Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 2 October 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-10-02 — 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 Hiking Trip

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Meadow, Summit, Riverbank. Seven statements, four squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 13 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. R — radio · S — shrub · TE — tent · TR — tree

The testimony

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

Wren was in the meadow. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 4 of 21.
Conrad was in column 4. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 4 of 21.
Conrad was in the top row. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 1 of 21.
Yago was in row 2. leaves 5 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 5 of 21.
Yago was in the riverbank. leaves 2 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 2 of 21.
Nadia was in the meadow. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nadia: 4 of 21.
Nadia was in row 4. leaves 3 of 21 squares

Show the squares Yago had left

The squares still open to Yago 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:

Wren can only be in Meadow (row 5, column 2) — down from 4 possible squares.
Ada can only be in Summit (row 3, column 1) — down from 21 possible squares.
Yago can only be in Riverbank (row 2, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Nadia can only be in Meadow (row 4, column 3) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Beginner · time attack — The Hiking Trip

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Summit, Meadow, Ranger Station, Riverbank. Six statements, five squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

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. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. C — crate · F — floor lamp · R — radio · S — shrub · T — tree

The testimony

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

Dorian was in column 2. leaves 5 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 5 of 20.
Dorian was in the bottom row. leaves 1 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 1 of 20.
Flora was in the summit. leaves 3 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Flora: 3 of 20.
Beatrix was in the meadow. leaves 6 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Beatrix: 6 of 20.
Beatrix was in column 3. leaves 1 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Beatrix: 1 of 20.
Estela was in the riverbank. leaves 4 of 20 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Estela: 4 of 20.

Show the squares Flora had left

The squares still open to Flora once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 20.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Flora can only be in Summit (row 4, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.
Estela can only be in Riverbank (row 3, column 1) — down from 4 possible squares.
Jonas can only be in Meadow (row 2, column 4) — down from 20 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Beatrix, in Meadow (row 1, column 3).

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Hiking Trip

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Cave, Meadow, Riverbank, Forest Path, Trailhead. Six statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 9 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. BE — bear · BO — boulder · C — campfire · F — floor lamp · S — shrub · TE — tent · TR — tree

The testimony

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

Rosa was beside the floor lamp. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 1 of 29.
Tamara was in the trailhead. leaves 4 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tamara: 4 of 29.
Walter was in row 4. leaves 4 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 4 of 29.
Marina was in the leftmost column. leaves 5 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 5 of 29.
Marina was in the riverbank. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 2 of 29.
Nestor was in the meadow. leaves 7 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 7 of 29.

Show the squares Marina had left

The squares still open to Marina 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:

Tamara can only be in Trailhead (row 3, column 2) — down from 4 possible squares.
Walter can only be in Forest Path (row 4, column 3) — down from 4 possible squares.
Bianca can only be in Forest Path (row 2, column 4) — down from 29 possible squares.
Marina can only be in Riverbank (row 6, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.
Nestor can only be in Meadow (row 1, column 5) — down from 7 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy · time attack — The Hiking Trip

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Campsite, Cave, Overlook, Summit, Meadow. Seven statements, seven 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. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. BE — bear · BO — boulder · CA — campfire · CR — crate · R — radio · T — tree

The testimony

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

Victor was in the cave or in the meadow. leaves 8 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 8 of 29.
Ursula was in row 2. leaves 5 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 5 of 29.
Ursula was in the overlook. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 1 of 29.
Yago was in column 4. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 6 of 29.
Yago was in the bottom row. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 1 of 29.
Cesar was beside the tree. leaves 3 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Cesar: 3 of 29.
Nora was in the meadow. leaves 5 of 29 squares

Show the squares Cesar had left

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

Victor can only be in Cave (row 4, column 3) — down from 8 possible squares.
Cesar can only be in Campsite (row 3, column 2) — down from 3 possible squares.
Nora can only be in Meadow (row 1, column 5) — down from 5 possible squares.
Olivia can only be in Summit (row 5, column 1) — down from 29 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Yago, in Summit (row 6, column 4).

Show the solved board

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

Medium · time attack — The Hiking Trip

A 7×7 grid across 6 rooms: Meadow, Summit, Cave, Riverbank, Overlook, Campsite. Eight statements, eleven 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. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. BE — bear · BO — boulder · CA — campfire · CR — crate · F — floor lamp · R — radio · S — shrub · TE — tent · TR — tree

The testimony

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

Walter was somewhere east of the Heiress.
Sofia was in the same column as the crate. leaves 6 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 6 of 38.
Sofia was in the meadow or in the summit. leaves 3 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 3 of 38.
Rosa was beside the tree. leaves 2 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 2 of 38.
Julian was beside the shrub. leaves 2 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julian: 2 of 38.
Lidia was in the same row as the crate. leaves 5 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Lidia: 5 of 38.
Lidia was in the same column as the tent. leaves 1 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Lidia: 1 of 38.
Cesar was in the same row as the tree. leaves 4 of 38 squares

Show the squares Rosa had left

The squares still open to Rosa once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 38.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 41 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Walter stood in Cave (row 2, column 6), Sofia would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Sofia stood in Summit (row 3, column 6), Julian would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Rosa in Meadow (row 7, column 6) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Julian in Cave (row 2, column 5) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 37 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Lidia, in Campsite (row 1, column 3).

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Hiking Trip

A 7×7 grid across 5 rooms: Summit, Campsite, Overlook, Cave, Meadow. Eleven statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

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.

The testimony

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

Kira was somewhere south of the Curator.
Kira was in the overlook or in the meadow. leaves 9 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 9 of 38.
Kira was in the western half of the scene. leaves 6 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 6 of 38.
Abel was in the same column as the tree. leaves 6 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 6 of 38.
Abel was in the same row as the campfire. leaves 1 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 1 of 38.
Selma was somewhere south of the Colonel.
Selma was somewhere west of the Chauffeur.
Lorenzo was in the same row as the boulder. leaves 4 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Lorenzo: 4 of 38.
Nico was beside the shrub. leaves 1 of 38 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 1 of 38.
Nico was somewhere east of Lorenzo.
Xavier was in the same row as the radio. leaves 6 of 38 squares

Show the squares Lorenzo had left

The squares still open to Lorenzo once their own statements are taken into account — 4 of 38.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Tobias can only be in Cave (row 1, column 5) — down from 38 possible squares.
Kira can only be in Meadow (row 7, column 3) — down from 6 possible squares.
Selma can only be in Summit (row 4, column 1) — down from 38 possible squares.
Lorenzo can only be in Cave (row 2, column 2) — down from 4 possible squares.
Xavier can only be in Campsite (row 3, column 6) — down from 6 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Hiking Trip

A 10×8 grid across 7 rooms: Cave, Trailhead, Ranger Station, Summit, Overlook, Meadow, Campsite. Twelve statements, twelve squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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

Cracked by 5 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. BE — bear · BO — boulder · CA — campfire · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · R — radio · S — shrub · TE — tent · TR — tree

The testimony

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

Pablo was exactly 2 columns west of Olivia.
Pablo was in the same room as Leo.
Felix was beside the crate. leaves 3 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Felix: 3 of 68.
Vivienne was in the same column as the boulder. leaves 6 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 6 of 68.
Leo and the Butler were in different rooms.
Simon was all alone in a room.
Simon was exactly 6 columns east of Leo.
Simon was exactly 1 row south of Pablo.
Simon was in the same row as the radio. leaves 8 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 8 of 68.
Olivia was somewhere south of Felix.
Queralt was in the same column as the bear. leaves 7 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 7 of 68.
Queralt was exactly 2 rows north of the Professor.

Show the squares Felix had left

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

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

The squares that had to be tested

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

Had Pablo stood in Trailhead (row 5, column 4), Queralt would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Felix in Ranger Station (row 2, column 3) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Vivienne in Campsite (row 3, column 9) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Leo stood in Ranger Station (row 2, column 1), Vivienne would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 64 squares fell the same way.

The motive

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

Simon's motive would have been revenge.
Leo's motive would have been debts.
Pablo's motive would have been ambition.
Queralt's motive would have been blackmail.
Whoever did it was not driven by jealousy.
Whoever did it was not driven by inheritance.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Olivia, in Trailhead (row 7, column 5).

The only motive left standing for Olivia is buried secrets.

Show the solved board

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

Hard · time attack — The Hiking Trip

An 8×8 grid across 6 rooms: Meadow, Cave, Summit, Ranger Station, Riverbank, Forest Path. Fourteen 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.

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.

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.

Oscar was in the same column as the shrub. if true, leaves 6 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Oscar: 6 of 52.
Delia was in the same room as Rosa.
Delia was in the northern half of the scene. if true, leaves 25 of 52
Estela was in the same room as the Curator.
Tamara was in the riverbank or in the forest path. if true, leaves 34 of 52
Tamara was in the same row as the desk. if true, leaves 32 of 52
Victor was in the same row as the floor lamp. if true, leaves 6 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 6 of 52.
Victor was in the same column as the boulder. if true, leaves 1 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Victor: 1 of 52.
Zeno was somewhere east of Estela.
Zeno was somewhere north of the Chauffeur.
Zeno was in the same row as the desk. if true, leaves 5 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Zeno: 5 of 52.
Rosa was in row 7. if true, leaves 8 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 8 of 52.
Rosa was somewhere north of the Chauffeur.
Rosa was in the same column as the floor lamp. if true, leaves 1 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 1 of 52.

Show the squares Zeno had left

The squares still open to Zeno once their own statements are taken into account — 5 of 52.

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.

If Oscar were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Delia were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Ines were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Estela were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 3 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Tamara actually told you:

Tamara was in neither the riverbank nor the forest path.
Tamara was NOT in the same row as the desk.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Oscar can only be in Meadow (row 8, column 1) — down from 6 possible squares.
Delia can only be in Summit (row 4, column 8) — down from 25 possible squares.
Ines can only be in Riverbank (row 6, column 4) — down from 52 possible squares.
Estela can only be in Forest Path (row 2, column 2) — down from 52 possible squares.
Tamara can only be in Ranger Station (row 3, column 6) — down from 32 possible squares.
Zeno can only be in Forest Path (row 1, column 3) — down from 5 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Victor, in Riverbank (row 5, column 5). Tamara lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Hiking Trip

A 10×9 grid across 7 rooms: Riverbank, Campsite, Cave, Ranger Station, Meadow, Overlook, Forest Path. Thirteen statements, seventeen squares nobody could stand on, 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.

The testimony

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

Kira and Wren were alone together in one room.
Kira was somewhere north of the Heiress.
Milo was exactly 2 columns east of the Curator.
Milo was exactly 2 rows north of the Butler.
Dante was somewhere east of Greta.
Dante was in the same column as the tent. leaves 8 of 73 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dante: 8 of 73.
Nora was exactly 3 rows north of Dante.
Celeste was somewhere north of Kira.
Celeste was somewhere west of Greta.
Wren was in the same column as a desk. leaves 14 of 73 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 14 of 73.
Greta was in the same row as a crate. leaves 13 of 73 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Greta: 13 of 73.
Abel was somewhere west of the Professor.
Exactly 2 people were in the overlook.

Show the squares Dante had left

The squares still open to Dante once their own statements are taken into account — 8 of 73.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 180 eliminations across 2 rounds of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Kira stood in Meadow (row 2, column 1), Wren would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Milo stood in Forest Path (row 4, column 7), Abel would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Ivan stood in Forest Path (row 1, column 5), Dante would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Nora stood in Meadow (row 3, column 2), Celeste would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 176 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Expert · time attack — The Hiking Trip

A 9×9 grid across 8 rooms: Forest Path, Summit, Riverbank, Trailhead, Campsite, Meadow, Overlook, Ranger Station. Twenty statements, fifteen 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 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.

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.

Estela was somewhere south of the Chauffeur.
Estela was in the same column as the bear. if true, leaves 7 of 66
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Estela: 7 of 66.
Estela was in the same row as a radio. if true, leaves 1 of 66
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Estela: 1 of 66.
Paloma was in the same row as the bear. if true, leaves 7 of 66
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Paloma: 7 of 66.
Paloma was in the same column as a crate. if true, leaves 2 of 66
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Paloma: 2 of 66.
Boris was somewhere west of Queralt.
Boris was somewhere south of Hugo.
Vivienne was somewhere west of the Magician.
Vivienne was somewhere west of the Colonel.
Vivienne was in the same column as the boulder. if true, leaves 7 of 66
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 7 of 66.
Vivienne was somewhere north of the Chauffeur.
Nestor was somewhere east of the Magician.
Nestor was somewhere north of Queralt.
Nestor was somewhere east of the Heiress.
Rosa was in the same row as the tree. if true, leaves 6 of 66
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 6 of 66.
Queralt was in the same column as the desk. if true, leaves 8 of 66
Hugo was somewhere east of the Chauffeur.
Hugo was in the same row as a floor lamp. if true, leaves 52 of 66
Exactly 2 people were in the overlook.
Exactly 3 people were in the summit.

Show the squares Paloma had left

The squares still open to Paloma once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 66.

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.

If Estela were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Paloma were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Boris were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Vivienne were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 4 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Hugo actually told you:

Hugo was NOT east of the Chauffeur.
Hugo was NOT in the same row as a floor lamp.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 30 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Paloma stood in Riverbank (row 8, column 4), Hugo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Boris stood in Meadow (row 2, column 3), Queralt would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Vivienne stood in Forest Path (row 2, column 2), Hugo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Nestor in Summit (row 3, column 8) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 26 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.

Estela's motive would have been ambition.
Vivienne's motive would have been buried secrets.
Paloma's motive would have been obsession.
Nestor's motive would have been revenge.
Boris's motive would have been blackmail.
Whoever did it was not driven by inheritance.
Whoever did it was not driven by debts.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Rosa, in Overlook (row 6, column 3). Hugo lied throughout and was never charged.

The only motive left standing for Rosa is jealousy.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Rosa 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

What the Tide Keeps — Whatever was hidden at The Hiking Trip is hidden no longer; 5 detectives found it.

The files for 2 October 2026 brought ten variations of The Hiking Trip across the desk, offering a quiet, deliberate trail for those willing to walk it. On the standard boards, motive proved essential in the 10x8 hard case, where a guest detective claimed the quickest mark at 1m 23s. The same unnamed investigator also led the 10x9 expert board in 2m 26s. Further down the docket, chentian set the pace on the remaining untimed puzzles, taking beginner in 0m 09s, easy in 0m 14s, and medium in 0m 11s.

Against the clock, deceit joined the expedition. Liars appeared in both the 8x8 hard and 9x9 expert time attacks, with the latter also demanding an established motive. chentian handled both solitary outings, clocking 1m 28s on hard and 10m 51s on expert, alongside earlier runs through beginner in 0m 08s and easy in 0m 16s. The lone interruption to that ledger belonged to Nicole, who neatly resolved the 7x7 medium board in 0m 28s.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: chentian — 0m 09s · Easy: chentian — 0m 14s · Medium: chentian — 0m 11s · Hard: a guest detective — 1m 23s · Expert: a guest detective — 2m 26s · Beginner · time attack: chentian — 0m 08s · Easy · time attack: chentian — 0m 16s · Medium · time attack: Nicole — 0m 28s · Hard · time attack: chentian — 1m 28s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 10m 51s

The solutions

The solved boards — spoilers for every case of 2 October 2026

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

Beginner — The Hiking Trip

The cell door shut on Conrad (butler), on the evidence of 13 detectives.

Easy — The Hiking Trip

9 detectives put Walter (magician) away before the day was out.

Medium — The Hiking Trip

Lorenzo (chauffeur) is in custody — the case was closed by 6 detectives.

Hard — The Hiking Trip

Olivia (heiress) ended the day behind bars — convicted by 5 detectives. The motive — buried secrets — was proved along with the name.

Expert — The Hiking Trip

Greta (doctor) was named and charged; 4 detectives closed this one.

Beginner · time attack — The Hiking Trip

The cell door shut on Beatrix (heiress), on the evidence of 3 detectives.

Easy · time attack — The Hiking Trip

2 detectives put Yago (gardener) away before the day was out.

Medium · time attack — The Hiking Trip

Lidia (professor) is in custody — the case was closed by 3 detectives.

Hard · time attack — The Hiking Trip

Victor (gardener) ended the day behind bars — convicted by one detective. Tamara lied for them and was never charged.

Expert · time attack — The Hiking Trip

Rosa (heiress) was named and charged; one detective closed this one. The motive — jealousy — was proved along with the name. Hugo lied for them and was never charged.

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Every day's cases — the calendar · ← the cases for 1 October

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