Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 17 September 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-09-17 — each difficulty published twice, once untimed and once as time attack. Each case is procedurally generated and then proved to have exactly one logical solution before it is published, including the cases where somebody is lying. You place every suspect back on the map using only their testimony: exactly one person per row, never two in a column. Whoever is left alone with the victim did it.

Beginner — The Zoo

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Aviary, Bear pit, Gift shop. Seven statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 22 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 — boulder · CO — crocodile · CR — crate · 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. Greta was in the bear pit. leaves 4 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    TCOBSCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Greta: 4 of 19.
  2. Greta was in the bottom row. leaves 1 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    TCOBSCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Greta: 1 of 19.
  3. Dora was in the gift shop. leaves 11 of 19 squares
  4. Felix was in the gift shop. leaves 11 of 19 squares
  5. Felix was in column 2. leaves 2 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    TCOBSCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 2 of 19.
  6. Pablo was in column 4. leaves 3 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    TCOBSCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Pablo: 3 of 19.
  7. Pablo was in the aviary. leaves 1 of 19 squares
    Show it on the board
    TCOBSCRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Pablo: 1 of 19.
Show the squares Felix had left
TCOBSCRWW
The squares still open to Felix once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 19.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

Show the solved board
TCOBSCRWWGDF✕P
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Pablo is ringed in red.

Beginner · time attack — The Zoo

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Elephant yard, Aviary, Bear pit. Seven statements, four squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

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. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. B — bench · S — shrub · T — tree

The testimony

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

  1. Marina was in row 4. leaves 4 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBST
    The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 4 of 21.
  2. Marina was in column 2. leaves 1 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBST
    The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 1 of 21.
  3. Felix was in the leftmost column. leaves 4 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBST
    The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 4 of 21.
  4. Felix was in the bear pit. leaves 1 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBST
    The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 1 of 21.
  5. Sol was in the rightmost column. leaves 3 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBST
    The squares this one statement leaves Sol: 3 of 21.
  6. Sol was in row 2. leaves 1 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBST
    The squares this one statement leaves Sol: 1 of 21.
  7. Octavio was in the elephant yard. leaves 5 of 21 squares
Show the squares Octavio had left
TBST
The squares still open to Octavio 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: Marina, in Aviary (row 4, column 2).

Show the solved board
TBSTMFSO✕
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Marina is ringed in red.

Easy — The Zoo

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Elephant yard, Aviary, Bear pit, Penguin pool, Gift shop. Seven statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 21 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. B — bear · CO — crocodile · CR — crate · P — penguin · 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. Frida was in the elephant yard. leaves 4 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSCRCOPBW
    The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 4 of 29.
  2. Ofelia was in the penguin pool. leaves 7 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSCRCOPBW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ofelia: 7 of 29.
  3. Hugo was in row 2. leaves 6 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSCRCOPBW
    The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 6 of 29.
  4. Hugo was in the leftmost column. leaves 1 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSCRCOPBW
    The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 1 of 29.
  5. Ignacio was in column 3. leaves 5 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSCRCOPBW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 5 of 29.
  6. Ignacio was in the bear pit. leaves 2 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    TSCRCOPBW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 2 of 29.
  7. Kira was in column 5. leaves 5 of 29 squares
Show the squares Ignacio had left
TSCRCOPBW
The squares still open to Ignacio once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 29.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

Show the solved board
TSCRCOPBW✕FOHIK
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Kira is ringed in red.

Easy · time attack — The Zoo

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Elephant yard, Aviary, Penguin pool, Gift shop. Six 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. BE — bear · BO — boulder · C — crate · D — desk · E — elephant · F — floor lamp · S — shrub · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Zeno was beside the crate. leaves 1 of 25 squares
    Show it on the board
    TESBOCFBEDWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Zeno: 1 of 25.
  2. Ada was in column 5. leaves 4 of 25 squares
    Show it on the board
    TESBOCFBEDWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 4 of 25.
  3. Ada was in the penguin pool. leaves 2 of 25 squares
    Show it on the board
    TESBOCFBEDWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 2 of 25.
  4. Wanda was beside the shrub. leaves 2 of 25 squares
    Show it on the board
    TESBOCFBEDWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 2 of 25.
  5. Hugo was beside the tree. leaves 2 of 25 squares
    Show it on the board
    TESBOCFBEDWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 2 of 25.
  6. Enzo was in column 2. leaves 4 of 25 squares
    Show it on the board
    TESBOCFBEDWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Enzo: 4 of 25.
Show the squares Ada had left
TESBOCFBEDWW
The squares still open to Ada once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 25.
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: Ada, in Penguin pool (row 4, column 5).

Show the solved board
TESBOCFBEDWWZAW✕HE
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Ada is ringed in red.

Medium · time attack — The Zoo

An 8×7 grid across 6 rooms: Lion den, Gift shop, Entrance, Aviary, Elephant yard, Bear pit. Nine statements, thirteen 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. BE — bear · BN — bench · BO — boulder · C — crocodile · D — desk · E — elephant · F — floor lamp · S — shrub · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Dora was in the same column as the tree. leaves 5 of 40 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECTDBOEBNFSBNBOSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 5 of 40.
  2. Horacio was in column 6. leaves 4 of 40 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECTDBOEBNFSBNBOSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 4 of 40.
  3. Horacio was beside the crocodile. leaves 1 of 40 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECTDBOEBNFSBNBOSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 1 of 40.
  4. Simon was beside the window. leaves 2 of 40 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECTDBOEBNFSBNBOSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 2 of 40.
  5. Queralt was in column 2. leaves 4 of 40 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECTDBOEBNFSBNBOSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 4 of 40.
  6. Queralt was in the entrance or in the bear pit. leaves 2 of 40 squares
    Show it on the board
    BECTDBOEBNFSBNBOSW
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 2 of 40.
  7. Kurt was beside the desk. leaves 3 of 40 squares
  8. Pablo was in the western half of the scene. leaves 20 of 40 squares
  9. Pablo was in the aviary or in the elephant yard. leaves 8 of 40 squares
Show the squares Simon had left
BECTDBOEBNFSBNBOSW
The squares still open to Simon once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 40.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 7 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 3 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Simon, in Lion den (row 6, column 8).

Show the solved board
BECTDBOEBNFSBNBOSWDHS✕QKP
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Simon is ringed in red.

Medium — The Zoo

An 8×7 grid across 5 rooms: Café, Penguin pool, Elephant yard, Lion den, Gift shop. Eight statements, fifteen squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

Cracked by 18 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. BE — bear · BN — bench · BO — boulder · C — crocodile · D — desk · E — elephant · F — floor lamp · P — penguin · 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. Quentin was beside the elephant. leaves 4 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    DFSBOCETBNDPBOBEFWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 4 of 39.
  2. Bianca was beside the shrub. leaves 2 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    DFSBOCETBNDPBOBEFWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Bianca: 2 of 39.
  3. Percy was in column 6. leaves 5 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    DFSBOCETBNDPBOBEFWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Percy: 5 of 39.
  4. Horacio was in the same room as the Heiress.
  5. Dora was beside the shrub. leaves 2 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    DFSBOCETBNDPBOBEFWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 2 of 39.
  6. Dora was beside the bench. leaves 1 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    DFSBOCETBNDPBOBEFWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 1 of 39.
  7. Sofia was in the same row as a window. leaves 12 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    DFSBOCETBNDPBOBEFWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 12 of 39.
  8. Sofia was in the same column as the crocodile. leaves 3 of 39 squares
Show the squares Bianca had left
DFSBOCETBNDPBOBEFWW
The squares still open to Bianca once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 39.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 25 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 21 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Sofia, in Penguin pool (row 7, column 2).

Show the solved board
DFSBOCETBNDPBOBEFWWQBPHD✕S
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Sofia is ringed in red.

Hard — The Zoo

A 9×8 grid across 7 rooms: Penguin pool, Main path, Bear pit, Café, Lion den, Entrance, Elephant yard. Thirteen 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 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. BE — bear · BN — bench · BO — boulder · CO — crocodile · CR — crate · D — desk · E — elephant · F — floor lamp · P — penguin · 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. Abel was exactly 1 column east of Delia.
  2. Abel was exactly 1 row north of Petra.
  3. Wren was somewhere east of Abel.
  4. Wren was exactly 4 columns west of the Chef.
  5. Petra was all alone in a room.
  6. Petra was in the same column as a window. leaves 28 of 55 squares
  7. Delia was all alone in a room.
  8. Ulises was exactly 5 rows south of the Doctor.
  9. Ulises was all alone in a room.
  10. Ulises was somewhere east of Wren.
  11. Olivia was somewhere south of the Gardener.
  12. Olivia was all alone in a room.
  13. Kaspar was in the same column as the shrub. leaves 6 of 55 squares
    Show it on the board
    CRSPTBEEBOCODBOBNFBEWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Kaspar: 6 of 55.
Show the squares Kaspar had left
CRSPTBEEBOCODBOBNFBEWW
The squares still open to Kaspar once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 55.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 97 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 93 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board
CRSPTBEEBOCODBOBNFBEWWAWPD✕UOK
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Kaspar is ringed in red.

Hard · time attack — The Zoo

A 9×8 grid across 6 rooms: Elephant yard, Gift shop, Main path, Penguin pool, Entrance, Aviary. Twelve statements, fourteen 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. BE — bear · BN — bench · BO — boulder · CO — crocodile · CR — crate · D — desk · E — elephant · F — floor lamp · P — penguin · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Victor was in the same row as the bench. leaves 8 of 56 squares
    Show it on the board
    FCOCRTEPBNDBEBOBECRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 8 of 56.
  2. Victor was somewhere east of Kira.
  3. Victor was exactly 3 columns west of Julian.
  4. Victor was in the same column as the penguin. leaves 1 of 56 squares
    Show it on the board
    FCOCRTEPBNDBEBOBECRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 1 of 56.
  5. Julian was exactly 2 rows north of Ursula.
  6. Estela was all alone in a room.
  7. Felix was somewhere west of Julian.
  8. Kira was somewhere north of Felix.
  9. Ursula was in the same column as the crocodile. leaves 11 of 56 squares
    Show it on the board
    FCOCRTEPBNDBEBOBECRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 11 of 56.
  10. Ursula was exactly 3 columns east of Felix.
  11. Abel was in the same row as the elephant. leaves 11 of 56 squares
    Show it on the board
    FCOCRTEPBNDBEBOBECRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 11 of 56.
  12. Abel was in the same column as the tree. leaves 1 of 56 squares
    Show it on the board
    FCOCRTEPBNDBEBOBECRWW
    The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 1 of 56.
Show the squares Ursula had left
FCOCRTEPBNDBEBOBECRWW
The squares still open to Ursula once their own statements are taken into account — 11 of 56.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 35 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 31 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Felix, in Main path (row 8, column 2).

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

Expert — The Zoo

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Gift shop, Penguin pool, Elephant yard, Main path, Bear pit, Café, Entrance, Aviary. Twelve statements, eighteen squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and two rounds of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

Cracked by 4 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. BE — bear · BN — bench · BO — boulder · CO — crocodile · CR — crate · D — desk · E — elephant · F — floor lamp · P — penguin · 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. Katia was exactly 1 column west of Boris.
  2. Nestor was somewhere south of the Heiress.
  3. Nestor was exactly 4 columns west of Ximena.
  4. Sofia was exactly 5 rows south of the Colonel.
  5. Boris was all alone in a room.
  6. Vasco was in row 3. leaves 9 of 69 squares
    Show it on the board
    CRFEDBETSCOPBNBOTCRSBODBNW
    The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 9 of 69.
  7. Vasco was exactly 3 columns east of the Colonel.
  8. Yolanda was exactly 1 column west of the Butler.
  9. Ximena was somewhere north of Sofia.
  10. Felix was exactly 1 row north of Ximena.
  11. Exactly 2 people were in the main path.
  12. Exactly 3 people were in the gift shop.
Show the squares Vasco had left
CRFEDBETSCOPBNBOTCRSBODBNW
The squares still open to Vasco once their own statements are taken into account — 9 of 69.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 277 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
CRFEDBETSCOPBNBOTCRSBODBNWK
Suppose Katia stood on the dashed square. Boris then has nowhere left to stand: every square still open to them is shaded out.

Another 273 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

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

Expert · time attack — The Zoo

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Aviary, Main path, Café, Gift shop, Elephant yard, Entrance, Penguin pool, Bear pit. Twelve statements, nineteen 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 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 — bear · BN — bench · BO — boulder · CO — crocodile · CR — crate · D — desk · E — elephant · F — floor lamp · P — penguin · 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. Zaida and Clara were alone together in one room.
  2. Zaida was exactly 2 columns east of Greta.
  3. Greta was exactly 1 row north of Clara.
  4. Boris and Irene were alone together in one room.
  5. Ursula was exactly 2 columns west of the Journalist.
  6. Clara was exactly 5 rows south of Rita.
  7. Rita was all alone in a room.
  8. Rita was exactly 3 columns west of the Curator.
  9. Irene was somewhere west of Boris.
  10. Enzo was all alone in a room.
  11. Exactly 2 people were in the main path.
  12. Exactly 2 people were in the entrance.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 357 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 353 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. Clara's motive would have been buried secrets.
  2. Rita's motive would have been debts.
  3. Zaida's motive would have been jealousy.
  4. Enzo's motive would have been ambition.
  5. Greta's motive would have been obsession.
  6. Ursula was not driven by revenge.
  7. Ursula was not driven by inheritance.
The answer

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

The only motive left standing for Ursula is blackmail.

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

How to read a case above

The grid size is the size of the crime scene, so a 10×9 expert case is a far larger search than a 5×5 beginner one — but the difficulty is really carried by the clues, not the square count. A beginner case tells you almost directly where somebody stood. An expert case tells you where somebody was not, three times, and expects you to do the rest — and on half of them one of those statements is a lie told to protect the killer. If a case lists a motive, naming the right person is not enough on its own; you have to prove why.

How to play · Solving cases with a liar · Techniques

The day in review

The Midnight Garden — A cache opened at The Zoo. It is not what was taken first, and it never is.

All ten investigations on 17 September 2026 unfolded at The Zoo, where the grounds kept investigators busy across both standard and against-the-clock dockets. The standard cases offered straightforward inquiries with no liars or motive requirements. Gyr moved swiftly through the smaller grounds, logging top marks of ten seconds on the 5x5 beginner board, twenty-two seconds on the 6x6 easy grid, and eighteen seconds across the 8x7 medium rooms. When the territories expanded, chentian took over the lead, untangling the 9x8 hard case in 4m 49s and completing the 10x9 expert layout with its eight rooms in 7m 41s.

The time attack boards saw sparse attendance but sharp work. Gyr once again set the pace early, clearing the beginner run in eight seconds, the easy scene in thirteen seconds, and the 9x8 hard puzzle in 2m 32s. Chentian claimed the medium board in twenty-six seconds. The day’s only true complication arrived in the final time attack: an expert 10x9 layout requiring motive. Out of five attempts, chentian secured the lone solution, closing the case in an even 7m 00s.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: gyr — 0m 10s · Easy: gyr — 0m 22s · Medium: gyr — 0m 18s · Hard: chentian — 4m 49s · Expert: chentian — 7m 41s · Beginner · time attack: gyr — 0m 08s · Easy · time attack: gyr — 0m 13s · Medium · time attack: chentian — 0m 26s · Hard · time attack: gyr — 2m 32s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 7m 00s

The solutions

The solved boards — spoilers for every case of 17 September 2026

Key: red ring = the murderer · amber dashes = the lying accomplice · ✕ = the victim · initials mark where each suspect was proved to stand.

Beginner — The Zoo

GDF✕P
Pablo (Magician)21 detectives put Pablo (magician) away before the day was out.

Easy — The Zoo

✕FOHIK
Kira (Doctor)Kira (doctor) is in custody — the case was closed by 20 detectives.

Medium — The Zoo

QBPHD✕S
Sofia (Journalist)Sofia (journalist) ended the day behind bars — convicted by 16 detectives.

Hard — The Zoo

AWPD✕UOK
Kaspar (Magician)Kaspar (magician) was named and charged; 5 detectives closed this one.

Expert — The Zoo

KNS✕BVYXF
Felix (Curator)The cell door shut on Felix (curator), on the evidence of 3 detectives.

Beginner · time attack — The Zoo

MFSO✕
Marina (Doctor)2 detectives put Marina (doctor) away before the day was out.

Easy · time attack — The Zoo

ZAW✕HE
Ada (Chef)Ada (chef) is in custody — the case was closed by 2 detectives.

Medium · time attack — The Zoo

DHS✕QKP
Simon (Butler)Simon (butler) ended the day behind bars — convicted by 3 detectives.

Hard · time attack — The Zoo

VJEFKUA✕
Felix (Butler)Felix (butler) was named and charged; 3 detectives closed this one.

Expert · time attack — The Zoo

ZGB✕UCRIE
Ursula (Diva)The cell door shut on Ursula (diva), on the evidence of one detective. The motive — blackmail — was proved along with the name.

Read this recap in: العربية · Asturianu · Català · Deutsch · Español · Euskara · فارسی · Français · Galego · हिन्दी · Italiano · 日本語 · ಕನ್ನಡ · 한국어 · Nederlands · Português · Русский · Valencià · 中文

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

Play free — no download