Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 12 October 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-10-12 — each difficulty published twice, once untimed and once as time attack. Each case is procedurally generated and then proved to have exactly one logical solution before it is published, including the cases where somebody is lying. You place every suspect back on the map using only their testimony: exactly one person per row, never two in a column. Whoever is left alone with the victim did it.

Beginner — The Botanical Garden

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Cactus House, Orchid House, Palm Pavilion. Seven statements, three squares nobody could stand on, and enough testimony that the surplus is what pins the last two down.

Cracked by 12 detectives so far.

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

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

Lettered squares are objects. Nobody can stand on one, which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them. B — boulder · C — cactus · S — statue

The testimony

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

  1. Ada was in row 3. leaves 5 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSB
    The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 5 of 22.
  2. Ada was in the palm pavilion. leaves 2 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSB
    The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 2 of 22.
  3. Wren was in column 3. leaves 4 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSB
    The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 4 of 22.
  4. Wren was in the cactus house. leaves 1 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSB
    The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 1 of 22.
  5. Margot was in column 4. leaves 5 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSB
    The squares this one statement leaves Margot: 5 of 22.
  6. Margot was in the cactus house. leaves 2 of 22 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSB
    The squares this one statement leaves Margot: 2 of 22.
  7. Petra was in column 2. leaves 3 of 22 squares
Show the squares Ada had left
CSB
The squares still open to Ada 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:

The answer

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

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

Beginner · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A 5×5 grid across 3 rooms: Compost Yard, Orchid House, Seed Vault. Six statements, seven squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

Cracked by 4 detectives so far.

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

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

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

The testimony

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

  1. Lorenzo was in row 2. leaves 2 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPCBFCS
    The squares this one statement leaves Lorenzo: 2 of 18.
  2. Greta was in the seed vault. leaves 6 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPCBFCS
    The squares this one statement leaves Greta: 6 of 18.
  3. Greta was in column 4. leaves 2 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPCBFCS
    The squares this one statement leaves Greta: 2 of 18.
  4. Ivan was in the orchid house. leaves 5 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPCBFCS
    The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 5 of 18.
  5. Ivan was in row 3. leaves 1 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPCBFCS
    The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 1 of 18.
  6. Simon was in the orchid house. leaves 5 of 18 squares
    Show it on the board
    TPCBFCS
    The squares this one statement leaves Simon: 5 of 18.
Show the squares Lorenzo had left
TPCBFCS
The squares still open to Lorenzo once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 18.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

Show the solved board
TPCBFCS✕LGIS
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Lorenzo is ringed in red.

Easy — The Botanical Garden

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Palm Pavilion, Compost Yard, Garden Path, Visitor Center, Tropical House. Seven statements, ten squares nobody could stand on, and no assumption anywhere: elimination alone closes it.

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

The testimony

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

  1. Yolanda was in the tropical house. leaves 9 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSTSHFBOCTBESTBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Yolanda: 9 of 26.
  2. Hugo was beside the flower bush. leaves 1 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSTSHFBOCTBESTBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 1 of 26.
  3. Ivan was in row 5. leaves 5 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSTSHFBOCTBESTBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 5 of 26.
  4. Ivan was beside the potted plant. leaves 1 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSTSHFBOCTBESTBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Ivan: 1 of 26.
  5. Vera was in the palm pavilion. leaves 4 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSTSHFBOCTBESTBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 4 of 26.
  6. Vera was in row 2. leaves 1 of 26 squares
    Show it on the board
    PSTSHFBOCTBESTBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 1 of 26.
  7. Simon was beside the shrub. leaves 1 of 26 squares
Show the squares Yolanda had left
PSTSHFBOCTBESTBE
The squares still open to Yolanda once their own statements are taken into account — 9 of 26.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

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

Easy · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Cactus House, Lily Pond, Tropical House, Seed Vault, Garden Path. Eight statements, eight 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. Most take the square out of play — which is why the counts above are of free squares, not of all of them — but the ones marked below do not: their square is still in play. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · S — statue

The testimony

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

  1. Luna was in the tropical house. leaves 7 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLPCLFOSBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Luna: 7 of 29.
  2. Luna was in the bottom row. leaves 2 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLPCLFOSBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Luna: 2 of 29.
  3. Ignacio was in row 2. leaves 3 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLPCLFOSBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 3 of 29.
  4. Ignacio was in the cactus house. leaves 1 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLPCLFOSBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Ignacio: 1 of 29.
  5. Wren was beside the boulder. leaves 1 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLPCLFOSBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Wren: 1 of 29.
  6. Quentin was beside the flower bush. leaves 3 of 29 squares
    Show it on the board
    FLPCLFOSBOBE
    The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 3 of 29.
  7. Quentin was in column 5. leaves 2 of 29 squares
  8. Ursula was beside the lily pad. leaves 3 of 29 squares
Show the squares Luna had left
FLPCLFOSBOBE
The squares still open to Luna once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 29.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

Show the solved board
FLPCLFOSBOBELIWQ✕U
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Ursula is ringed in red.

Medium · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A 7×7 grid across 6 rooms: Visitor Center, Cactus House, Orchid House, Tropical House, Compost Yard, Lily Pond. Eleven statements, ten squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry — and one of the seven was lying throughout.

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

Cracked by 2 detectives so far.

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

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

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

The testimony

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

  1. Ursula was in the same room as the Magician.
  2. Ursula was in the orchid house or in the lily pond. if true, leaves 17 of 40
  3. Margot was in the same room as the Gardener.
  4. Frida was in the same column as the tree. if true, leaves 5 of 40
    Show it on the board
    SHPBETFCBOLPST
    The squares this one statement leaves Frida: 5 of 40.
  5. Frida was somewhere north of Margot.
  6. Abel was beside the flower bush. if true, leaves 39 of 40
  7. Abel was somewhere north of the Diva.
  8. Sol was in the same column as the boulder. if true, leaves 6 of 40
    Show it on the board
    SHPBETFCBOLPST
    The squares this one statement leaves Sol: 6 of 40.
  9. Sol was in the same row as the tree. if true, leaves 1 of 40
    Show it on the board
    SHPBETFCBOLPST
    The squares this one statement leaves Sol: 1 of 40.
  10. Quentin was in the same row as the cactus. if true, leaves 6 of 40
    Show it on the board
    SHPBETFCBOLPST
    The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 6 of 40.
  11. Quentin was beside the cactus. if true, leaves 1 of 40
    Show it on the board
    SHPBETFCBOLPST
    The squares this one statement leaves Quentin: 1 of 40.
Show the squares Frida had left
SHPBETFCBOLPST
The squares still open to Frida once their own statements are taken into account — 5 of 40.
Unmasking the liar

One of these 7 people is the killer's accomplice, and every word they said is false — but you are not told which. Take each in turn: read their statements backwards and ask whether the rest of the testimony can still be satisfied.

Another 2 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Abel actually told you:

  1. Abel was NOT beside the flower bush.
  2. Abel was NOT north of the Diva.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 7 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 3 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Frida, in Compost Yard (row 1, column 3). Abel lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board
SHPBETFCBOLPST✕UMFASQ
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Frida is ringed in red.

Medium — The Botanical Garden

A 7×7 grid across 5 rooms: Seed Vault, Visitor Center, Palm Pavilion, Lily Pond, Orchid House. Twelve statements, nine 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. C — cactus · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · S — statue

The testimony

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

  1. Lorenzo was on a lily pad. leaves 8 of 43 squares
    Show it on the board
    LSPCPLSCL
    The squares this one statement leaves Lorenzo: 8 of 43.
  2. Lorenzo was somewhere north of Delia.
  3. Sofia was beside a cactus. leaves 3 of 43 squares
    Show it on the board
    LSPCPLSCL
    The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 3 of 43.
  4. Sofia was in the same column as a cactus. leaves 2 of 43 squares
    Show it on the board
    LSPCPLSCL
    The squares this one statement leaves Sofia: 2 of 43.
  5. Gordon was in the same row as a potted plant. leaves 10 of 43 squares
    Show it on the board
    LSPCPLSCL
    The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 10 of 43.
  6. Gordon was somewhere west of Delia.
  7. Gordon was on a lily pad. leaves 3 of 43 squares
    Show it on the board
    LSPCPLSCL
    The squares this one statement leaves Gordon: 3 of 43.
  8. Delia was in the visitor center or in the lily pond. leaves 27 of 43 squares
  9. Marco was beside a potted plant. leaves 5 of 43 squares
    Show it on the board
    LSPCPLSCL
    The squares this one statement leaves Marco: 5 of 43.
  10. Nadia was in the same row as a statue. leaves 10 of 43 squares
  11. Nadia was somewhere west of Sofia.
  12. Nadia was in the seed vault or in the palm pavilion. leaves 2 of 43 squares
Show the squares Sofia had left
LSPCPLSCL
The squares still open to Sofia once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 43.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The answer

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

Show the solved board
LSPCPLSCLLS✕GDMN
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Marco is ringed in red.

Hard — The Botanical Garden

A 10×8 grid across 7 rooms: Compost Yard, Cactus House, Seed Vault, Lily Pond, Garden Path, Orchid House, Tropical House. Fifteen statements, fourteen 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 7 detectives so far.

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

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

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

The testimony

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

  1. Conrad was in the same column as the tree. leaves 6 of 67 squares
    Show it on the board
    STBOSHCTPLFOFLFLBOPBESH
    The squares this one statement leaves Conrad: 6 of 67.
  2. Conrad was all alone in a room.
  3. Julia was in the same column as the statue. leaves 6 of 67 squares
    Show it on the board
    STBOSHCTPLFOFLFLBOPBESH
    The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 6 of 67.
  4. Julia was in the same room as the Curator.
  5. Julia was in the same row as the cactus. leaves 1 of 67 squares
    Show it on the board
    STBOSHCTPLFOFLFLBOPBESH
    The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 1 of 67.
  6. Boris was exactly 3 rows north of Zeno.
  7. Boris was in the same row as the tree. leaves 8 of 67 squares
    Show it on the board
    STBOSHCTPLFOFLFLBOPBESH
    The squares this one statement leaves Boris: 8 of 67.
  8. Gordon was somewhere west of the Chef.
  9. Gordon was somewhere north of the Colonel.
  10. Gordon was exactly 5 columns east of Boris.
  11. Zeno was somewhere west of Gordon.
  12. Luna was exactly 5 columns east of the Butler.
  13. Irene was in the same row as the lily pad. leaves 9 of 67 squares
    Show it on the board
    STBOSHCTPLFOFLFLBOPBESH
    The squares this one statement leaves Irene: 9 of 67.
  14. Irene was exactly 6 columns west of the Chef.
  15. Nobody was in the tropical house.
Show the squares Conrad had left
STBOSHCTPLFOFLFLBOPBESH
The squares still open to Conrad once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 67.
What the testimony settles on its own

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

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 8 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 4 squares fell the same way.

The motive

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

  1. Conrad's motive would have been obsession.
  2. Irene's motive would have been inheritance.
  3. Boris's motive would have been buried secrets.
  4. Zeno's motive would have been jealousy.
  5. Whoever did it was not driven by debts.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by revenge.
The answer

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

The only motive left standing for Luna is ambition.

Show the solved board
STBOSHCTPLFOFLFLBOPBESHCJB✕GZLI
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Luna is ringed in red.

Hard · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A 10×8 grid across 7 rooms: Orchid House, Visitor Center, Garden Path, Cactus House, Tropical House, Seed Vault, Palm Pavilion. Eleven statements, fourteen 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 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 — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

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

  1. Dora was in the same room as the Chauffeur.
  2. Dora was exactly 1 row south of Wren.
  3. Dora was in the same row as the shrub. leaves 7 of 66 squares
    Show it on the board
    FOBOBESHTSTFLPCTBECBOP
    The squares this one statement leaves Dora: 7 of 66.
  4. Nestor was all alone in a room.
  5. Nestor was in the same column as the shrub. leaves 7 of 66 squares
    Show it on the board
    FOBOBESHTSTFLPCTBECBOP
    The squares this one statement leaves Nestor: 7 of 66.
  6. Ruben was in the same row as the fountain. leaves 7 of 66 squares
    Show it on the board
    FOBOBESHTSTFLPCTBECBOP
    The squares this one statement leaves Ruben: 7 of 66.
  7. Alistair was exactly 9 columns west of Ruben.
  8. Kira was exactly 4 rows north of Alistair.
  9. Hugo was exactly 1 column east of the Diva.
  10. Wren was somewhere east of Alistair.
  11. Nobody was in the palm pavilion.
Show the squares Dora had left
FOBOBESHTSTFLPCTBECBOP
The squares still open to Dora once their own statements are taken into account — 7 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:

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 58 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 54 squares fell the same way.

The motive

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

  1. Nestor's motive would have been obsession.
  2. Kira's motive would have been revenge.
  3. Wren's motive would have been blackmail.
  4. Hugo's motive would have been jealousy.
  5. Whoever did it was not driven by buried secrets.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by ambition.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Alistair, in Visitor Center (row 8, column 1).

The only motive left standing for Alistair is inheritance.

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

Expert — The Botanical Garden

A 10×9 grid across 8 rooms: Orchid House, Cactus House, Garden Path, Lily Pond, Tropical House, Compost Yard, Palm Pavilion, Visitor Center. Thirteen statements, seventeen 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. BE — bench · BO — boulder · C — cactus · FL — flower bush · FO — fountain · L — lily pad (square stays free) · P — potted plant · SH — shrub · ST — statue · T — tree

The testimony

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

  1. Estela was in the same column as the shrub. leaves 8 of 75 squares
    Show it on the board
    PTLSHFLBEBOCFOSTLSTTCBOFLP
    The squares this one statement leaves Estela: 8 of 75.
  2. Estela was in the same row as the bench. leaves 1 of 75 squares
    Show it on the board
    PTLSHFLBEBOCFOSTLSTTCBOFLP
    The squares this one statement leaves Estela: 1 of 75.
  3. Quentin was somewhere south of Estela.
  4. Milo was somewhere west of Quentin.
  5. Ines and Nico were alone together in one room.
  6. Ines was exactly 4 columns east of Bianca.
  7. Ines was exactly 1 row north of Milo.
  8. Selma was somewhere south of Estela.
  9. Nico was exactly 9 columns east of Selma.
  10. Delia was exactly 4 rows north of the Chauffeur.
  11. Bianca was somewhere south of Estela.
  12. Exactly 3 people were in the palm pavilion.
  13. Exactly 2 people were in the lily pond.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 133 eliminations across 2 rounds of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 129 squares fell the same way.

The motive

This case demands the why as well as the who: naming the killer without proving the motive counts for nothing. 8 motives are in play, and these statements narrow them.

  1. Nico's motive would have been buried secrets.
  2. Ines's motive would have been revenge.
  3. Selma's motive would have been ambition.
  4. Quentin's motive would have been inheritance.
  5. Milo's motive would have been debts.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by blackmail.
  7. Whoever did it was not driven by obsession.
The answer

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

The only motive left standing for Bianca is jealousy.

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

Expert · time attack — The Botanical Garden

A 10×9 grid across 7 rooms: Visitor Center, Palm Pavilion, Seed Vault, Lily Pond, Garden Path, Compost Yard, Tropical House. Twelve statements, seventeen 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 one detective so far.

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

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

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

The testimony

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

  1. Vera was exactly 1 column west of Oscar.
  2. Vera was exactly 1 row south of Abel.
  3. Vera was exactly 1 row north of the Colonel.
  4. Vera and Petra were alone together in one room.
  5. Rufus was exactly 3 columns east of the Curator.
  6. Nestor was exactly 5 rows north of the Professor.
  7. Petra and the Diva were in different rooms.
  8. Jimena was in the same row as a boulder. leaves 14 of 75 squares
    Show it on the board
    CSHPTBOBEFOFLSTLLBOCPSTTSH
    The squares this one statement leaves Jimena: 14 of 75.
  9. Oscar was exactly 4 columns east of Luna.
  10. Luna was somewhere east of the Diva.
  11. Abel was exactly 5 columns west of the Curator.
  12. Exactly 2 people were in the garden path.
Show the squares Jimena had left
CSHPTBOBEFOFLSTLLBOCPSTTSH
The squares still open to Jimena once their own statements are taken into account — 14 of 75.
The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 95 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

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

Another 91 squares fell the same way.

The motive

This case demands the why as well as the who: naming the killer without proving the motive counts for nothing. 8 motives are in play, and these statements narrow them.

  1. Jimena's motive would have been debts.
  2. Abel's motive would have been obsession.
  3. Vera's motive would have been buried secrets.
  4. Petra's motive would have been revenge.
  5. Oscar's motive would have been blackmail.
  6. Whoever did it was not driven by ambition.
  7. Whoever did it was not driven by jealousy.
The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Rufus, in Garden Path (row 6, column 10).

The only motive left standing for Rufus is inheritance.

Show the solved board
CSHPTBOBEFOFLSTLLBOCPSTTSHVRNP✕JOLA
The only arrangement the testimony allows. Rufus 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 Cartographer’s Debt — The Botanical Garden had a false testimony and almost no one to read it — 2 tried. It takes 3 agreeing to make a charge.

Every investigation on 12 October 2026 unfolded at The Botanical Garden, offering ten distinct scenes ranging from compact five-by-five grounds to expansive ten-by-nine layouts. In standard play, the simpler inquiries saw solid progress, though demands grew as motive requirements were introduced on the hard ten-by-eight grid with seven rooms and the expert ten-by-nine board with eight rooms. A guest detective proved exceptionally quick on the standard beginner case at 0m 14s and closed the standard expert board in 4m 44s, while chentian swept the remaining untimed inquiries, logging 0m 09s on easy, 0m 33s on medium, and 4m 13s on hard.

The time attack cases drew a much smaller field of investigators, but the challenges grew sharper. A liar lurked among the six rooms of the medium seven-by-seven investigation, and motive requirements complicated both the hard and expert inquiries, which each featured seven rooms. Chentian claimed the fastest time across every timed scene of the day, finishing beginner in 0m 11s, easy in 0m 12s, medium in 1m 17s, hard in 2m 35s, and finally untangling the grueling expert case in 10m 38s, where only a single solver found success.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: a guest detective — 0m 14s · Easy: chentian — 0m 09s · Medium: chentian — 0m 33s · Hard: chentian — 4m 13s · Expert: a guest detective — 4m 44s · Beginner · time attack: chentian — 0m 11s · Easy · time attack: chentian — 0m 12s · Medium · time attack: chentian — 1m 17s · Hard · time attack: chentian — 2m 35s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 10m 38s

The solutions

The solved boards — spoilers for every case of 12 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 Botanical Garden

✕AWMP
Petra (Doctor)Petra (doctor) was named and charged; 10 detectives closed this one.

Easy — The Botanical Garden

✕YHIVS
Simon (Colonel)The cell door shut on Simon (colonel), on the evidence of 9 detectives.

Medium — The Botanical Garden

LS✕GDMN
Marco (Gardener)8 detectives put Marco (gardener) away before the day was out.

Hard — The Botanical Garden

CJB✕GZLI
Luna (Chef)Luna (chef) is in custody — the case was closed by 6 detectives. The motive — ambition — was proved along with the name.

Expert — The Botanical Garden

✕EQMISNDB
Bianca (Chef)Bianca (chef) ended the day behind bars — convicted by 4 detectives. The motive — jealousy — was proved along with the name.

Beginner · time attack — The Botanical Garden

✕LGIS
Lorenzo (Butler)Lorenzo (butler) was named and charged; 4 detectives closed this one.

Easy · time attack — The Botanical Garden

LIWQ✕U
Ursula (Chef)The cell door shut on Ursula (chef), on the evidence of 2 detectives.

Medium · time attack — The Botanical Garden

✕UMFASQ
Frida (Professor)2 detectives put Frida (professor) away before the day was out. Abel lied for them and was never charged.

Hard · time attack — The Botanical Garden

DNRAKH✕W
Alistair (Gardener)Alistair (gardener) is in custody — the case was closed by 2 detectives. The motive — inheritance — was proved along with the name.

Expert · time attack — The Botanical Garden

VRNP✕JOLA
Rufus (Colonel)Rufus (colonel) ended the day behind bars — convicted by one detective. The motive — inheritance — was proved along with the name.

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Every day's cases — the calendar · ← the cases for 11 October

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