Murder mystery sudoku — the daily cases for 15 October 2026

Every detective in the world got these same crime scenes on 2026-10-15 — each difficulty published twice, once untimed and once as time attack. Each case is procedurally generated and then proved to have exactly one logical solution before it is published, including the cases where somebody is lying. You place every suspect back on the map using only their testimony: exactly one person per row, never two in a column. Whoever is left alone with the victim did it.

Beginner — The Bunker

A 5×5 grid across 4 rooms: Watchtower, Radio Room, Generator Room, Airlock. Eight statements, five 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.

Beatrix was in column 3. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Beatrix: 4 of 21.
Beatrix was beside the wooden chair. leaves 2 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Beatrix: 2 of 21.
Helena was in row 4. leaves 5 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Helena: 5 of 21.
Helena was in the watchtower. leaves 1 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Helena: 1 of 21.
Celeste was in the leftmost column. leaves 5 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 5 of 21.
Celeste was in the generator room. leaves 4 of 21 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Celeste: 4 of 21.
Flora was in the generator room. leaves 11 of 21 squares
Flora was in the top row. leaves 3 of 21 squares

Show the squares Beatrix had left

The squares still open to Beatrix 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:

Beatrix can only be in Generator Room (row 3, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.
Celeste can only be in Generator Room (row 2, column 1) — down from 4 possible squares.
Flora can only be in Generator Room (row 1, column 2) — down from 3 possible squares.
Gordon can only be in Watchtower (row 5, column 4) — down from 21 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Helena, in Watchtower (row 4, column 5).

Show the solved board

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

Beginner · time attack — The Bunker

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

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.

The testimony

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

Dorian was in the rightmost column. leaves 5 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 5 of 22.
Dorian was in the bottom row. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Dorian: 1 of 22.
Hilda was in row 4. leaves 5 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 5 of 22.
Hilda was in column 4. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hilda: 1 of 22.
Julia was in the top row. leaves 3 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 3 of 22.
Julia was in column 2. leaves 1 of 22 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julia: 1 of 22.
Bianca was in the generator room. leaves 9 of 22 squares

Show the squares Bianca had left

The squares still open to Bianca once their own statements are taken into account — 9 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:

Lorenzo can only be in Workroom (row 2, column 1) — down from 22 possible squares.
Bianca can only be in Generator Room (row 3, column 3) — down from 9 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Easy — The Bunker

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

Cracked by 8 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. CO — computer · CR — crate · F — floor lamp · R — radio · S — stove · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Oscar was beside the floor lamp. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Oscar: 2 of 29.
Vera was beside the wooden table. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 2 of 29.
Marina was in column 3. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 6 of 29.
Marina was in the generator room. leaves 2 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marina: 2 of 29.
Wanda was in the bottom row. leaves 6 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 6 of 29.
Wanda was in the workroom. leaves 3 of 29 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Wanda: 3 of 29.
Tamara was in column 4. leaves 5 of 29 squares

Show the squares Oscar had left

The squares still open to Oscar 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:

Oscar can only be in Watchtower (row 4, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.
Vera can only be in Pantry (row 2, column 5) — down from 2 possible squares.
Marina can only be in Generator Room (row 1, column 3) — down from 2 possible squares.
Wanda can only be in Workroom (row 6, column 6) — down from 3 possible squares.
Nico can only be in Shelter (row 3, column 2) — down from 29 possible squares.
Tamara can only be in Shelter (row 5, column 4) — down from 5 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Tamara, in Shelter (row 5, column 4).

Show the solved board

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

Easy · time attack — The Bunker

A 6×6 grid across 5 rooms: Airlock, Shelter, Watchtower, Dormitory, Radio Room. Nine statements, eight 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. B — bed (square stays free) · CA — cabinet · CO — computer · G — garbage can · R — radio · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Enzo was in the dormitory. leaves 13 of 30 squares
Selma was in the dormitory. leaves 13 of 30 squares
Selma was in row 2. leaves 2 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Selma: 2 of 30.
Xavier was in column 2. leaves 5 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Xavier: 5 of 30.
Xavier was in the top row. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Xavier: 1 of 30.
Vera was in column 4. leaves 6 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 6 of 30.
Vera was in the watchtower. leaves 1 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vera: 1 of 30.
Tobias was in the bottom row. leaves 5 of 30 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Tobias: 5 of 30.
Tobias was in the dormitory. leaves 3 of 30 squares

Show the squares Selma had left

The squares still open to Selma 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:

Enzo can only be in Dormitory (row 5, column 5) — down from 13 possible squares.
Selma can only be in Dormitory (row 2, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.
Paloma can only be in Watchtower (row 4, column 6) — down from 30 possible squares.
Tobias can only be in Dormitory (row 6, column 3) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Medium · time attack — The Bunker

An 8×7 grid across 6 rooms: Pantry, Watchtower, Dormitory, Generator Room, Shelter, Workroom. Nine statements, eleven squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, 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. CA — carpet (square stays free) · CR — crate · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · S — stove · W — wooden table

The testimony

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

Ada was in the same row as the potted plant. leaves 6 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 6 of 46.
Ada was not in the pantry. leaves 5 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ada: 5 of 46.
Ursula was beside the floor lamp. leaves 3 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Ursula: 3 of 46.
Zeno was beside the potted plant. leaves 2 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Zeno: 2 of 46.
Irene was in the same room as the Heiress.
Jimena was beside the carpet. leaves 2 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Jimena: 2 of 46.
Horacio was in the same row as the carpet. leaves 15 of 46 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 15 of 46.
Horacio was somewhere west of Ursula.
Horacio was in the pantry or in the generator room. leaves 3 of 46 squares

Show the squares Zeno had left

The squares still open to Zeno 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:

Ada can only be in Shelter (row 3, column 1) — down from 5 possible squares.
Ursula can only be in Watchtower (row 5, column 5) — down from 3 possible squares.
Zeno can only be in Watchtower (row 2, column 8) — down from 2 possible squares.
Irene can only be in Dormitory (row 4, column 7) — down from 46 possible squares.
Jimena can only be in Dormitory (row 6, column 6) — down from 2 possible squares.
Horacio can only be in Generator Room (row 7, column 4) — down from 3 possible squares.
Cesar can only be in Shelter (row 1, column 2) — down from 46 possible squares.

The answer

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

Show the solved board

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

Medium — The Bunker

A 7×7 grid across 6 rooms: Pantry, Workroom, Watchtower, Generator Room, Radio Room, Dormitory. Nine statements, twelve squares nobody could stand on, almost as many rooms as suspects, so a room claim nearly names a square, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

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

The testimony

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

Petra was beside the potted plant. leaves 2 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Petra: 2 of 39.
Bianca was somewhere north of Kira.
Bianca was in the same room as Queralt.
Bianca was in the same column as the wooden table. leaves 5 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Bianca: 5 of 39.
Bianca was in the same row as the garbage can. leaves 1 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Bianca: 1 of 39.
Queralt was not touching the outer wall. leaves 20 of 39 squares
Sol was beside the carpet. leaves 3 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Sol: 3 of 39.
Nico was in the workroom or in the watchtower. leaves 13 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nico: 13 of 39.
Kira was in column 5. leaves 5 of 39 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Kira: 5 of 39.

Show the squares Petra had left

The squares still open to Petra once their own statements are taken into account — 2 of 39.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Queralt can only be in Workroom (row 2, column 4) — down from 20 possible squares.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 25 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Petra stood in Generator Room (row 7, column 6), Kira would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Enzo stood in Pantry (row 1, column 2), Nico would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Sol stood in Radio Room (row 5, column 1), Nico would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Nico in Workroom (row 1, column 5) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 21 squares fell the same way.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Kira, in Dormitory (row 4, column 5).

Show the solved board

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

Hard — The Bunker

An 8×8 grid across 6 rooms: Shelter, Radio Room, Workroom, Airlock, Dormitory, Pantry. Sixteen statements, fifteen squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry — and one of the eight was lying throughout.

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

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

The testimony

What each person said. One of these 8 is the killer's accomplice and every word they said is false — but not which one, not yet.

Julian was in the same room as Greta.
Julian was somewhere south of Leo.
Julian was in row 3. if true, leaves 7 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Julian: 7 of 52.
Rita was in the same column as the wooden chair. if true, leaves 8 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 8 of 52.
Rita was somewhere east of the Curator.
Rita was in the same row as the wooden chair. if true, leaves 1 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 1 of 52.
Nadia was in the same column as the radio. if true, leaves 7 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nadia: 7 of 52.
Nadia was not lying in any bed.
Nadia was in the same row as the cabinet. if true, leaves 1 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Nadia: 1 of 52.
Fabio was somewhere north of Horacio.
Greta was in the northern half of the scene. if true, leaves 24 of 52
Greta was somewhere west of the Butler.
Horacio was beside the radio. if true, leaves 3 of 52
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Horacio: 3 of 52.
Horacio was somewhere south of the Colonel.
Leo was in column 6. if true, leaves 7 of 52
Leo was somewhere north of the Journalist.

Show the squares Horacio had left

The squares still open to Horacio once their own statements are taken into account — 3 of 52.

Unmasking the liar

One of these 8 people is the killer's accomplice, and every word they said is false — but you are not told which. Take each in turn: read their statements backwards and ask whether the rest of the testimony can still be satisfied.

If Julian were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Rita were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Nadia were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Fabio were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.

Another 2 candidates collapse the same way.

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

Read backwards, Greta actually told you:

Greta was NOT in the northern half of the scene.
Greta was NOT west of the Butler.

What the testimony settles on its own

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

Julian can only be in Shelter (row 3, column 3) — down from 7 possible squares.
Fabio can only be in Pantry (row 6, column 4) — down from 52 possible squares.
Greta can only be in Shelter (row 5, column 5) — down from 24 possible squares.
Elias can only be in Dormitory (row 4, column 8) — down from 52 possible squares.
Horacio can only be in Pantry (row 7, column 2) — down from 3 possible squares.
Leo can only be in Airlock (row 1, column 6) — down from 7 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Rita, in Dormitory (row 8, column 7). Greta lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board

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

Hard · time attack — The Bunker

A 10×8 grid across 6 rooms: Dormitory, Hydroponics, Shelter, Workroom, Radio Room, Watchtower. Eleven statements, fifteen squares nobody could stand on, and one round of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry.

Cracked by one detective so far.

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

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

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

The testimony

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

Octavio was in the same row as the crate. leaves 9 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Octavio: 9 of 68.
Octavio was in the same column as the radio. leaves 1 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Octavio: 1 of 68.
Wanda was all alone in a room.
Ursula was somewhere north of the Heiress.
Ursula was all alone in a room.
Boris was in the same column as the wooden table. leaves 6 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Boris: 6 of 68.
Elena was in the same column as the bed. leaves 14 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Elena: 14 of 68.
Elena was exactly 3 rows south of Wanda.
Nadia was exactly 4 columns west of the Doctor.
Clara was somewhere south of the Butler.
Clara was beside the wooden chair. leaves 1 of 68 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Clara: 1 of 68.

Show the squares Boris had left

The squares still open to Boris once their own statements are taken into account — 6 of 68.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 47 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Katia stood in Radio Room (row 2, column 1), Nadia would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Put Wanda in Hydroponics (row 5, column 2) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Put Ursula in Dormitory (row 3, column 7) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Boris stood in Workroom (row 2, column 10), Ursula would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 43 squares fell the same way.

Katia can only be in Workroom (row 8, column 9) — down from 7 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Boris, in Workroom (row 4, column 10).

Show the solved board

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

Expert — The Bunker

A 9×9 grid across 7 rooms: Airlock, Generator Room, Pantry, Watchtower, Dormitory, Workroom, Shelter. Eighteen statements, nineteen squares nobody could stand on, and two rounds of assume-and-test after elimination ran dry — and one of the nine was lying throughout.

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

Cracked by 3 detectives so far.

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

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

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

The testimony

What each person said. One of these 9 is the killer's accomplice and every word they said is false — but not which one, not yet.

Jimena was somewhere west of the Professor.
Jimena and Zaida were in different rooms.
Jimena and the Heiress were in different rooms.
Marco was in the same column as a stove. if true, leaves 7 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Marco: 7 of 65.
Vivienne was in the same row as the carpet. if true, leaves 14 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 14 of 65.
Vivienne was in the same column as the crate. if true, leaves 2 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Vivienne: 2 of 65.
Ignacio was somewhere north of Jimena.
Rita was somewhere east of Vivienne.
Rita was somewhere south of Jimena.
Rita was in the same row as the wooden chair. if true, leaves 7 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 7 of 65.
Rita was in the same column as the potted plant. if true, leaves 1 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Rita: 1 of 65.
Hugo was in the same row as the crate. if true, leaves 8 of 65
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Hugo: 8 of 65.
Zaida was in the same column as the carpet. if true, leaves 14 of 65
Nora was in the same column as a computer. if true, leaves 50 of 65
Nora was in the same row as the wooden chair. if true, leaves 45 of 65
Exactly 2 people were in the shelter.
Exactly 3 people were in the generator room.
Exactly 2 people were in the workroom.

Show the squares Vivienne had left

The squares still open to Vivienne once their own statements are taken into account — 2 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 Jimena were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Marco were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Vivienne were the one lying, no arrangement satisfies the rest. Not them.
If Ignacio 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 in the same column as a computer.
Nora was NOT in the same row as the wooden chair.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 93 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Put Jimena in Generator Room (row 2, column 6) and the testimony cannot be satisfied at all. So not there.
Had Marco stood in Generator Room (row 2, column 9), Jimena would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Ignacio stood in Pantry (row 1, column 1), Vivienne would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Hugo stood in Shelter (row 8, column 9), Marco would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 89 squares fell the same way.

Jimena can only be in Shelter (row 3, column 2) — down from 7 possible squares.
Marco can only be in Generator Room (row 7, column 9) — down from 2 possible squares.
Vivienne can only be in Dormitory (row 2, column 1) — down from 2 possible squares.
Ignacio can only be in Generator Room (row 1, column 5) — down from 6 possible squares.
Hugo can only be in Shelter (row 8, column 7) — down from 5 possible squares.
Lorenzo can only be in Workroom (row 9, column 3) — down from 8 possible squares.
Zaida can only be in Airlock (row 5, column 6) — down from 3 possible squares.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Nora, in Workroom (row 6, column 4). Nora lied throughout and was never charged.

Show the solved board

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

Expert · time attack — The Bunker

A 10×9 grid across 7 rooms: Workroom, Pantry, Hydroponics, Airlock, Radio Room, Generator Room, Dormitory. 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. B — bed (square stays free) · CA — cabinet · CO — computer · CR — carpet (square stays free) · CT — crate · F — floor lamp · G — garbage can · P — potted plant · R — radio · S — stove · WD — wooden table · WO — wooden chair (square stays free)

The testimony

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

Vivienne was exactly 1 column west of the Diva.
Abel was somewhere south of the Diva.
Frida was exactly 5 rows north of the Curator.
Marco was all alone in a room.
Marco was exactly 2 rows north of the Journalist.
Oscar was in the same column as the garbage can. leaves 7 of 76 squares
Show it on the board
The squares this one statement leaves Oscar: 7 of 76.
Celeste was somewhere south of the Chauffeur.
Rufus was somewhere east of the Colonel.
Julia was exactly 8 columns east of Celeste.
Julia was all alone in a room.
Julia was exactly 1 row south of Oscar.
Exactly 2 people were in the hydroponics bay.

Show the squares Oscar had left

The squares still open to Oscar once their own statements are taken into account — 7 of 76.

The squares that had to be tested

The rest does not fall out on its own. It takes 259 eliminations of the same move: put someone on a square, follow the consequences, and watch the board contradict itself.

Had Vivienne stood in Generator Room (row 3, column 9), Frida would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Abel stood in Dormitory (row 2, column 1), Oscar would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Frida stood in Dormitory (row 1, column 3), Vivienne would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.
Had Marco stood in Dormitory (row 1, column 1), Vivienne would have had nowhere left to stand. So not there.

Show what goes wrong

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

Another 255 squares fell the same way.

Vivienne can only be in Dormitory (row 4, column 5) — down from 11 possible squares.
Abel can only be in Dormitory (row 3, column 4) — down from 35 possible squares.
Frida can only be in Dormitory (row 1, column 6) — down from 8 possible squares.
Marco can only be in Pantry (row 2, column 3) — down from 8 possible squares.
Yago can only be in Hydroponics (row 5, column 9) — down from 6 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.

Celeste's motive would have been buried secrets.
Julia's motive would have been blackmail.
Oscar's motive would have been obsession.
Marco's motive would have been debts.
Frida's motive would have been inheritance.
Whoever did it was not driven by jealousy.
Whoever did it was not driven by revenge.

The answer

That leaves one arrangement, and one person who could have done it: Rufus, in Hydroponics (row 6, column 8).

The only motive left standing for Rufus is ambition.

Show the solved board

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 lie at The Bunker did not survive 6 readings. A charge needs 3; this one had room to spare.

The investigation on 15 October 2026 was confined entirely underground, with all ten cases set in The Bunker. Across the standard boards, a guest detective claimed every top record. Progress began quickly on the 5x5 grid with four rooms, solved twelve times out of fifteen plays and topped in 0m 12s. The 6x6 followed with eight solutions from nine attempts, led at 0m 17s, while the 7x7 saw nine solves from fifteen plays, fastest at 0m 19s. Complications emerged as liars entered the fray on the larger layouts. The 8x8 board, containing six rooms and an untruthful suspect, yielded six solutions from nine tries, bested in 1m 56s. The 9x9 expert floor plan, with seven rooms and another liar, proved unforgiving, seeing three solves from five attempts, led in 2m 49s.

Against the clock, the rooms were sparse, yet chentian cleared the board with a complete sweep. Beginning on a 5x5 layout of three rooms, chentian set the pace at 0m 10s across two plays and two solutions, followed by a 6x6 case solved three times in as many attempts, stopped at 0m 17s. The 8x7 medium case produced two solutions from three tries, taken in 0m 47s. Solitary ventures closed the run, where chentian solved the 10x8 hard grid in 2m 47s and finally deciphered the 10x9 expert assignment—the day's lone case demanding an established motive—in 10m 51s.

Fastest detectives of the day

Beginner: a guest detective — 0m 12s · Easy: a guest detective — 0m 17s · Medium: a guest detective — 0m 19s · Hard: a guest detective — 1m 56s · Expert: a guest detective — 2m 49s · Beginner · time attack: chentian — 0m 10s · Easy · time attack: chentian — 0m 17s · Medium · time attack: chentian — 0m 47s · Hard · time attack: chentian — 2m 47s · Expert · time attack: chentian — 10m 51s