Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 4 October 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-10-04 — 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 Old Observatory

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Terrace, Archive, Cellar. Seven statements, seven 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.

The testimony

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

Celeste was in row 3. leaves 3 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 3 of 21.
Celeste was in column 2. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 1 of 21.
Marco was beside the flower bush. leaves 2 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marco: 2 of 21.
Ada was in row 4. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 4 of 21.
Ada was in column 3. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 1 of 21.
Ruben was in the terrace. leaves 10 of 21 squares
Ruben was in the leftmost column. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 1 of 21.

Show the squares Marco had left

The squares still open to Marco 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:

Dora can only be in Archive (row 5, column 4) — down from 21 possible squares.
Marco can only be in Terrace (row 2, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Beginner · time attack — The Old Observatory

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Office, Dome, Library, Workshop. Seven statements, five squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

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.

The testimony

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

Wren was in column 4. leaves 5 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 5 of 22.
Wren was in row 4. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 1 of 22.
Hugo was in the workshop. leaves 6 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 6 of 22.
Ulises was in row 3. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ulises: 4 of 22.
Ulises was in column 2. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ulises: 1 of 22.
Ofelia was in the telescope dome. leaves 5 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ofelia: 5 of 22.
Ofelia was in the bottom row. leaves 1 of 22 squares

Show the squares Hugo had left

The squares still open to Hugo 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:

Hugo can only be in Workshop (row 2, column 1) — down from 6 possible squares.
Kurt can only be in Office (row 1, column 3) — down from 22 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Old Observatory

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Workshop, Office, Cellar, Terrace, Garden. Seven statements, ten 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. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. B — bookshelf · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — flower bush · P — potted plant · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Xavier was in the garden. leaves 8 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Xavier: 8 of 29.
Xavier was in row 2. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Xavier: 1 of 29.
Nico was in the garden. leaves 8 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 8 of 29.
Vera was in the office. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 6 of 29.
Vera was in column 2. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 2 of 29.
Zeno was beside the flower bush. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Zeno: 2 of 29.
Rufus was beside the potted plant. leaves 2 of 29 squares

Show the squares Vera had left

The squares still open to Vera 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:

Nico can only be in Garden (row 1, column 3) — down from 8 possible squares.
Vera can only be in Office (row 5, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Zeno can only be in Garden (row 3, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Rufus can only be in Terrace (row 6, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Julia can only be in Office (row 4, column 1) — down from 29 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy · time attack — The Old Observatory

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Dome, Library, Workshop, Lounge. Seven statements, nine 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. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · P — potted plant · S — statue · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Nestor was in column 3. leaves 5 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 5 of 29.
Nestor was beside the chest. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 1 of 29.
Clara was in the library. leaves 11 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Clara: 11 of 29.
Ines was on the carpet. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 2 of 29.
Ruben was in the workshop. leaves 5 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 5 of 29.
Simon was in row 3. leaves 5 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 5 of 29.
Simon was beside the potted plant. leaves 1 of 29 squares

Show the squares Ines had left

The squares still open to Ines 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:

Zeno can only be in Lounge (row 4, column 5) — down from 29 possible squares.
Clara can only be in Library (row 2, column 4) — down from 11 possible squares.
Ines can only be in Dome (row 6, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Ruben can only be in Workshop (row 5, column 1) — down from 5 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Simon, in Lounge (row 3, column 6).

Show the solved board

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

Medium · time attack — The Old Observatory

A 7×7 grid across 5 rooms: Workshop, Cellar, Garden, Terrace, Office. Ten statements, twelve squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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. A — armchair (square stays free) · BK — bookshelf · BO — bonsai · C — chest · D — desk · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · G — grandfather clock · R — round table · T — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Tristan was in the terrace. leaves 9 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tristan: 9 of 39.
Octavio was in the same row as the window. leaves 6 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Octavio: 6 of 39.
Octavio was in the same column as the grandfather clock. leaves 1 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Octavio: 1 of 39.
Ignacio was in the workshop or in the cellar. leaves 12 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 12 of 39.
Ignacio was in the same column as the chest. leaves 3 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 3 of 39.
Ignacio was in the southern half of the scene. leaves 1 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 1 of 39.
Kurt was in the same column as the bookshelf. leaves 6 of 39 squares
Kurt was in the same room as the Curator.
Celeste was in the same column as the bonsai. leaves 4 of 39 squares
Percy was somewhere north of Kurt.

Show the squares Celeste had left

The squares still open to Celeste once their own statements are taken into account — 4 of 39.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 26 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Tristan stood in Terrace (row 7, column 5), Kurt would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Selma stood in Workshop (row 2, column 1), Celeste would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Kurt in Workshop (row 3, column 2) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Celeste in Workshop (row 3, column 1) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 22 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Celeste, in Workshop (row 2, column 1).

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Old Observatory

A 7×7 grid across 5 rooms: Office, Cellar, Garden, Workshop, Library. Ten statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 9 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. A — armchair (square stays free) · B — bonsai · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · F — flower bush · S — sofa (square stays free) · TE — telescope · TR — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Flora was in the workshop or in the library. leaves 12 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Flora: 12 of 42.
Flora was in row 4. leaves 3 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Flora: 3 of 42.
Ines was in the same row as the tree. leaves 5 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 5 of 42.
Ines was in the same column as the chest. leaves 1 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 1 of 42.
Jonas was in the same room as Ada.
Jonas was in the same row as the chest. leaves 5 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jonas: 5 of 42.
Ada was in the same column as the crate. leaves 6 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 6 of 42.
Lidia was beside the bonsai. leaves 4 of 42 squares
Lidia was in the same row as the crate. leaves 1 of 42 squares
Octavio was beside the sofa. leaves 3 of 42 squares

Show the squares Flora had left

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

Kaspar can only be in Office (row 5, column 4) — down from 42 possible squares.
Flora can only be in Workshop (row 4, column 3) — down from 3 possible squares.
Jonas can only be in Garden (row 3, column 7) — down from 5 possible squares.
Ada can only be in Garden (row 1, column 5) — down from 6 possible squares.
Octavio can only be in Library (row 6, column 1) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Lidia, in Office (row 7, column 6).

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Old Observatory

An 8×8 grid across 7 rooms: Terrace, Archive, Office, Dome, Workshop, Lounge, Garden. Eleven statements, fifteen squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

Cracked by 6 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. A — armchair (square stays free) · BK — bookshelf · BO — bonsai · D — desk · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · G — grandfather clock · R — round table · S — statue · TE — telescope · TR — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Luna was somewhere west of Sofia.
Rosa was somewhere west of Enzo.
Boris was exactly 7 columns east of Rosa.
Boris was somewhere north of Luna.
Sofia was all alone in a room.
Sofia was exactly 1 row north of the Diva.
Fabio was somewhere north of Boris.
Fabio was exactly 2 rows south of the Journalist.
Fabio was somewhere east of Sofia.
Enzo was in the same column as the statue. leaves 7 of 51 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Enzo: 7 of 51.
Dora was in the same column as the armchair. leaves 7 of 51 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 7 of 51.

Show the squares Enzo had left

The squares still open to Enzo once their own statements are taken into account — 7 of 51.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 98 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Luna stood in Garden (row 6, column 1), Rosa would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Rosa stood in Office (row 4, column 1), Dora would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Sofia in Terrace (row 1, column 5) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Kaspar stood in Office (row 1, column 1), Rosa would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 94 squares fell the same way.

Luna can only be in Dome (row 8, column 4) — down from 3 possible squares.
Rosa can only be in Office (row 1, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.
Boris can only be in Workshop (row 7, column 8) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Hard · time attack — The Old Observatory

A 10×8 grid across 7 rooms: Archive, Cellar, Library, Lounge, Dome, Garden, Terrace. Fourteen statements, seventeen 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 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. A — armchair (square stays free) · BK — bookshelf · BO — bonsai · CL — clock · CR — crate · D — desk · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · P — potted plant · R — round table · TE — telescope · TR — tree · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Nadia was in the same row as the flower bush. leaves 7 of 66 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nadia: 7 of 66.
Nadia was somewhere east of Leo.
Nadia was all alone in a room.
Leo was somewhere west of Sol.
Rosa was exactly 3 rows south of the Butler.
Rosa was exactly 2 columns west of the Magician.
Ignacio was somewhere south of the Curator.
Beatrix was exactly 2 columns east of Ignacio.
Beatrix was all alone in a room.
Sol was somewhere east of the Gardener.
Quentin was exactly 2 rows south of the Diva.
Quentin was in the same column as the bookshelf. leaves 6 of 66 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 6 of 66.
Quentin was all alone in a room.
Quentin was somewhere south of Rosa.

Show the squares Quentin had left

The squares still open to Quentin once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 66.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Quentin can only be in Archive (row 7, column 1) — down from 6 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 60 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Nadia stood in Cellar (row 3, column 8), Ignacio would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Alistair stood in Garden (row 1, column 2), Sol would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Leo in Garden (row 2, column 5) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Rosa stood in Library (row 4, column 4), Leo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 56 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Sol, in Cellar (row 1, column 9).

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Old Observatory

A 9×9 grid across 8 rooms: Workshop, Archive, Dome, Garden, Library, Office, Cellar, Terrace. Sixteen statements, twenty 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.

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. BK — bookshelf · BO — bonsai · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CL — clock · CR — crate · D — desk · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · P — potted plant · R — round table · SO — sofa (square stays free) · ST — statue · TE — telescope · TR — tree · W — window (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.

Hugo was in the same row as the tree. if true, leaves 8 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 8 of 65.
Ines was in the same row as the sofa. if true, leaves 7 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 7 of 65.
Gilda was somewhere east of the Magician.
Gilda was in the same column as the round table. if true, leaves 8 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 8 of 65.
Gilda was in the same row as the crate. if true, leaves 1 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gilda: 1 of 65.
Tobias and the Heiress were in different rooms.
Tobias was in the same column as the potted plant. if true, leaves 7 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tobias: 7 of 65.
Leo was somewhere west of Hugo.
Leo was in the same column as the potted plant. if true, leaves 58 of 65
Enzo was in the same column as the carpet. if true, leaves 13 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Enzo: 13 of 65.
Zeno was in the same column as a window. if true, leaves 16 of 65
Zeno was in the same row as a window. if true, leaves 4 of 65
Ximena was in the same row as the carpet. if true, leaves 7 of 65
Ximena was in column 3. if true, leaves 1 of 65
Exactly 2 people were in the archive.
Exactly 2 people were in the library.

Show the squares Zeno had left

The squares still open to Zeno once their own statements are taken into account — 4 of 65.

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 Hugo 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 Gilda were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Tobias were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 4 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Leo actually told you:

Leo was NOT west of Hugo.
Leo was NOT in the same column as the potted plant.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Ines can only be in Garden (row 8, column 1) — down from 7 possible squares.
Enzo can only be in Office (row 7, column 4) — down from 13 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 21 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Hugo stood in Garden (row 6, column 2), Zeno would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Tobias stood in Cellar (row 1, column 5), Zeno would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Leo stood in Archive (row 1, column 7), Zeno would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Vera stood in Archive (row 1, column 7), Zeno would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 17 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Expert · time attack — The Old Observatory

A 9×9 grid across 8 rooms: Terrace, Lounge, Cellar, Office, Dome, Archive, Library, Workshop. Seventeen statements, twenty 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.

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. A — armchair (square stays free) · BK — bookshelf · BO — bonsai · CH — chest · CR — crate · D — desk · FL — floor lamp · FO — flower bush · G — grandfather clock · P — potted plant · R — round table · S — statue · T — telescope · W — window (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.

Wren was in the same column as the grandfather clock. if true, leaves 7 of 63
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 7 of 63.
Wren was somewhere north of the Doctor.
Nora was somewhere west of the Gardener.
Nora was in the same column as the chest. if true, leaves 57 of 63
Ines was in the same column as the flower bush. if true, leaves 8 of 63
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 8 of 63.
Ines was in the same row as the potted plant. if true, leaves 1 of 63
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 1 of 63.
Ines was somewhere west of the Colonel.
Bruno was in the same row as the window. if true, leaves 12 of 63
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Bruno: 12 of 63.
Oscar was in the same column as the chest. if true, leaves 6 of 63
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Oscar: 6 of 63.
Oscar was somewhere south of Quentin.
Quentin was somewhere south of Nora.
Quentin was somewhere east of the Diva.
Quentin was somewhere north of the Colonel.
Elena was somewhere north of the Gardener.
Gaspar was somewhere east of Oscar.
Exactly 3 people were in the cellar.
Exactly 2 people were in the office.

Show the squares Oscar had left

The squares still open to Oscar once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 63.

Unmasking the liar

If Wren 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 Tesa were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Bruno were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 4 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Nora actually told you:

Nora was NOT west of the Gardener.
Nora was NOT in the same column as the chest.

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.

Had Nora stood in Office (row 2, column 8), Bruno would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Tesa stood in Archive (row 1, column 3), Wren would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Bruno stood in Office (row 4, column 8), Quentin would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Oscar stood in Archive (row 4, column 5), Quentin would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 103 squares fell the same way.

Wren can only be in Archive (row 2, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Nora, in Office (row 3, column 9). Nora lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Nora 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 — The liar at The Old Observatory was not caught, but nor were they tested: 3 attempts all day. 3 detectives would settle it. Low tide at midnight. Everything the sea kept comes back. Chapter 6 draws down the curtain on Season 23 with the harbor's fraudulent currents laid bare and the vast network of illicit salvage accounted for under the magistrate's gavel. The accomplices have been answered for across thirty-two emptied caches and a hundred sworn depositions, closing the books on the coast's long deception. Yet through every seized manifest and silent anchorage runs the dry, uncaptured presence of the Quartermaster, while that single stray train ticket stub remains adrift in the wind, entirely unaccounted for. Six chapters, and the season ends with the net tighter than it began. A train ticket stub was never recovered — but the Quartermaster will not work this county again under that name. The season's account: 39 charged, 23 left under suspicion, 3 never named at all.

The day's business unfolded entirely within the dusty confines of The Old Observatory across ten separate boards. In the standard, untimed investigations, the rooms expanded steadily from a modest 5x5 floor plan of three rooms up to a sprawling 9x9 layout featuring eight rooms and an active liar among the witnesses, though none of the day's cases required untangling a motive. A guest detective took top honors on nearly every untimed board, clocking six seconds on beginner, twenty-one seconds on easy, two minutes and thirty-six seconds on the 8x8 hard grid, and three minutes and six seconds to untangle the expert board's falsehoods. Only the 7x7 medium case slipped through their fingers, claimed instead by chentian in twenty-three seconds.

When the ticking clock was introduced, chentian swept the board completely. Working through the same stone corridors of The Old Observatory, they solved the 5x5 beginner case with four rooms in eight seconds and the four-room 6x6 easy puzzle in twenty-three seconds. The 7x7 medium case, holding five rooms, fell in one minute and forty-seven seconds. The challenges peaked on an expansive 10x8 hard grid with seven rooms, solved in five minutes and twenty-two seconds, before concluding with the 9x9 expert time attack, where chentian took eight minutes and twenty-five seconds to unmask the day's final liar.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: a guest detective — 0m 06s · Easy: a guest detective — 0m 21s · Medium: chentian — 0m 23s · Hard: a guest detective — 2m 36s · Expert: a guest detective — 3m 06s · Beginner · time attack: chentian — 0m 08s · Easy · time attack: chentian — 0m 23s · Medium · time attack: chentian — 1m 47s · Hard · time attack: chentian — 5m 22s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 8m 25s