Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 27 September 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-09-27 — 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 Bunker

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Watchtower, Workroom, Pantry, Hydroponics. Seven statements, four squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 12 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 — bed (square stays free) · C — crate · S — stove · W — wooden chair (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Simon was in the top row. leaves 5 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    BWSC
    The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 5 of 23.
  2. Simon was in column 3. leaves 1 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    BWSC
    The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 1 of 23.
  3. Frida was in row 4. leaves 4 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    BWSC
    The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 4 of 23.
  4. Frida was lying on the bed. leaves 1 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    BWSC
    The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 1 of 23.
  5. Lidia was in the watchtower. leaves 5 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    BWSC
    The squares this one statement leaves Lidia: 5 of 23.
  6. Bruno was in row 3. leaves 5 of 23 squares
    Show it on the board
    BWSC
    The squares this one statement leaves Bruno: 5 of 23.
  7. Bruno was in the workroom. leaves 1 of 23 squares
Show the squares Lidia had left
BWSC
The squares still open to Lidia once their own statements are taken into account — 5 of 23.
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: Simon, in Hydroponics (row 1, column 3).

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

Beginner · time attack — The Bunker

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Pantry, Generator Room, Shelter. Seven statements, five squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by one detective so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. B — bed (square stays free) · C — cabinet · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Enzo was in column 4. leaves 4 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    WDWOBCC
    The squares this one statement leaves Enzo: 4 of 22.
  2. Enzo was in row 4. leaves 1 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    WDWOBCC
    The squares this one statement leaves Enzo: 1 of 22.
  3. Gilda was in the shelter. leaves 6 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    WDWOBCC
    The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 6 of 22.
  4. Vivienne was in the rightmost column. leaves 3 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    WDWOBCC
    The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 3 of 22.
  5. Vivienne was in the top row. leaves 1 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    WDWOBCC
    The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 1 of 22.
  6. Julia was in the leftmost column. leaves 5 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    WDWOBCC
    The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 5 of 22.
  7. Julia was in row 2. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show the squares Gilda had left
WDWOBCC
The squares still open to Gilda once their own statements are taken into account — 6 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:

The answer

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

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

Easy — The Bunker

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Radio Room, Dormitory, Shelter, Watchtower. Eight statements, nine squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 10 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 — cabinet · CR — carpet (square stays free) · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Dora was in row 4. leaves 5 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    CRWOPGRRFCAWD
    The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 5 of 29.
  2. Dora was in the dormitory. leaves 2 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    CRWOPGRRFCAWD
    The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 2 of 29.
  3. Ursula was beside the potted plant. leaves 2 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    CRWOPGRRFCAWD
    The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 2 of 29.
  4. Hilda was in column 4. leaves 6 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    CRWOPGRRFCAWD
    The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 6 of 29.
  5. Hilda was in the shelter. leaves 2 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    CRWOPGRRFCAWD
    The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 2 of 29.
  6. Bruno was in column 3. leaves 5 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    CRWOPGRRFCAWD
    The squares this one statement leaves Bruno: 5 of 29.
  7. Bruno was in the watchtower. leaves 1 of 29 squares
  8. Felix was beside the garbage can. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show the squares Dora had left
CRWOPGRRFCAWD
The squares still open to Dora 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: Hilda, in Shelter (row 5, column 4).

Show the solved board
CRWOPGRRFCAWDD✕UHBF
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Hilda is ringed in red.

Easy · time attack — The Bunker

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Airlock, Workroom, Radio Room, Dormitory, Watchtower. Seven statements, eight squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by one detective so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. CA — cabinet · CO — computer · CR — carpet (square stays free) · CT — crate · G — garbage can · R — radio · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Hilda was in the workroom. leaves 9 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    WOWDGRCOCRCACT
    The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 9 of 30.
  2. Hilda was in row 5. leaves 1 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    WOWDGRCOCRCACT
    The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 1 of 30.
  3. Yolanda was in the radio room. leaves 5 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    WOWDGRCOCRCACT
    The squares this one statement leaves Yolanda: 5 of 30.
  4. Kurt was beside the wooden chair. leaves 3 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    WOWDGRCOCRCACT
    The squares this one statement leaves Kurt: 3 of 30.
  5. Quentin was beside the radio. leaves 3 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    WOWDGRCOCRCACT
    The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 3 of 30.
  6. Paloma was in the airlock. leaves 4 of 30 squares
    Show it on the board
    WOWDGRCOCRCACT
    The squares this one statement leaves Paloma: 4 of 30.
  7. Paloma was in column 2. leaves 2 of 30 squares
Show the squares Paloma had left
WOWDGRCOCRCACT
The squares still open to Paloma once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 30.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

Show the solved board
WOWDGRCOCRCACTHYKQP✕
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Hilda is ringed in red.

Medium · time attack — The Bunker

A 7×7 grid across 5 rooms: Radio Room, Airlock, Watchtower, Generator Room, Shelter. Eight statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

Cracked by one detective so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. B — bed (square stays free) · CO — computer · CR — crate · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · S — stove · W — wooden table

The testimony

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

  1. Kira was in the same column as the potted plant. leaves 5 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    PWGSBFCORCRWCO
    The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 5 of 39.
  2. Kira was in the radio room or in the airlock. leaves 3 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    PWGSBFCORCRWCO
    The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 3 of 39.
  3. Ulises was in the shelter. leaves 10 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    PWGSBFCORCRWCO
    The squares this one statement leaves Ulises: 10 of 39.
  4. Irene was somewhere north of the Butler.
  5. Irene was in the same room as Lidia.
  6. Walter was in the same row as the radio. leaves 5 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    PWGSBFCORCRWCO
    The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 5 of 39.
  7. Lidia was lying on the bed. leaves 2 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    PWGSBFCORCRWCO
    The squares this one statement leaves Lidia: 2 of 39.
  8. Petra was beside the potted plant. leaves 2 of 39 squares
    Show it on the board
    PWGSBFCORCRWCO
    The squares this one statement leaves Petra: 2 of 39.
Show the squares Lidia had left
PWGSBFCORCRWCO
The squares still open to Lidia once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 39.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 57 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 53 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board
PWGSBFCORCRWCO✕KUIWLP
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Ulises is ringed in red.

Medium — The Bunker

A 7×7 grid across 6 rooms: Workroom, Radio Room, Shelter, Dormitory, Hydroponics, Generator Room. Fourteen statements, ten 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 — and one of the seven was lying throughout.

The twist: one suspect is an accomplice — every statement they make is false.

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 — bed (square stays free) · C — carpet (square stays free) · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · S — stove · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

The testimony

What each person said. One of these 7 is the killer's accomplice and every word they said is false — but not which one, not yet.

  1. Kurt was in the hydroponics bay or in the generator room. if true, leaves 21 of 42
  2. Kurt was in the southern half of the scene. if true, leaves 12 of 42
    Show it on the board
    PGWDSBCWORFG
    The squares this one statement leaves Kurt: 12 of 42.
  3. Kurt was in the same room as Ada.
  4. Ada was in the same column as the bed. if true, leaves 13 of 42
    Show it on the board
    PGWDSBCWORFG
    The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 13 of 42.
  5. Ada was in the same row as the wooden chair. if true, leaves 2 of 42
    Show it on the board
    PGWDSBCWORFG
    The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 2 of 42.
  6. Delia was beside the stove. if true, leaves 2 of 42
    Show it on the board
    PGWDSBCWORFG
    The squares this one statement leaves Delia: 2 of 42.
  7. Delia was somewhere west of the Doctor.
  8. Delia was in the same room as Wanda.
  9. Quentin was somewhere north of the Magician.
  10. Quentin was in the same column as the bed. if true, leaves 13 of 42
    Show it on the board
    PGWDSBCWORFG
    The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 13 of 42.
  11. Quentin was in row 2. if true, leaves 1 of 42
    Show it on the board
    PGWDSBCWORFG
    The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 1 of 42.
  12. Quentin was in the same room as Paloma.
  13. Paloma was in the radio room or in the hydroponics bay. if true, leaves 18 of 42
  14. Wanda was somewhere south of Quentin.
Show the squares Ada had left
PGWDSBCWORFG
The squares still open to Ada once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 42.
Unmasking the liar

One of these 7 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 1 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Kurt actually told you:

  1. Kurt was in neither the hydroponics bay nor the generator room.
  2. Kurt was NOT in the southern half of the scene.
  3. Kurt was NOT in the same room as Ada.
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 Generator Room (row 3, column 7). Kurt lied throughout and was never charged.

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

Hard — The Bunker

A 10×8 grid across 7 rooms: Airlock, Radio Room, Dormitory, Generator Room, Hydroponics, Shelter, Pantry. 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.

The twist: 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. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. B — bed (square stays free) · CA — cabinet · CO — computer · CR — carpet (square stays free) · CT — crate · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · S — stove · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

The testimony

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

  1. Ofelia was exactly 6 rows north of Yago.
  2. Ofelia was exactly 6 columns east of Horacio.
  3. Abel was in the same row as the stove. leaves 6 of 68 squares
    Show it on the board
    GSCRBWOCAWDCTRCORPPCTF
    The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 6 of 68.
  4. Abel was in the same room as Rosa.
  5. Rosa was somewhere south of Flora.
  6. Rosa was exactly 3 columns east of the Gardener.
  7. Horacio was somewhere west of Flora.
  8. Horacio was all alone in a room.
  9. Yago was in the same column as the garbage can. leaves 7 of 68 squares
    Show it on the board
    GSCRBWOCAWDCTRCORPPCTF
    The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 7 of 68.
  10. Estela was in the same row as the computer. leaves 8 of 68 squares
    Show it on the board
    GSCRBWOCAWDCTRCORPPCTF
    The squares this one statement leaves Estela: 8 of 68.
  11. Estela was all alone in a room.
  12. Estela was in the same column as the wooden table. leaves 1 of 68 squares
    Show it on the board
    GSCRBWOCAWDCTRCORPPCTF
    The squares this one statement leaves Estela: 1 of 68.
  13. Flora was somewhere west of Estela.
Show the squares Abel had left
GSCRBWOCAWDCTRCORPPCTF
The squares still open to Abel once their own statements are taken into account — 6 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 34 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 30 squares fell the same way.

The motive

This case demands the why as well as the who: naming the killer without proving the motive counts for nothing. 7 motives are in play, and these statements narrow them.

  1. Horacio's motive would have been inheritance.
  2. Rosa's motive would have been buried secrets.
  3. Abel's motive would have been debts.
  4. Flora's motive would have been ambition.
  5. Whoever did it was not driven by blackmail.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by jealousy.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Yago, in Hydroponics (row 8, column 4).

The only motive left standing for Yago is revenge.

Show the solved board
GSCRBWOCAWDCTRCORPPCTFOA✕RHYEF
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Yago is ringed in red.

Hard · time attack — The Bunker

An 8×8 grid across 6 rooms: Dormitory, Generator Room, Watchtower, Radio Room, Workroom, Airlock. Thirteen statements, twelve 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. B — bed (square stays free) · CA — cabinet · CO — computer · CR — crate · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

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. Tamara was in the same room as Greta.
  2. Bianca was not touching the outer wall. if true, leaves 31 of 54
  3. Bianca was somewhere north of Octavio.
  4. Bianca was somewhere north of Greta.
  5. Hilda was in column 4. if true, leaves 8 of 54
    Show it on the board
    GWOCAWDRFCRCOPBCOCR
    The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 8 of 54.
  6. Wilfred was in the same room as Greta.
  7. Queralt was in the same row as the wooden chair. if true, leaves 8 of 54
    Show it on the board
    GWOCAWDRFCRCOPBCOCR
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 8 of 54.
  8. Queralt was somewhere west of the Magician.
  9. Queralt was in the same room as the Heiress.
  10. Greta was somewhere east of the Magician.
  11. Greta was somewhere north of the Chef.
  12. Octavio was somewhere north of Bianca.
  13. Octavio was not in the watchtower. if true, leaves 8 of 54
    Show it on the board
    GWOCAWDRFCRCOPBCOCR
    The squares this one statement leaves Octavio: 8 of 54.
Show the squares Hilda had left
GWOCAWDRFCRCOPBCOCR
The squares still open to Hilda once their own statements are taken into account — 8 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 Octavio survives the test. That is the accomplice, and everything they said is now read backwards.

Read backwards, Octavio actually told you:

  1. Octavio was NOT north of Bianca.
  2. Octavio WAS in the watchtower.
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 23 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 19 squares fell the same way.

The motive

This case demands the why as well as the who: naming the killer without proving the motive counts for nothing. 7 motives are in play, and these statements narrow them.

  1. Queralt's motive would have been buried secrets.
  2. Hilda's motive would have been revenge.
  3. Greta's motive would have been blackmail.
  4. Octavio's motive would have been inheritance.
  5. Whoever did it was not driven by ambition.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by jealousy.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Bianca, in Workroom (row 2, column 2). Octavio lied throughout and was never charged.

The only motive left standing for Bianca is debts.

Show the solved board
GWOCAWDRFCRCOPBCOCR✕TBHWQGO
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Bianca is ringed in red.

Expert — The Bunker

A 9×9 grid across 7 rooms: Workroom, Pantry, Watchtower, Radio Room, Hydroponics, Dormitory, Airlock. Fifteen statements, seventeen squares nobody could stand on, 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.

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 — bed (square stays free) · CA — cabinet · CO — computer · CR — carpet (square stays free) · CT — crate · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · S — stove · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

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. Milo was somewhere north of the Diva.
  2. Horacio was somewhere south of the Journalist.
  3. Horacio was in the same row as the floor lamp. if true, leaves 7 of 67
    Show it on the board
    CAWORFCOCTCRBGWDSPSRCTCAG
    The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 7 of 67.
  4. Ulises was somewhere east of Queralt.
  5. Queralt was in the same column as a radio. if true, leaves 14 of 67
    Show it on the board
    CAWORFCOCTCRBGWDSPSRCTCAG
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 14 of 67.
  6. Queralt was in the same row as the wooden table. if true, leaves 2 of 67
    Show it on the board
    CAWORFCOCTCRBGWDSPSRCTCAG
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 2 of 67.
  7. Yolanda was somewhere east of Kira.
  8. Yolanda was in the same row as the wooden chair. if true, leaves 8 of 67
    Show it on the board
    CAWORFCOCTCRBGWDSPSRCTCAG
    The squares this one statement leaves Yolanda: 8 of 67.
  9. Clara was in the same row as a radio. if true, leaves 52 of 67
  10. Clara was in the same column as the wooden table. if true, leaves 46 of 67
  11. Olivia was beside the potted plant. if true, leaves 3 of 67
    Show it on the board
    CAWORFCOCTCRBGWDSPSRCTCAG
    The squares this one statement leaves Olivia: 3 of 67.
  12. Kira was in the same row as the computer. if true, leaves 6 of 67
    Show it on the board
    CAWORFCOCTCRBGWDSPSRCTCAG
    The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 6 of 67.
  13. Kira was in the same column as the carpet. if true, leaves 1 of 67
  14. Exactly 2 people were in the watchtower.
  15. Exactly 2 people were in the workroom.
Show the squares Queralt had left
CAWORFCOCTCRBGWDSPSRCTCAG
The squares still open to Queralt once their own statements are taken into account — 2 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 4 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Clara actually told you:

  1. Clara was NOT in the same row as a radio.
  2. Clara was NOT in the same column as the wooden table.
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 107 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 103 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Olivia, in Watchtower (row 5, column 3). Clara lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board
CAWORFCOCTCRBGWDSPSRCTCAG✕MHUQYCOK
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Olivia is ringed in red.

Expert · time attack — The Bunker

A 9×9 grid across 7 rooms: Watchtower, Shelter, Hydroponics, Pantry, Workroom, Generator Room, Radio Room. Seventeen statements, fourteen squares nobody could stand on, 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 one detective so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. B — bed (square stays free) · CA — cabinet · CO — computer · CR — carpet (square stays free) · CT — crate · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · S — stove · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

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. Vivienne was somewhere north of the Butler.
  2. Vivienne was somewhere north of the Magician.
  3. Ursula was in the same row as the crate. if true, leaves 8 of 70
    Show it on the board
    CTSGWDPRCRFCAWOBCOPG
    The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 8 of 70.
  4. Ursula was in the same column as the stove. if true, leaves 1 of 70
    Show it on the board
    CTSGWDPRCRFCAWOBCOPG
    The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 1 of 70.
  5. Queralt was somewhere east of the Butler.
  6. Queralt was in the same row as the wooden table. if true, leaves 7 of 70
    Show it on the board
    CTSGWDPRCRFCAWOBCOPG
    The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 7 of 70.
  7. Cesar was somewhere east of the Chef.
  8. Cesar was in the same row as the radio. if true, leaves 7 of 70
    Show it on the board
    CTSGWDPRCRFCAWOBCOPG
    The squares this one statement leaves Cesar: 7 of 70.
  9. Bruno was in the same column as the wooden chair. if true, leaves 9 of 70
    Show it on the board
    CTSGWDPRCRFCAWOBCOPG
    The squares this one statement leaves Bruno: 9 of 70.
  10. Alistair was in the same column as the wooden table. if true, leaves 8 of 70
    Show it on the board
    CTSGWDPRCRFCAWOBCOPG
    The squares this one statement leaves Alistair: 8 of 70.
  11. Alistair was in the same row as the computer. if true, leaves 1 of 70
  12. Tristan was in the same row as the cabinet. if true, leaves 63 of 70
  13. Tristan was not beside the stove. if true, leaves 3 of 70
  14. Yolanda was somewhere south of the Butler.
  15. Yolanda was somewhere east of the Magician.
  16. Exactly 2 people were in the workroom.
  17. Exactly 3 people were in the generator room.
Show the squares Tristan had left
CTSGWDPRCRFCAWOBCOPG
The squares still open to Tristan once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 70.
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 4 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Tristan actually told you:

  1. Tristan was NOT in the same row as the cabinet.
  2. Tristan WAS beside the stove.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 78 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 74 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. Cesar's motive would have been obsession.
  2. Alistair's motive would have been buried secrets.
  3. Queralt's motive would have been ambition.
  4. Ursula's motive would have been inheritance.
  5. Bruno's motive would have been debts.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by blackmail.
  7. Whoever did it was not driven by jealousy.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Tristan, in Workroom (row 9, column 4). Tristan lied throughout and was never charged.

The only motive left standing for Tristan is revenge.

Show the solved board
CTSGWDPRCRFCAWOBCOPGVUQCBA✕TY
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Tristan 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 Archivist’s Silence — The lie at The Bunker did not survive 6 readings. A charge needs 3; this one had room to spare. The silence was a catalogue. Tonight it is read aloud. Chapter 5 draws to a close with twenty-five accomplices securely bound over for trial and all twenty-one hidden caches accounted for in the town vaults. The archivist's silence has been systematically broken and the phantom shelves laid bare at last. Yet behind every falsified inventory and nail-bitten drawer lingers the quiet design of the Quartermaster, and that single stray train ticket stub remains absent from the master file.

All ten investigations on 27 September 2026 led investigators down into The Bunker. The standard assignments began simply enough, though complications arose as the grids expanded. A liar emerged across the six rooms of the 7x7 medium board, while the 10x8 hard layout demanded an identified motive across seven rooms. The 9x9 expert case carried another untruthful witness, yet all three who attempted it walked away with a solution. In these untimed inquiries, chentian secured the quickest results for beginner at 0m 10s and easy at 0m 16s, while heni claimed the remaining honors, clocking 1m 24s on medium, 1m 22s on hard, and 1m 35s on expert.

The time attack boards presented a quieter, solitary affair inside the subterranean setting, with traffic thinning down to just one or three attempts per board. The lower tiers ran cleanly, but the higher levels ratcheted up the tension: the 8x8 hard grid introduced both a liar and a required motive among six rooms, a double complication matched by the seven rooms of the 9x9 expert board. Solo investigator chentian took every single speed record against the clock, posting times of 0m 09s on beginner, 0m 10s on easy, 0m 29s on medium, 2m 17s on hard, and 5m 09s on expert.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: chentian — 0m 10s · Easy: chentian — 0m 16s · Medium: heni — 1m 24s · Hard: heni — 1m 22s · Expert: heni — 1m 35s · Beginner · time attack: chentian — 0m 09s · Easy · time attack: chentian — 0m 10s · Medium · time attack: chentian — 0m 29s · Hard · time attack: chentian — 2m 17s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 5m 09s

The solutions

The solved boards — spoilers for every case of 27 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 Bunker

SF✕LB
Simon (Butler)12 detectives put Simon (butler) away before the day was out.

Easy — The Bunker

D✕UHBF
Hilda (Diva)Hilda (diva) is in custody — the case was closed by 10 detectives.

Medium — The Bunker

KADQP✕W
Ada (Diva)Ada (diva) ended the day behind bars — convicted by 6 detectives. Kurt lied for them and was never charged.

Hard — The Bunker

OA✕RHYEF
Yago (Gardener)Yago (gardener) was named and charged; 4 detectives closed this one. The motive — revenge — was proved along with the name.

Expert — The Bunker

✕MHUQYCOK
Olivia (Diva)The cell door shut on Olivia (diva), on the evidence of 3 detectives. Clara lied for them and was never charged.

Beginner · time attack — The Bunker

E✕GVJ
Enzo (Butler)one detective put Enzo (butler) away before the day was out.

Easy · time attack — The Bunker

HYKQP✕
Hilda (Chef)Hilda (chef) is in custody — the case was closed by one detective.

Medium · time attack — The Bunker

✕KUIWLP
Ulises (Butler)Ulises (butler) ended the day behind bars — convicted by one detective.

Hard · time attack — The Bunker

✕TBHWQGO
Bianca (Journalist)Bianca (journalist) was named and charged; 2 detectives closed this one. The motive — debts — was proved along with the name. Octavio lied for them and was never charged.

Expert · time attack — The Bunker

VUQCBA✕TY
Tristan (Magician)The cell door shut on Tristan (magician), on the evidence of one detective. The motive — revenge — was proved along with the name. Tristan lied for them and was never charged.

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Every day's cases — the calendar · ← the cases for 26 September

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