Hotel Meridian

D✕XGIUMPO
Greta (Journalist)The cell door shut on Greta (journalist), on the evidence of 3 detectives. The motive — obsession — was proved along with the name.

Beginner · time attack — The Backyard Garden

OIR✕T
Tristan (Chauffeur)Tristan (chauffeur) is still at large — the day ended without a conviction. The morning mail brought a postcard with no signature and a foreign stamp.

Easy · time attack — The Zoo

C✕TEAB
Alma (Doctor)Nobody named Alma (doctor); the file stays open. A hired car left the coast road before dawn and was never returned.

Medium · time attack — The Cookie Thief

KIPTLB✕
Luna (Heiress)Luna (heiress) slipped away — no detective cracked this board. Last seen boarding the night ferry with a single case.

Hard · time attack — The Steamship Aurora

FCKUDR✕I
Felix (Chauffeur)Felix (chauffeur) was never charged — the day produced no conviction. A berth on the sleeper train was booked that evening under a name nobody recognized.

Expert · time attack — The Hiking Trip

F✕LCPGQKV
Quentin (Chauffeur)Quentin (chauffeur) walked free: nobody closed this case. The harbormaster remembers a late rowboat and no lantern. The ambition found its vacancy at last.

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Every day's cases — the calendar · ← the cases for 24 August

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