Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 10 September 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-09-10 — 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: Gallery, Office, Garden. Seven statements, eight squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

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. B — bookshelf · C — carpet (square stays free) · F — flower bush · G — grandfather clock · M — mirror (square stays free) · P — potted plant · S — statue · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Cesar was in the bottom row. leaves 3 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Cesar: 3 of 20.
Zaida was in the leftmost column. leaves 4 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Zaida: 4 of 20.
Zaida was in the office. leaves 1 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Zaida: 1 of 20.
Ofelia was in column 2. leaves 4 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ofelia: 4 of 20.
Ofelia was in row 3. leaves 1 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ofelia: 1 of 20.
Kaspar was in row 2. leaves 5 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kaspar: 5 of 20.
Kaspar was in column 3. leaves 1 of 20 squares

Show the squares Cesar had left

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

Cesar can only be in Office (row 5, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.
Leo can only be in Gallery (row 4, column 4) — down from 20 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Beginner · time attack — The Museum of Curiosities

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Workshop, Atrium, Office, Rotunda. Six statements, five squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 2 detectives so far.

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

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

The testimony

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

Flora was in row 2. leaves 5 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Flora: 5 of 22.
Flora was in column 4. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Flora: 1 of 22.
Nora was in row 4. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nora: 4 of 22.
Nora was in the leftmost column. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nora: 1 of 22.
Hugo was in the rotunda. leaves 5 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 5 of 22.
Yago was in the atrium. leaves 5 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 5 of 22.

Show the squares Hugo had left

The squares still open to Hugo once their own statements are taken into account — 5 of 22.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Hugo can only be in Rotunda (row 1, column 5) — down from 5 possible squares.
Yago can only be in Atrium (row 3, column 2) — down from 5 possible squares.
Selma can only be in Office (row 5, column 3) — down from 22 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Museum of Curiosities

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Library, Atrium, Rotunda, Office, Gallery. Eight statements, ten squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 8 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. B — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · P — 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.

Kira was beside the bookshelf. leaves 3 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 3 of 30.
Nestor was beside a window. leaves 3 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 3 of 30.
Paloma was in the gallery. leaves 5 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Paloma: 5 of 30.
Paloma was in row 3. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Paloma: 1 of 30.
Ivan was in column 4. leaves 5 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 5 of 30.
Ivan was in the office. leaves 3 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 3 of 30.
Boris was in row 2. leaves 5 of 30 squares
Boris was in the atrium. leaves 3 of 30 squares

Show the squares Kira had left

The squares still open to Kira once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 30.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Kira can only be in Library (row 1, column 1) — down from 3 possible squares.
Zeno can only be in Rotunda (row 6, column 2) — down from 30 possible squares.
Nestor can only be in Rotunda (row 5, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.
Ivan can only be in Office (row 4, column 4) — down from 3 possible squares.
Boris can only be in Atrium (row 2, column 3) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy · time attack — The Museum of Curiosities

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Office, Vault, Archive, Rotunda, Gallery. Seven statements, ten squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 2 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · G — grandfather clock · P — potted plant · S — statue · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Enzo was in the rotunda. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Enzo: 6 of 29.
Enzo was in row 2. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Enzo: 2 of 29.
Bruno was beside the statue. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Bruno: 2 of 29.
Jimena was in column 3. leaves 5 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jimena: 5 of 29.
Jimena was in the vault. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jimena: 2 of 29.
Abel was beside the crate. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 2 of 29.
Zaida was beside the carpet. leaves 2 of 29 squares

Show the squares Enzo had left

The squares still open to Enzo 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:

Enzo can only be in Rotunda (row 2, column 4) — down from 2 possible squares.
Bruno can only be in Gallery (row 3, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Jimena can only be in Vault (row 5, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.
Abel can only be in Office (row 6, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.
Zaida can only be in Archive (row 4, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Lidia can only be in Rotunda (row 1, column 6) — down from 29 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Enzo, in Rotunda (row 2, column 4).

Show the solved board

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

Medium · time attack — The Museum of Curiosities

An 8×7 grid across 6 rooms: Atrium, Gallery, Rotunda, Workshop, Office, Archive. Eight statements, fourteen 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 3 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 · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · PA — painting (square stays free) · PO — 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.

Ada was in the same room as Horacio.
Clara was beside the grandfather clock. leaves 2 of 45 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Clara: 2 of 45.
Tesa was in the same row as the desk. leaves 6 of 45 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 6 of 45.
Tesa was beside the statue. leaves 1 of 45 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tesa: 1 of 45.
Horacio was seated on the sofa. leaves 2 of 45 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 2 of 45.
Queralt was in the gallery or in the office. leaves 18 of 45 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 18 of 45.
Gordon was beside the potted plant. leaves 2 of 45 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 2 of 45.
Nobody was in the workshop.

Show the squares Clara had left

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

Gordon can only be in Archive (row 1, column 7) — down from 2 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 37 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Ada stood in Office (row 6, column 2), Percy would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Clara in Rotunda (row 4, column 3) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Percy stood in Office (row 2, column 1), Horacio would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Horacio in Office (row 5, column 1) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 33 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Museum of Curiosities

An 8×7 grid across 5 rooms: Archive, Rotunda, Garden, Gallery, Atrium. Nine statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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. B — bookshelf · C — carpet (square stays free) · D — desk · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · G — grandfather clock · S — statue · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Rita was in column 7. leaves 7 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 7 of 47.
Rita was in the archive or in the garden. leaves 2 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 2 of 47.
Olivia was in the same column as the bookshelf. leaves 6 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Olivia: 6 of 47.
Alistair was in the archive or in the atrium. leaves 7 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Alistair: 7 of 47.
Vera was in the same room as the Chauffeur.
Ines was in the same column as the tree. leaves 5 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 5 of 47.
Jonas was in the same row as the tree. leaves 6 of 47 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jonas: 6 of 47.
Jonas was in column 5. leaves 1 of 47 squares
Nobody was in the rotunda.

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:

Rita can only be in Archive (row 5, column 7) — down from 2 possible squares.
Alistair can only be in Atrium (row 7, column 8) — down from 7 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 11 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Hugo stood in Gallery (row 1, column 4), Olivia would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Vera stood in Garden (row 2, column 1), Ines would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Ines stood in Garden (row 2, column 1), Hugo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 8 squares fell the same way.

Hugo can only be in Gallery (row 2, column 6) — down from 3 possible squares.
Olivia can only be in Gallery (row 3, column 4) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Museum of Curiosities

A 9×8 grid across 6 rooms: Archive, Office, Gallery, Workshop, Garden, Library. Twelve statements, fifteen squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

Cracked by 6 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. CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CL — clock · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · M — mirror (square stays free) · PA — painting (square stays free) · PO — potted plant · S — statue · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Octavio was exactly 1 column east of Helena.
Octavio was exactly 2 rows north of Kira.
Victor was in the same column as the floor lamp. leaves 6 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 6 of 61.
Victor was exactly 2 rows south of the Curator.
Sofia was in the same room as Helena.
Sofia was in the same row as the crate. leaves 8 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 8 of 61.
Helena was somewhere east of Victor.
Dora was somewhere north of the Curator.
Dora was in the same column as the painting. leaves 8 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 8 of 61.
Conrad was beside the statue. leaves 3 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 3 of 61.
Kira was in the same column as the chest. leaves 6 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 6 of 61.
Kira was all alone in a room.

Show the squares Conrad had left

The squares still open to Conrad once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 61.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 94 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Octavio stood in Archive (row 1, column 6), Sofia would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Victor stood in Gallery (row 4, column 1), Sofia would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Sofia in Workshop (row 1, column 4) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Helena in Archive (row 2, column 5) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 90 squares fell the same way.

Octavio can only be in Library (row 6, column 8) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Hard · time attack — The Museum of Curiosities

A 9×8 grid across 6 rooms: Atrium, Vault, Archive, Workshop, Gallery, Rotunda. Twelve statements, seventeen squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

Cracked by 3 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 — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · 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.

Octavio was exactly 1 column east of the Chef.
Octavio was in the same row as a window. leaves 14 of 59 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Octavio: 14 of 59.
Dante was in the same room as the Chef.
Lidia was in the same row as the desk. leaves 7 of 59 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Lidia: 7 of 59.
Ines was all alone in a room.
Ines was in the southern half of the scene. leaves 30 of 59 squares
Jonas was exactly 3 columns west of the Butler.
Zeno was exactly 4 columns east of Ines.
Zeno was exactly 3 columns west of the Chef.
Zeno was exactly 1 row north of the Journalist.
Zeno was all alone in a room.
Wanda was in the same column as the grandfather clock. leaves 7 of 59 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 7 of 59.

Show the squares Lidia had left

The squares still open to Lidia once their own statements are taken into account — 7 of 59.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Lidia can only be in Archive (row 6, column 8) — down from 7 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 43 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Octavio stood in Workshop (row 2, column 9), Zeno would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Dante in Archive (row 5, column 6) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Ines in Gallery (row 7, column 1) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Jonas stood in Rotunda (row 2, column 3), Wanda would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 39 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Octavio, in Vault (row 3, column 9).

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Museum of Curiosities

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Rotunda, Garden, Gallery, Vault, Atrium, Workshop, Office, Archive. Thirteen statements, 21 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 3 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 — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CL — clock · CR — crate · D — desk · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · PA — painting (square stays free) · PO — potted plant · SO — sofa (square stays free) · ST — statue · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Yago and Tamara were alone together in one room.
Rufus was exactly 3 columns west of the Heiress.
Rufus and Ignacio were alone together in one room.
Elias was in the same row as the bookshelf. leaves 8 of 74 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Elias: 8 of 74.
Tamara was exactly 2 rows south of the Chauffeur.
Ignacio was exactly 5 rows north of the Colonel.
Ignacio was exactly 5 columns west of Elias.
Celeste was all alone in a room.
Leo was in the same column as the potted plant. leaves 7 of 74 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Leo: 7 of 74.
Delia was somewhere east of the Colonel.
Delia was in the same row as a floor lamp. leaves 15 of 74 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Delia: 15 of 74.
Delia was in the same column as a floor lamp. leaves 2 of 74 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Delia: 2 of 74.
Exactly 2 people were in the garden.

Show the squares Delia had left

The squares still open to Delia once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 74.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 146 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Yago stood in Gallery (row 6, column 1), Delia would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Rufus in Workshop (row 1, column 2) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Elias stood in Office (row 3, column 6), Rufus would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Tamara stood in Archive (row 4, column 3), Yago would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 142 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Expert · time attack — The Museum of Curiosities

A 10×9 grid across 7 rooms: Office, Atrium, Archive, Rotunda, Workshop, Library, Vault. Eleven 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. B — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CL — clock · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · M — mirror (square stays free) · 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.

Jimena was exactly 3 columns west of the Diva.
Tesa and Nora were alone together in one room.
Ofelia was exactly 6 rows north of the Curator.
Quentin was exactly 1 column west of the Gardener.
Boris was somewhere west of Quentin.
Cesar was somewhere west of the Professor.
Walter was beside the chest. leaves 2 of 76 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 2 of 76.
Nora was in column 2. leaves 7 of 76 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nora: 7 of 76.
Nora was exactly 1 row south of the Magician.
Exactly 2 people were in the archive.
Exactly 3 people were in the atrium.

Show the squares Walter had left

The squares still open to Walter once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 76.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 205 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Jimena stood in Workshop (row 1, column 2), Nora would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Tesa stood in Workshop (row 1, column 3), Cesar would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Ofelia stood in Vault (row 1, column 4), Jimena would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Quentin in Atrium (row 1, column 9) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 201 squares fell the same way.

Jimena can only be in Workshop (row 2, column 4) — down from 10 possible squares.
Tesa can only be in Rotunda (row 6, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Quentin can only be in Atrium (row 5, column 9) — down from 2 possible squares.

The motive

This case demands the why as well as the who: naming the killer without proving the motive counts for nothing. 8 motives are in play, and these statements narrow them.

Tesa's motive would have been revenge.
Jimena's motive would have been ambition.
Boris's motive would have been jealousy.
Walter's motive would have been obsession.
Quentin's motive would have been inheritance.
Ofelia was not driven by blackmail.
Whoever did it was not driven by debts.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Ofelia, in Archive (row 1, column 7).

The only motive left standing for Ofelia is buried secrets.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Ofelia 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 — Whatever was hidden at The Museum of Curiosities is hidden no longer; 2 detectives found it.

All ten cases on 10 September 2026 unfolded within the shadowed halls of The Museum of Curiosities. Investigators faced five standard assignments and five time attacks, stepping through layouts ranging from compact 5x5 floors with three rooms up to sprawling 10x9 layouts containing eight rooms. While falsehoods were absent from the witness statements throughout the day, the final challenge—the expert time attack across a 10x9 grid with seven rooms—required investigators to establish motive to close the file.

The standard untimed investigations saw steady inquiry. Chentian swept every single top mark among them, clocking 0m 08s on beginner (solved by eight of eleven), 0m 28s on easy (six solved from eight), 0m 41s on medium (six solved from nine), 1m 18s on hard (a clean five solves from five attempts), and 5m 48s on the grueling expert floor, which saw only two successful solutions from four inquiries.

Against the clock, chentian maintained an almost clean sweep, posting 0m 10s on beginner, 0m 23s on easy, and 1m 27s on medium, with each smaller board solved by all who entered. David broke the streak by claiming the hard time attack in 2m 21s, where all three attempts proved fruitful. Finally, chentian secured the motive-laden expert time attack in 5m 56s, standing as the lone solver among two attempts.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: chentian — 0m 08s · Easy: chentian — 0m 28s · Medium: chentian — 0m 41s · Hard: chentian — 1m 18s · Expert: chentian — 5m 48s · Beginner · time attack: chentian — 0m 10s · Easy · time attack: chentian — 0m 23s · Medium · time attack: chentian — 1m 27s · Hard · time attack: david — 2m 21s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 5m 56s