Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 8 October 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-10-08 — 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 Hotel Meridian

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Terrace, Gallery, Office, Lobby. Seven statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 23 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.

Petra was in the lobby. leaves 6 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Petra: 6 of 22.
Petra was in column 3. leaves 2 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Petra: 2 of 22.
Xavier was in the gallery. leaves 3 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Xavier: 3 of 22.
Walter was in the leftmost column. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 4 of 22.
Walter was in the terrace. leaves 3 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 3 of 22.
Gordon was in row 2. leaves 4 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 4 of 22.
Gordon was in column 4. leaves 1 of 22 squares

Show the squares Petra had left

The squares still open to Petra once their own statements are taken into account — 2 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:

Petra can only be in Lobby (row 4, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.
Xavier can only be in Gallery (row 3, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.
Walter can only be in Terrace (row 5, column 1) — down from 3 possible squares.
Margot can only be in Office (row 1, column 2) — down from 22 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Beginner · time attack — The Hotel Meridian

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Lobby, Kitchen, Cellar, Bar. Six statements, six squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 5 detectives so far.

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

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

The testimony

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

Rosa was in the cellar. leaves 6 of 23 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rosa: 6 of 23.
Yago was in the lobby. leaves 5 of 23 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 5 of 23.
Yago was in row 2. leaves 2 of 23 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 2 of 23.
Ursula was in the bottom row. leaves 4 of 23 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 4 of 23.
Ursula was in column 3. leaves 1 of 23 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 1 of 23.
Wren was seated on the sofa. leaves 2 of 23 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 2 of 23.

Show the squares Yago had left

The squares still open to Yago once their own statements are taken into account — 2 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:

Marina can only be in Kitchen (row 1, column 1) — down from 23 possible squares.
Rosa can only be in Cellar (row 4, column 5) — down from 6 possible squares.
Yago can only be in Lobby (row 2, column 4) — down from 2 possible squares.
Wren can only be in Kitchen (row 3, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Hotel Meridian

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Ballroom, Terrace, Cellar, Gallery. Seven statements, ten squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 17 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. BE — bed (square stays free) · BO — bonsai · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Nadia was lying on the bed. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nadia: 2 of 29.
Helena was in the bottom row. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Helena: 6 of 29.
Helena was beside the carpet. leaves 1 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Helena: 1 of 29.
Katia was in the terrace. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Katia: 6 of 29.
Petra was beside the floor lamp. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Petra: 2 of 29.
Ulises was in the ballroom. leaves 10 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ulises: 10 of 29.
Ulises was in column 2. leaves 2 of 29 squares

Show the squares Nadia had left

The squares still open to Nadia 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:

Nadia can only be in Ballroom (row 1, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.
Katia can only be in Terrace (row 3, column 1) — down from 6 possible squares.
Petra can only be in Cellar (row 4, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Ulises can only be in Ballroom (row 2, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Wanda can only be in Gallery (row 5, column 5) — down from 29 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy · time attack — The Hotel Meridian

A 6×6 grid across 4 rooms: Bar, Ballroom, Cellar, Terrace. Seven statements, nine squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 5 detectives so far.

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

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

The testimony

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

Boris was in the top row. leaves 6 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Boris: 6 of 30.
Boris was in the terrace. leaves 3 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Boris: 3 of 30.
Nico was in the bar. leaves 4 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 4 of 30.
Helena was beside the armchair. leaves 2 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Helena: 2 of 30.
Elena was beside the chest. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Elena: 1 of 30.
Quentin was in the leftmost column. leaves 6 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 6 of 30.
Quentin was in row 3. leaves 1 of 30 squares

Show the squares Helena had left

The squares still open to Helena 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:

Boris can only be in Terrace (row 1, column 2) — down from 3 possible squares.
Nico can only be in Bar (row 2, column 6) — down from 4 possible squares.
Helena can only be in Ballroom (row 5, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Kaspar can only be in Ballroom (row 6, column 4) — down from 30 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Medium · time attack — The Hotel Meridian

A 7×7 grid across 5 rooms: Lobby, Office, Suite, Gallery, Terrace. Ten statements, thirteen 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.

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 — bed (square stays free) · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · M — mirror (square stays free) · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · R — round table · S — sofa (square stays free) · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Celeste was in the suite or in the terrace. leaves 15 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 15 of 42.
Nadia was beside the piano. leaves 2 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nadia: 2 of 42.
Nadia was in the same room as Queralt.
Nadia was somewhere south of the Butler.
Octavio was in the same column as a window. leaves 14 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Octavio: 14 of 42.
Octavio was somewhere south of the Journalist.
Dorian was in the same column as the mirror. leaves 6 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 6 of 42.
Dorian was lying on the bed. leaves 1 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 1 of 42.
Wanda was in the gallery or in the terrace. leaves 11 of 42 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 11 of 42.
Queralt was in the lobby or in the office. leaves 22 of 42 squares

Show the squares Nadia had left

The squares still open to Nadia once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 42.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Celeste can only be in Terrace (row 3, column 1) — down from 15 possible squares.
Nadia can only be in Office (row 5, column 2) — down from 2 possible squares.
Octavio can only be in Lobby (row 4, column 7) — down from 14 possible squares.
Vasco can only be in Lobby (row 2, column 6) — down from 42 possible squares.
Wanda can only be in Gallery (row 1, column 4) — down from 11 possible squares.
Queralt can only be in Office (row 6, column 3) — down from 22 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Octavio, in Lobby (row 4, column 7).

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Hotel Meridian

An 8×7 grid across 6 rooms: Lobby, Gallery, Kitchen, Office, Bar, Suite. Eleven statements, fourteen squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 11 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. B — bonsai · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · CL — clock · D — desk · F — floor lamp · PA — painting (square stays free) · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · R — round table · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Felix was somewhere west of Hilda.
Felix was in the same room as the Professor.
Ofelia was in the same column as the floor lamp. leaves 6 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ofelia: 6 of 46.
Ivan was in the same row as the carpet. leaves 14 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 14 of 46.
Ivan was in the same column as the potted plant. leaves 2 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 2 of 46.
Hilda was in the lobby or in the suite. leaves 22 of 46 squares
Hilda was in the same column as the round table. leaves 4 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 4 of 46.
Hilda was somewhere north of Sofia.
Gilda was somewhere east of the Chauffeur.
Sofia was in the kitchen or in the bar. leaves 12 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 12 of 46.
Nobody was in the office.

Show the squares Ivan had left

The squares still open to Ivan once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 46.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Felix can only be in Kitchen (row 2, column 4) — down from 46 possible squares.
Ofelia can only be in Lobby (row 4, column 2) — down from 6 possible squares.
Ivan can only be in Gallery (row 3, column 7) — down from 2 possible squares.
Hilda can only be in Suite (row 6, column 5) — down from 4 possible squares.
Gilda can only be in Kitchen (row 1, column 8) — down from 46 possible squares.
Sofia can only be in Bar (row 7, column 3) — down from 12 possible squares.
Julian can only be in Suite (row 5, column 6) — down from 46 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Hilda, in Suite (row 6, column 5).

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Hotel Meridian

A 9×8 grid across 7 rooms: Ballroom, Terrace, Suite, Gallery, Kitchen, Lobby, Cellar. Fourteen 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 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) · BE — bed (square stays free) · BO — bonsai · C — chest · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · R — round table · S — sofa (square stays free) · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Julian was somewhere east of Pablo.
Julian was in the same room as Milo.
Julian was exactly 7 rows south of Conrad.
Julian was somewhere east of the Chef.
Milo was in the same row as the bed. leaves 16 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Milo: 16 of 61.
Milo was in the same column as the round table. leaves 2 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Milo: 2 of 61.
Conrad was in the same column as the grandfather clock. leaves 6 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 6 of 61.
Sofia was all alone in a room.
Sofia was in the same row as the round table. leaves 7 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 7 of 61.
Pablo was in the same row as the desk. leaves 7 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Pablo: 7 of 61.
Nadia was in the same row as the bed. leaves 16 of 61 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nadia: 16 of 61.
Nadia was exactly 5 columns west of Conrad.
Nadia was somewhere north of the Heiress.
Wanda was in the same column as the bonsai. leaves 7 of 61 squares

Show the squares Milo had left

The squares still open to Milo once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 61.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Milo can only be in Kitchen (row 6, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Conrad can only be in Suite (row 1, column 9) — down from 6 possible squares.
Nadia can only be in Kitchen (row 5, column 4) — down from 16 possible squares.
Wanda can only be in Lobby (row 7, column 2) — down from 7 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 6 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Julian stood in Kitchen (row 8, column 6), Pablo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Rita stood in Ballroom (row 3, column 1), Pablo would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Sofia stood in Ballroom (row 2, column 1), Rita would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Pablo in Terrace (row 4, column 6) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 2 squares fell the same way.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Hard · time attack — The Hotel Meridian

A 10×8 grid across 6 rooms: Cellar, Ballroom, Gallery, Terrace, Bar, Lobby. Fourteen statements, eighteen squares nobody could stand on, 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 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. A — armchair (square stays free) · BE — bed (square stays free) · BO — bonsai · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · M — mirror (square stays free) · PA — painting (square stays free) · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · R — round table · S — sofa (square stays free) · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Kaspar was all alone in a room.
Kaspar was somewhere north of the Magician.
Kaspar was in the southern half of the scene. leaves 35 of 69 squares
Felix was somewhere east of the Magician.
Felix was all alone in a room.
Felix was exactly 8 columns east of Kaspar.
Nora was beside the bonsai. leaves 2 of 69 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nora: 2 of 69.
Abel was in the same row as the window. leaves 9 of 69 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 9 of 69.
Abel was in the same column as the sofa. leaves 2 of 69 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Abel: 2 of 69.
Abel was exactly 3 rows south of the Curator.
Queralt was in the same column as the bed. leaves 8 of 69 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Queralt: 8 of 69.
Queralt was somewhere south of Kaspar.
Ines was in the same column as the grandfather clock. leaves 6 of 69 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ines: 6 of 69.
Dante was all alone in a room.

Show the squares Nora had left

The squares still open to Nora once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 69.

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 Kaspar stood in Cellar (row 7, column 2), Dante would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Felix stood in Gallery (row 3, column 10), Kaspar would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Nora stood in Bar (row 2, column 8), Queralt would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Abel in Lobby (row 6, column 1) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 17 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.

Nora's motive would have been debts.
Dante's motive would have been ambition.
Ines's motive would have been inheritance.
Felix's motive would have been buried secrets.
Whoever did it was not driven by blackmail.
Whoever did it was not driven by obsession.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Queralt, in Ballroom (row 7, column 4).

The only motive left standing for Queralt is jealousy.

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Hotel Meridian

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Cellar, Lobby, Kitchen, Suite, Gallery, Office, Bar, Terrace. Fourteen 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.

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. 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) · BE — bed (square stays free) · BO — bonsai · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · M — mirror (square stays free) · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · R — round table · S — sofa (square stays free) · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Ignacio was exactly 5 columns east of the Journalist.
Ignacio was in the same row as the potted plant. leaves 9 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 9 of 78.
Vera was in the same column as the grandfather clock. leaves 7 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 7 of 78.
Vera was not touching the outer wall. leaves 6 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 6 of 78.
Walter was in the same row as the sofa. leaves 18 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Walter: 18 of 78.
Kurt was exactly 7 columns west of Ignacio.
Rosa was exactly 1 column east of Celeste.
Rosa was all alone in a room.
Nico was somewhere south of the Chef.
Nico was in the same row as the grandfather clock. leaves 8 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 8 of 78.
Margot was in column 6. leaves 9 of 78 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Margot: 9 of 78.
Celeste was exactly 1 row north of the Heiress.
Exactly 3 people were in the bar.
Exactly 2 people were in the kitchen.

Show the squares Vera had left

The squares still open to Vera once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 78.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 94 eliminations across 2 rounds of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Hilda stood in Kitchen (row 1, column 3), Ignacio would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Vera stood in Lobby (row 6, column 4), Ignacio would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Walter stood in Bar (row 8, column 4), Vera would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Kurt stood in Office (row 2, column 3), Hilda would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 90 squares fell the same way.

Ignacio can only be in Cellar (row 6, column 8) — down from 2 possible squares.
Vera can only be in Kitchen (row 2, column 4) — down from 4 possible squares.
Rosa can only be in Lobby (row 5, column 3) — down from 3 possible squares.
Margot can only be in Office (row 4, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Hilda can only be in Kitchen (row 1, column 7) — down from 2 possible squares.

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.

Rosa's motive would have been revenge.
Celeste's motive would have been obsession.
Margot's motive would have been debts.
Ignacio's motive would have been jealousy.
Nico's motive would have been blackmail.
Whoever did it was not driven by ambition.
Whoever did it was not driven by inheritance.

The answer

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

The only motive left standing for Vera is buried secrets.

Show the solved board

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

Expert · time attack — The Hotel Meridian

A 9×9 grid across 7 rooms: Ballroom, Terrace, Kitchen, Office, Cellar, Bar, Gallery. Twelve statements, eighteen squares nobody could stand on, and two rounds of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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

Cracked by one detective so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. A — armchair (square stays free) · BE — bed (square stays free) · BO — bonsai · CA — carpet (square stays free) · CH — chest · D — desk · F — floor lamp · G — grandfather clock · PA — painting (square stays free) · PI — piano · PO — potted plant · R — round table · S — sofa (square stays free) · W — window (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Pablo was somewhere east of the Chauffeur.
Ulises was in the same column as the window. leaves 9 of 71 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ulises: 9 of 71.
Nestor was exactly 3 rows south of the Butler.
Ignacio was all alone in a room.
Ignacio was exactly 2 columns west of the Heiress.
Elena was somewhere east of the Curator.
Elena was exactly 1 row south of Pablo.
Yago was in the same row as a painting. leaves 15 of 71 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Yago: 15 of 71.
Yago was exactly 3 columns east of the Professor.
Kira was all alone in a room.
Luna was in the same row as the bonsai. leaves 5 of 71 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Luna: 5 of 71.
Exactly 2 people were in the ballroom.

Show the squares Luna had left

The squares still open to Luna once their own statements are taken into account — 5 of 71.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 227 eliminations across 2 rounds of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Dante stood in Terrace (row 1, column 6), Ulises would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Pablo stood in Terrace (row 1, column 6), Ulises would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Ulises stood in Gallery (row 7, column 6), Luna would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Nestor stood in Bar (row 4, column 6), Ulises would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 223 squares fell the same way.

Dante can only be in Ballroom (row 8, column 7) — down from 16 possible squares.
Pablo can only be in Gallery (row 2, column 9) — down from 7 possible squares.
Ulises can only be in Terrace (row 1, column 6) — down from 3 possible squares.
Nestor can only be in Terrace (row 5, column 1) — down from 6 possible squares.
Ignacio can only be in Office (row 6, column 2) — down from 3 possible squares.

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.

Luna's motive would have been ambition.
Ulises's motive would have been blackmail.
Pablo's motive would have been debts.
Kira's motive would have been inheritance.
Ignacio's motive would have been buried secrets.
Whoever did it was not driven by obsession.
Whoever did it was not driven by revenge.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Yago, in Ballroom (row 9, column 8).

The only motive left standing for Yago is jealousy.

Show the solved board

The only arrangement the testimony allows. Yago 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 Hollow Order — Whatever was hidden at The Hotel Meridian is hidden no longer; 9 detectives found it.

All ten inquiries on the docket unfolded within the walls of The Hotel Meridian. None of the suspects dared to spin outright lies, though a few boards demanded an established motive before the cuffs could come out. Across the standard untimed inquiries, twenty-eight investigators took on the beginner five-by-five floor plan with twenty-three solutions logged, where a guest detective set the mark in nine seconds. That same unnamed guest matched the pace with another nine-second run through the six-by-six easy case, which drew twenty plays and seventeen clearances. Chentian claimed the eight-by-seven medium room in twenty-four seconds, seeing eleven solves out of twenty tries, and later cleared the nine-by-eight hard board in forty-eight seconds, leading a clean nine-for-nine field. When motive entered the picture on the ten-by-nine expert grid, five of seven investigators succeeded, topped by a guest detective in two minutes and six seconds.

The timed investigations proved a quieter, sterner affair, yet chentian swept the clock on every single front. Quick five-room runs fell in ten seconds on the five-by-five beginner case and thirteen seconds across the six-by-six easy grid, both seeing five successful conclusions. Chentian dismantled the seven-by-seven medium board in fourteen seconds, leaving three solves from four attempts. When motive became mandatory once more, chentian cracked the ten-by-eight hard layout in one minute forty-eight seconds, and finally conquered the nine-by-nine expert board in one minute fifty-six seconds, standing as the lone solver among seven attempts.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: a guest detective — 0m 09s · Easy: a guest detective — 0m 09s · Medium: chentian — 0m 24s · Hard: chentian — 0m 48s · Expert: a guest detective — 2m 06s · Beginner · time attack: chentian — 0m 10s · Easy · time attack: chentian — 0m 13s · Medium · time attack: chentian — 0m 14s · Hard · time attack: chentian — 1m 48s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 1m 56s