Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 8 September 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-09-08 — each difficulty published twice, once untimed and once as time attack. Each case is procedurally generated and then proved to have exactly one logical solution before it is published, including the cases where somebody is lying. You place every suspect back on the map using only their testimony: exactly one person per row, never two in a column. Whoever is left alone with the victim did it.

Beginner — The Movie Studio

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Desert Set, Prop Warehouse, Green Room. Six statements, eight squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 13 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) · F — floor lamp · M — mirror (square stays free) · P — painting (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Vasco was in the green room. leaves 3 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 3 of 21.
Vasco was in row 4. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 1 of 21.
Nestor was on the carpet. leaves 2 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 2 of 21.
Rosa was in the prop warehouse. leaves 8 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 8 of 21.
Oscar was in row 2. leaves 5 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Oscar: 5 of 21.
Oscar was in column 3. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Oscar: 1 of 21.

Show the squares Nestor had left

The squares still open to Nestor once their own statements are taken into account — 2 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:

Nestor can only be in Prop Warehouse (row 3, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Rosa can only be in Prop Warehouse (row 5, column 4) — down from 8 possible squares.
Jimena can only be in Desert Set (row 1, column 2) — down from 21 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Beginner · time attack — The Movie Studio

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Sound Stage, Green Room, Prop Warehouse, Director's Office. Six statements, seven 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. B — bed (square stays free) · CA — cactus · CO — computer · F — film camera · P — painting (square stays free) · T — television

The testimony

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

Wilfred was in the prop warehouse. leaves 3 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wilfred: 3 of 21.
Sofia was in the green room. leaves 8 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 8 of 21.
Katia was in column 4. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Katia: 4 of 21.
Katia was in row 4. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Katia: 1 of 21.
Tobias was in the leftmost column. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tobias: 4 of 21.
Tobias was in the top row. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tobias: 1 of 21.

Show the squares Wilfred had left

The squares still open to Wilfred once their own statements are taken into account — 3 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:

Wilfred can only be in Prop Warehouse (row 3, column 3) — down from 3 possible squares.
Sofia can only be in Green Room (row 2, column 5) — down from 8 possible squares.
Jimena can only be in Sound Stage (row 5, column 2) — down from 21 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Movie Studio

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Sound Stage, Desert Set, Prop Warehouse, Backlot. Seven statements, nine 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.

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 · CA — cactus · CO — computer · CR — carpet (square stays free) · CT — crate · F — floor lamp · M — mirror (square stays free) · P — painting (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Paloma was on the carpet. leaves 2 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Paloma: 2 of 30.
Yago was in column 4. leaves 6 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 6 of 30.
Yago was in the backlot. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 1 of 30.
Frida was beside the mirror. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 1 of 30.
Hugo was in column 2. leaves 5 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 5 of 30.
Hugo was in the backlot. leaves 2 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 2 of 30.
Queralt was in the desert set. leaves 11 of 30 squares

Show the squares Paloma had left

The squares still open to Paloma 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:

Paloma can only be in Sound Stage (row 6, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Hugo can only be in Backlot (row 2, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Oscar can only be in Sound Stage (row 5, column 1) — down from 30 possible squares.
Queralt can only be in Desert Set (row 3, column 3) — down from 11 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy · time attack — The Movie Studio

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Backlot, Sound Stage, Editing Bay, Cafeteria. Nine statements, nine squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

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. B — bookshelf · CA — cactus · CO — computer · CR — carpet (square stays free) · 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.

Tristan was in the top row. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tristan: 6 of 29.
Tristan was in the backlot. leaves 3 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tristan: 3 of 29.
Ofelia was beside the floor lamp. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ofelia: 2 of 29.
Dorian was in the editing bay. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 6 of 29.
Dorian was in column 5. leaves 3 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 3 of 29.
Kira was in the bottom row. leaves 3 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 3 of 29.
Kira was in the editing bay. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Ulises was in the sound stage. leaves 9 of 29 squares
Ulises was in row 4. leaves 2 of 29 squares

Show the squares Ofelia had left

The squares still open to Ofelia 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:

Tristan can only be in Backlot (row 1, column 6) — down from 3 possible squares.
Ofelia can only be in Cafeteria (row 2, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Dorian can only be in Editing Bay (row 3, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.
Kira can only be in Editing Bay (row 6, column 4) — down from 2 possible squares.
Bruno can only be in Sound Stage (row 5, column 1) — down from 29 possible squares.
Ulises can only be in Sound Stage (row 4, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Medium · time attack — The Movie Studio

An 8×7 grid across 5 rooms: Sound Stage, Director's Office, Cafeteria, Wardrobe, Desert Set. Nine statements, thirteen 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 — 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.

Vasco was in the same row as the bed. leaves 8 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 8 of 47.
Vasco was in the same room as Sofia.
Sofia was somewhere west of Vasco.
Frida was beside the mirror. leaves 1 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 1 of 47.
Frida was in the same room as Zaida.
Hugo was beside the carpet. leaves 4 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 4 of 47.
Zaida was in the same column as the film camera. leaves 6 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Zaida: 6 of 47.
Rita was in the same row as the film camera. leaves 5 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 5 of 47.
Rita was in the same column as the bed. leaves 2 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 2 of 47.

Show the squares Rita had left

The squares still open to Rita 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:

Vasco can only be in Desert Set (row 6, column 8) — down from 8 possible squares.
Sofia can only be in Desert Set (row 3, column 7) — down from 47 possible squares.
Hugo can only be in Director's Office (row 7, column 1) — down from 4 possible squares.
Milo can only be in Wardrobe (row 4, column 2) — down from 47 possible squares.
Zaida can only be in Sound Stage (row 1, column 6) — down from 6 possible squares.
Rita can only be in Wardrobe (row 5, column 4) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Movie Studio

An 8×7 grid across 5 rooms: Cafeteria, Sound Stage, Backlot, Green Room, Director's Office. Ten statements, twelve squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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 — 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.

Sofia was beside the computer. leaves 3 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 3 of 47.
Sofia was in the same row as the cactus. leaves 1 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 1 of 47.
Xavier was in the same room as the Doctor.
Xavier was beside the bed. leaves 4 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Xavier: 4 of 47.
Celeste was beside the film camera. leaves 2 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 2 of 47.
Oscar was in the top row. leaves 8 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Oscar: 8 of 47.
Oscar was in the same column as the cactus. leaves 1 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Oscar: 1 of 47.
Wanda was in the backlot or in the director's office. leaves 24 of 47 squares
Wanda was in the eastern half of the scene. leaves 9 of 47 squares
Petra was in the backlot or in the director's office. leaves 24 of 47 squares

Show the squares Celeste had left

The squares still open to Celeste 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:

Celeste can only be in Director's Office (row 7, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 24 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Xavier stood in Director's Office (row 5, column 5), Wanda would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Jimena in Backlot (row 2, column 4) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Wanda stood in Director's Office (row 5, column 5), Petra would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Petra in Director's Office (row 3, column 4) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 20 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Movie Studio

A 9×8 grid across 6 rooms: Director's Office, Sound Stage, Desert Set, Cafeteria, Green Room, Prop Warehouse. Ten statements, fifteen 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 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 — 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.

Elias was in the same row as the carpet. leaves 16 of 62 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Elias: 16 of 62.
Dante was exactly 2 columns west of the Heiress.
Gilda was exactly 5 columns west of the Journalist.
Lidia was exactly 6 columns west of Elias.
Lidia was somewhere west of the Professor.
Lidia was in the same row as a computer. leaves 14 of 62 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Lidia: 14 of 62.
Vivienne was exactly 7 rows south of the Colonel.
Alma was in the same row as the television. leaves 7 of 62 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Alma: 7 of 62.
Julian was in the same column as the crate. leaves 7 of 62 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julian: 7 of 62.
Julian was in the same row as the cactus. leaves 1 of 62 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julian: 1 of 62.

Show the squares Alma had left

The squares still open to Alma once their own statements are taken into account — 7 of 62.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 68 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Elias stood in Desert Set (row 7, column 9), Gilda would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Dante in Green Room (row 1, column 1) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Frida in Green Room (row 1, column 1) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Gilda in Green Room (row 1, column 2) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 64 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. 7 motives are in play, and these statements narrow them.

Dante's motive would have been obsession.
Alma's motive would have been debts.
Elias's motive would have been blackmail.
Gilda's motive would have been buried secrets.
Whoever did it was not driven by revenge.
Lidia was not driven by ambition.

The answer

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

The only motive left standing for Lidia is jealousy.

Show the solved board

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

Hard · time attack — The Movie Studio

A 9×8 grid across 7 rooms: Backlot, Director's Office, Green Room, Wardrobe, Cafeteria, Prop Warehouse, Editing Bay. Twelve statements, fifteen 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. 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.

Kurt was in the same row as the floor lamp. leaves 7 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kurt: 7 of 61.
Kurt was exactly 1 column east of the Heiress.
Kurt was somewhere east of Pablo.
Dora was exactly 4 rows north of Yolanda.
Wilfred was in the same column as the painting. leaves 6 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wilfred: 6 of 61.
Pablo was in the same row as the television. leaves 7 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Pablo: 7 of 61.
Yolanda was in the same row as the bed. leaves 8 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yolanda: 8 of 61.
Alistair was in the same column as the cactus. leaves 7 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Alistair: 7 of 61.
Alistair was exactly 6 columns west of the Journalist.
Alistair was all alone in a room.
Marina was in the same row as a film camera. leaves 12 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 12 of 61.
Marina was in the same column as the bed. leaves 2 of 61 squares

Show the squares Marina had left

The squares still open to Marina once their own statements are taken into account — 2 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:

Yolanda can only be in Wardrobe (row 5, column 8) — down from 8 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 55 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Kurt stood in Prop Warehouse (row 7, column 4), Wilfred would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Octavio stood in Green Room (row 1, column 1), Dora would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Dora stood in Director's Office (row 1, column 3), Kurt would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Wilfred in Director's Office (row 1, column 4) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 51 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Movie Studio

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Editing Bay, Sound Stage, Wardrobe, Backlot, Cafeteria, Prop Warehouse, Director's Office, Green Room. Fourteen statements, sixteen squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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

Cracked by 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.

Queralt was somewhere west of the Chef.
Conrad was in the same column as the computer. leaves 8 of 77 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 8 of 77.
Alistair was beside the computer. leaves 3 of 77 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Alistair: 3 of 77.
Alistair was exactly 4 rows north of the Gardener.
Simon was exactly 1 column east of the Gardener.
Simon and Gordon were alone together in one room.
Leo was exactly 5 rows south of Queralt.
Leo was exactly 2 columns west of the Chauffeur.
Gordon was exactly 8 columns west of Bianca.
Gordon was somewhere south of the Chef.
Bianca was all alone in a room.
Olivia was somewhere north of the Colonel.
Exactly 2 people were in the editing bay.
Exactly 2 people were in the green room.

Show the squares Alistair had left

The squares still open to Alistair once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 77.

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.

Had Queralt stood in Director's Office (row 1, column 2), Simon would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Conrad in Wardrobe (row 3, column 6) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Alistair in Wardrobe (row 1, column 6) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Simon in Cafeteria (row 5, column 3) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

Suppose Queralt stood on the dashed square. Simon 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.

Alistair's motive would have been blackmail.
Leo's motive would have been debts.
Olivia's motive would have been jealousy.
Bianca's motive would have been revenge.
Simon's motive would have been buried secrets.
Whoever did it was not driven by obsession.
Conrad was not driven by ambition.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Conrad, in Green Room (row 9, column 6).

The only motive left standing for Conrad is inheritance.

Show the solved board

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

Expert · time attack — The Movie Studio

A 10×9 grid across 7 rooms: Desert Set, Green Room, Sound Stage, Prop Warehouse, Editing Bay, Cafeteria, Wardrobe. Thirteen statements, nineteen 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 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 — 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.

Luna was somewhere south of Gaspar.
Luna was exactly 2 columns east of the Diva.
Gaspar was exactly 1 column east of the Diva.
Nestor was somewhere north of the Doctor.
Nestor was in the same column as a bookshelf. leaves 16 of 76 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 16 of 76.
Queralt was exactly 4 columns east of Bruno.
Ines was exactly 2 rows south of the Chef.
Ines was exactly 1 column west of the Doctor.
Estela was exactly 2 rows north of the Heiress.
Estela was exactly 3 columns west of Bruno.
Bruno was all alone in a room.
Flora was exactly 2 rows north of Bruno.
Exactly 2 people were in the green room.

Show the squares Nestor had left

The squares still open to Nestor once their own statements are taken into account — 16 of 76.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 221 eliminations across 2 rounds of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Luna stood in Cafeteria (row 2, column 4), Estela would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Gaspar in Green Room (row 1, column 2) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Nestor stood in Editing Bay (row 6, column 5), Queralt would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Queralt stood in Sound Stage (row 6, column 10), Estela would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 217 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.

Gaspar's motive would have been revenge.
Flora's motive would have been blackmail.
Bruno's motive would have been ambition.
Luna's motive would have been inheritance.
Queralt's motive would have been debts.
Estela was not driven by buried secrets.
Whoever did it was not driven by obsession.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Estela, in Green Room (row 3, column 3).

The only motive left standing for Estela is jealousy.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Estela 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

Five Empty Chairs — chapter 3 of 6, day 2. The season so far: 11 charged · 10 suspected · 3 walked. A train ticket stub has not surfaced.

The day's ten inquiries all unfolded under the bright lights of The Movie Studio. Across both standard and time attack files, no suspects resorted to outright lies, though uncovering a motive was strictly required to crack the standard hard, standard expert, and time attack expert boards. The standard cases drew modest crowds, ranging from sixteen attempts on the beginner 5x5 floor plan with three rooms down to four steady investigators who saw the eight-room, 10x9 expert case through to a complete solution.

Over on the timed desk, traffic was remarkably quiet, with each case seeing just a single run. The layouts varied in complexity, stretching from four-room introductory sketches up to a sprawling seven-room, 10x9 grid for the expert time attack.

One investigator made a clean sweep of the daily ledger. Chentian clocked the fastest time on every single board, opening with standard marks of 0m 10s on beginner, 0m 13s on easy, 1m 27s on medium, 3m 06s on hard, and 8m 16s on expert. Turning to the clock, chentian secured the time attack records as well, recording 0m 09s, 0m 19s, 1m 31s, 2m 39s, and a methodical 14m 49s on the final expert inquiry.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: chentian — 0m 10s · Easy: chentian — 0m 13s · Medium: chentian — 1m 27s · Hard: chentian — 3m 06s · Expert: chentian — 8m 16s · Beginner · time attack: chentian — 0m 09s · Easy · time attack: chentian — 0m 19s · Medium · time attack: chentian — 1m 31s · Hard · time attack: chentian — 2m 39s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 14m 49s