Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 18 September 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-09-18 — 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 Botanical Garden

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Compost Yard, Seed Vault, Garden Path, Visitor Center. Six statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

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. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. B — bench · C — cactus · P — potted plant · S — statue · T — tree

The testimony

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

  1. Queralt was in the compost yard. leaves 5 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBCPBSS
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 5 of 18.
  2. Queralt was in column 3. leaves 1 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBCPBSS
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 1 of 18.
  3. Frida was in the bottom row. leaves 2 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBCPBSS
    The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 2 of 18.
  4. Frida was in the rightmost column. leaves 1 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBCPBSS
    The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 1 of 18.
  5. Dorian was beside the potted plant. leaves 1 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBCPBSS
    The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 1 of 18.
  6. Zeno was in the garden path. leaves 4 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TBCPBSS
    The squares this one statement leaves Zeno: 4 of 18.
Show the squares Zeno had left
TBCPBSS
The squares still open to Zeno once their own statements are taken into account — 4 of 18.
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: Queralt, in Compost Yard (row 3, column 3).

Show the solved board
TBCPBSSQF✕DZ
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Queralt is ringed in red.

Beginner · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Visitor Center, Lily Pond, Seed Vault, Cactus House. Seven statements, five squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

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 — bench · BO — boulder · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · S — statue

The testimony

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

  1. Simon was in row 2. leaves 4 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    LBEBOSP
    The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 4 of 21.
  2. Simon was in the lily pond. leaves 2 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    LBEBOSP
    The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 2 of 21.
  3. Wilfred was in the rightmost column. leaves 4 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    LBEBOSP
    The squares this one statement leaves Wilfred: 4 of 21.
  4. Wilfred was in row 3. leaves 1 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    LBEBOSP
    The squares this one statement leaves Wilfred: 1 of 21.
  5. Flora was in column 3. leaves 5 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    LBEBOSP
    The squares this one statement leaves Flora: 5 of 21.
  6. Flora was in the bottom row. leaves 1 of 21 squares
    Show it on the board
    LBEBOSP
    The squares this one statement leaves Flora: 1 of 21.
  7. Ada was in the seed vault. leaves 9 of 21 squares
Show the squares Simon had left
LBEBOSP
The squares still open to Simon 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:

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Flora, in Visitor Center (row 5, column 3).

Show the solved board
LBEBOSPSWF✕A
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Flora is ringed in red.

Easy — The Botanical Garden

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Garden Path, Tropical House, Orchid House, Cactus House, Seed Vault. Nine statements, nine squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 19 detectives so far.

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

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

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

The testimony

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

  1. Fabio was in column 5. leaves 4 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    STPTSHFOFLBSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Fabio: 4 of 27.
  2. Fabio was in the garden path or in the seed vault. leaves 1 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    STPTSHFOFLBSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Fabio: 1 of 27.
  3. Wren was in column 3. leaves 5 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    STPTSHFOFLBSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 5 of 27.
  4. Wren was in the cactus house. leaves 1 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    STPTSHFOFLBSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 1 of 27.
  5. Dorian was in the rightmost column. leaves 5 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    STPTSHFOFLBSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 5 of 27.
  6. Dorian was beside the flower bush. leaves 1 of 27 squares
    Show it on the board
    STPTSHFOFLBSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 1 of 27.
  7. Bianca was in the leftmost column. leaves 5 of 27 squares
  8. Ursula was in row 2. leaves 6 of 27 squares
  9. Ursula was in the seed vault. leaves 2 of 27 squares
Show the squares Ursula had left
STPTSHFOFLBSTC
The squares still open to Ursula once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 27.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Wren, in Cactus House (row 5, column 3).

Show the solved board
STPTSHFOFLBSTCF✕WDBU
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Wren is ringed in red.

Easy · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Lily Pond, Orchid House, Visitor Center, Tropical House. Nine statements, six squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 4 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. B — bench · C — cactus · F — flower bush · L — lily pad (square stays free) · SH — shrub · ST — statue

The testimony

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

  1. Abel was on the lily pad. leaves 2 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLBSHSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 2 of 31.
  2. Abel was in column 4. leaves 1 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLBSHSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 1 of 31.
  3. Rufus was in the visitor center. leaves 5 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLBSHSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 5 of 31.
  4. Rufus was in row 2. leaves 2 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLBSHSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Rufus: 2 of 31.
  5. Vivienne was in row 3. leaves 5 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLBSHSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 5 of 31.
  6. Vivienne was in the tropical house. leaves 2 of 31 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLBSHSTC
    The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 2 of 31.
  7. Margot was in column 3. leaves 5 of 31 squares
  8. Margot was in the orchid house. leaves 2 of 31 squares
  9. Wilfred was in the lily pond. leaves 9 of 31 squares
Show the squares Rufus had left
FLBSHSTC
The squares still open to Rufus once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 31.
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: Margot, in Orchid House (row 1, column 3).

Show the solved board
FLBSHSTCA✕RVMW
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Margot is ringed in red.

Medium · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A 7×7 grid across 6 rooms: Lily Pond, Garden Path, Tropical House, Seed Vault, Visitor Center, Compost Yard. Nine statements, nine squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 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 — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue

The testimony

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

  1. Luna was somewhere south of the Curator.
  2. Luna was in the same row as the bench. leaves 4 of 41 squares
    Show it on the board
    CBEPFLSTFOLBOSH
    The squares this one statement leaves Luna: 4 of 41.
  3. Kurt was beside the statue. leaves 4 of 41 squares
    Show it on the board
    CBEPFLSTFOLBOSH
    The squares this one statement leaves Kurt: 4 of 41.
  4. Ruben was in the same column as the bench. leaves 6 of 41 squares
    Show it on the board
    CBEPFLSTFOLBOSH
    The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 6 of 41.
  5. Dorian was in the western half of the scene. leaves 18 of 41 squares
  6. Dorian was in row 6. leaves 3 of 41 squares
    Show it on the board
    CBEPFLSTFOLBOSH
    The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 3 of 41.
  7. Petra was in the seed vault. leaves 4 of 41 squares
    Show it on the board
    CBEPFLSTFOLBOSH
    The squares this one statement leaves Petra: 4 of 41.
  8. Jimena was in the same row as the lily pad. leaves 13 of 41 squares
    Show it on the board
    CBEPFLSTFOLBOSH
    The squares this one statement leaves Jimena: 13 of 41.
  9. Jimena was in the same column as the flower bush. leaves 2 of 41 squares
Show the squares Jimena had left
CBEPFLSTFOLBOSH
The squares still open to Jimena once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 41.
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: Dorian, in Tropical House (row 6, column 2).

Show the solved board
CBEPFLSTFOLBOSH✕LKRDPJ
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Dorian is ringed in red.

Medium — The Botanical Garden

A 7×7 grid across 5 rooms: Palm Pavilion, Cactus House, Lily Pond, Compost Yard, Tropical House. Eleven statements, eight squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 15 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · F — flower bush · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · S — shrub · T — tree

The testimony

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

  1. Bruno was in the same row as the potted plant. leaves 5 of 42 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPSBOBEFLC
    The squares this one statement leaves Bruno: 5 of 42.
  2. Bruno was in the same room as Greta.
  3. Tristan was in the compost yard or in the tropical house. leaves 15 of 42 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPSBOBEFLC
    The squares this one statement leaves Tristan: 15 of 42.
  4. Walter was in the same room as Delia.
  5. Walter was in the cactus house or in the lily pond. leaves 14 of 42 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPSBOBEFLC
    The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 14 of 42.
  6. Walter was in the same column as the shrub. leaves 2 of 42 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPSBOBEFLC
    The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 2 of 42.
  7. Walter was somewhere west of Tristan.
  8. Petra was beside the shrub. leaves 2 of 42 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPSBOBEFLC
    The squares this one statement leaves Petra: 2 of 42.
  9. Delia was in column 2. leaves 7 of 42 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPSBOBEFLC
    The squares this one statement leaves Delia: 7 of 42.
  10. Delia was somewhere west of Bruno.
  11. Greta was in the same column as the boulder. leaves 6 of 42 squares
Show the squares Walter had left
TPSBOBEFLC
The squares still open to Walter once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 42.
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: Petra, in Tropical House (row 4, column 5).

Show the solved board
TPSBOBEFLCBTWPDG✕
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Petra is ringed in red.

Hard — The Botanical Garden

An 8×8 grid across 7 rooms: Cactus House, Garden Path, Palm Pavilion, Lily Pond, Orchid House, Seed Vault, Compost Yard. Twelve 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 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. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

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

  1. Ruben was exactly 3 columns west of the Journalist.
  2. Bruno was in the same row as the lily pad. leaves 15 of 52 squares
    Show it on the board
    TFOCSTPSHBEBOLFLPCBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Bruno: 15 of 52.
  3. Tobias was exactly 1 row south of the Journalist.
  4. Tobias was all alone in a room.
  5. Tobias was somewhere south of the Colonel.
  6. Tobias was exactly 4 rows south of Simon.
  7. Dora was exactly 2 columns east of the Curator.
  8. Dora was all alone in a room.
  9. Simon was somewhere west of the Professor.
  10. Irene was in the same row as a potted plant. leaves 10 of 52 squares
    Show it on the board
    TFOCSTPSHBEBOLFLPCBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Irene: 10 of 52.
  11. Zaida was in the same row as the boulder. leaves 7 of 52 squares
    Show it on the board
    TFOCSTPSHBEBOLFLPCBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Zaida: 7 of 52.
  12. Zaida was in the same column as the statue. leaves 1 of 52 squares
    Show it on the board
    TFOCSTPSHBEBOLFLPCBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Zaida: 1 of 52.
Show the squares Irene had left
TFOCSTPSHBEBOLFLPCBE
The squares still open to Irene once their own statements are taken into account — 10 of 52.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 56 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 52 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Bruno, in Orchid House (row 6, column 1).

Show the solved board
TFOCSTPSHBEBOLFLPCBERBTDSI✕Z
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Bruno is ringed in red.

Hard · time attack — The Botanical Garden

An 8×8 grid across 6 rooms: Cactus House, Palm Pavilion, Tropical House, Garden Path, Lily Pond, Orchid House. Fifteen statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry — and one of the eight was lying throughout.

The twist: one suspect is an accomplice — every statement they make is false; the accusation also demands the motive, not just the name.

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 — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

What each person said. One of these 8 is the killer's accomplice and every word they said is false — but not which one, not yet.

  1. Zaida was in the same column as the tree. if true, leaves 7 of 54
    Show it on the board
    FLSHTBOBELSTPCFOP
    The squares this one statement leaves Zaida: 7 of 54.
  2. Zaida was in the same room as the Chauffeur.
  3. Zaida was in the same row as the fountain. if true, leaves 1 of 54
    Show it on the board
    FLSHTBOBELSTPCFOP
    The squares this one statement leaves Zaida: 1 of 54.
  4. Abel was somewhere south of the Heiress.
  5. Abel was in the same column as the statue. if true, leaves 7 of 54
    Show it on the board
    FLSHTBOBELSTPCFOP
    The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 7 of 54.
  6. Abel was in the same row as the cactus. if true, leaves 1 of 54
    Show it on the board
    FLSHTBOBELSTPCFOP
    The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 1 of 54.
  7. Nestor was in the same column as the boulder. if true, leaves 47 of 54
  8. Nestor was somewhere north of Wilfred.
  9. Wilfred was somewhere north of Frida.
  10. Wilfred was in column 5. if true, leaves 8 of 54
    Show it on the board
    FLSHTBOBELSTPCFOP
    The squares this one statement leaves Wilfred: 8 of 54.
  11. Ignacio was somewhere west of Wilfred.
  12. Dora was in the same column as the bench. if true, leaves 7 of 54
    Show it on the board
    FLSHTBOBELSTPCFOP
    The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 7 of 54.
  13. Frida was somewhere north of Nestor.
  14. Frida was somewhere east of the Heiress.
  15. Frida was somewhere south of the Colonel.
Show the squares Dora had left
FLSHTBOBELSTPCFOP
The squares still open to Dora once their own statements are taken into account — 7 of 54.
Unmasking the liar

One of these 8 people is the killer's accomplice, and every word they said is false — but you are not told which. Take each in turn: read their statements backwards and ask whether the rest of the testimony can still be satisfied.

Another 3 candidates collapse the same way.

Only Nestor survives the test. That is the accomplice, and everything they said is now read backwards.

Read backwards, Nestor actually told you:

  1. Nestor was NOT in the same column as the boulder.
  2. Nestor was NOT north of Wilfred.
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 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.

  1. Ignacio's motive would have been buried secrets.
  2. Wilfred's motive would have been debts.
  3. Frida's motive would have been inheritance.
  4. Dora's motive would have been blackmail.
  5. Nestor was not driven by obsession.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by ambition.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Nestor, in Palm Pavilion (row 5, column 2). Nestor lied throughout and was never charged.

The only motive left standing for Nestor is jealousy.

Show the solved board
FLSHTBOBELSTPCFOP✕ZANWIDF
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Nestor is ringed in red.

Expert — The Botanical Garden

A 9×9 grid across 8 rooms: Seed Vault, Orchid House, Visitor Center, Tropical House, Palm Pavilion, Cactus House, Compost Yard, Garden Path. 23 statements, fourteen 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 — and one of the nine was lying throughout.

The twist: one suspect is an accomplice — every statement they make is false; the accusation also demands the motive, not just the name.

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

The testimony

What each person said. One of these 9 is the killer's accomplice and every word they said is false — but not which one, not yet.

  1. Irene was not touching the outer wall. if true, leaves 41 of 67
  2. Irene was somewhere east of the Chauffeur.
  3. Ofelia was somewhere north of Nadia.
  4. Vasco was somewhere north of the Professor.
  5. Vasco was in the same column as a tree. if true, leaves 14 of 67
    Show it on the board
    STBEBOTFOCPFLSHSTBOFLTP
    The squares this one statement leaves Vasco: 14 of 67.
  6. Vasco was somewhere south of the Curator.
  7. Ruben was somewhere east of the Butler.
  8. Ruben and the Curator were in different rooms.
  9. Ruben was in the same column as a boulder. if true, leaves 15 of 67
    Show it on the board
    STBEBOTFOCPFLSHSTBOFLTP
    The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 15 of 67.
  10. Ruben was somewhere north of the Gardener.
  11. Frida was somewhere south of the Professor.
  12. Frida was somewhere east of the Butler.
  13. Frida was in the same column as the cactus. if true, leaves 7 of 67
    Show it on the board
    STBEBOTFOCPFLSHSTBOFLTP
    The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 7 of 67.
  14. Frida was somewhere west of the Diva.
  15. Nadia was somewhere south of the Chauffeur.
  16. Nadia was in the same row as a tree. if true, leaves 10 of 67
    Show it on the board
    STBEBOTFOCPFLSHSTBOFLTP
    The squares this one statement leaves Nadia: 10 of 67.
  17. Zeno was in the same column as the shrub. if true, leaves 6 of 67
    Show it on the board
    STBEBOTFOCPFLSHSTBOFLTP
    The squares this one statement leaves Zeno: 6 of 67.
  18. Zeno was somewhere north of Frida.
  19. Enzo was somewhere north of the Doctor.
  20. Enzo was in the same column as the bench. if true, leaves 59 of 67
  21. Exactly 2 people were in the orchid house.
  22. Exactly 2 people were in the compost yard.
  23. Exactly 2 people were in the cactus house.
Show the squares Zeno had left
STBEBOTFOCPFLSHSTBOFLTP
The squares still open to Zeno once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 67.
Unmasking the liar

One of these 9 people is the killer's accomplice, and every word they said is false — but you are not told which. Take each in turn: read their statements backwards and ask whether the rest of the testimony can still be satisfied.

Another 3 candidates collapse the same way.

Enzo is the accomplice. Placement alone leaves 2 readings standing here, so it is the accusation itself that settles which — but everything Enzo said is read backwards from now on.

Read backwards, Enzo actually told you:

  1. Enzo was NOT north of the Doctor.
  2. Enzo was NOT in the same column as the bench.
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 47 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 43 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. Zeno's motive would have been obsession.
  2. Nadia's motive would have been buried secrets.
  3. Irene's motive would have been debts.
  4. Frida's motive would have been revenge.
  5. Vasco's motive would have been blackmail.
  6. Enzo was not driven by inheritance.
  7. Enzo was not driven by jealousy.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Enzo, in Orchid House (row 4, column 5). Enzo lied throughout and was never charged.

The only motive left standing for Enzo is ambition.

Show the solved board
STBEBOTFOCPFLSHSTBOFLTPI✕OVRFNZE
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Enzo is ringed in red.

Expert · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A 9×9 grid across 7 rooms: Palm Pavilion, Cactus House, Garden Path, Lily Pond, Orchid House, Visitor Center, Tropical House. Twelve statements, fourteen squares nobody could stand on, and two rounds 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 — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

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

  1. Nestor was exactly 3 rows north of Wilfred.
  2. Nestor was exactly 2 columns east of the Curator.
  3. Wilfred was somewhere south of the Butler.
  4. Bianca was in the same column as the flower bush. leaves 8 of 68 squares
    Show it on the board
    STBECTLPBOFLSHFOPSTSHC
    The squares this one statement leaves Bianca: 8 of 68.
  5. Bianca was somewhere south of Nestor.
  6. Ines was exactly 3 columns east of the Butler.
  7. Ines was exactly 5 columns west of the Chauffeur.
  8. Selma was exactly 4 rows south of Nestor.
  9. Pablo was all alone in a room.
  10. Vasco was somewhere south of Wilfred.
  11. Abel was in the same row as the boulder. leaves 8 of 68 squares
    Show it on the board
    STBECTLPBOFLSHFOPSTSHC
    The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 8 of 68.
  12. Exactly 4 people were in the garden path.
Show the squares Bianca had left
STBECTLPBOFLSHFOPSTSHC
The squares still open to Bianca once their own statements are taken into account — 8 of 68.
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 101 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
STBECTLPBOFLSHFOPSTSHCAC
Suppose Cesar stood on the dashed square. Ines then has nowhere left to stand: every square still open to them is shaded out.

Another 97 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Abel, in Orchid House (row 1, column 1).

Show the solved board
STBECTLPBOFLSHFOPSTSHC✕NWBISPVA
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Abel 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 — The accomplice at The Botanical Garden is charged: 3 independent detectives put the same name to the same lie.

On 18 September 2026, all ten investigations were set amid the verdant grounds of The Botanical Garden. Across the standard untimed cases, the challenges ranged from a compact four-room 5x5 layout up to an intricate eight-room 9x9 layout. The standard expert case offered complications in the foliage, introducing both a liar and the requirement to establish motive, a web untangled by only three solvers. Investigator gyr set the standard mark for the beginner board at 0m 09s and matched the medium pace at 0m 15s. Meanwhile, chentian claimed the remaining standard leads, posting 0m 15s on easy, 3m 18s on hard, and 4m 49s on the deceit-filled expert board.

The timed inquiries saw modest attendance, though the pressure remained palpable. The cases again expanded from four rooms on a 5x5 grid up to seven rooms on a 9x9 board. Here, the hard board harbored the day's deceptive turn, requiring a motive and the unmasking of a liar across six rooms, with only two investigators reaching a solution. The expert challenge permitted just a single solver. Chentian swept every time attack division, clocking 0m 11s on beginner, 0m 15s on easy, 0m 45s on medium, 2m 46s on hard, and 4m 06s on expert.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: gyr — 0m 09s · Easy: chentian — 0m 15s · Medium: gyr — 0m 15s · Hard: chentian — 3m 18s · Expert: chentian — 4m 49s · Beginner · time attack: chentian — 0m 11s · Easy · time attack: chentian — 0m 15s · Medium · time attack: chentian — 0m 45s · Hard · time attack: chentian — 2m 46s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 4m 06s

The solutions

The solved boards — spoilers for every case of 18 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 Botanical Garden

QF✕DZ
Queralt (Journalist)The cell door shut on Queralt (journalist), on the evidence of 22 detectives.

Easy — The Botanical Garden

F✕WDBU
Wren (Professor)17 detectives put Wren (professor) away before the day was out.

Medium — The Botanical Garden

BTWPDG✕
Petra (Heiress)Petra (heiress) is in custody — the case was closed by 15 detectives.

Hard — The Botanical Garden

RBTDSI✕Z
Bruno (Curator)Bruno (curator) ended the day behind bars — convicted by 10 detectives.

Expert — The Botanical Garden

I✕OVRFNZE
Enzo (Curator)Enzo (curator) was named and charged; 3 detectives closed this one. The motive — ambition — was proved along with the name. Enzo lied for them and was never charged.

Beginner · time attack — The Botanical Garden

SWF✕A
Flora (Diva)The cell door shut on Flora (diva), on the evidence of 4 detectives.

Easy · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A✕RVMW
Margot (Heiress)4 detectives put Margot (heiress) away before the day was out.

Medium · time attack — The Botanical Garden

✕LKRDPJ
Dorian (Colonel)Dorian (colonel) is in custody — the case was closed by 5 detectives.

Hard · time attack — The Botanical Garden

✕ZANWIDF
Nestor (Butler)Nestor (butler) ended the day behind bars — convicted by 2 detectives. The motive — jealousy — was proved along with the name. Nestor lied for them and was never charged.

Expert · time attack — The Botanical Garden

✕NWBISPVA
Abel (Butler)Abel (butler) was named and charged; one detective closed this one.

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Every day's cases — the calendar · ← the cases for 17 September

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