Hard Star Battle

Hard Star Battle answer — October 1, 2025

Stuck on the October 1, 2025 hard Star Battle (also called Two Not Touch)? Here's the complete step-by-step solution to the 9×9 grid — every star placed with pure logic, one deduction at a time, no guessing. Tap Next to step through it, or brush up on the rules first.

Solve walkthrough Step 1 of 54

Full written solution

Every deduction from the walkthrough above, in order. Each technique is explained in the Star Battle strategy guide.

  1. Starting position — the grid is split into regions (bold outlines). Each row, column, and region needs exactly two stars, and no two stars may touch.
  2. 3-cell region rule: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 7, column 4).
  3. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 7, column 3).
  4. Mark 7 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 2).
  5. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 5).
  6. Mark 5 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 5).
  7. Row 7 complete: Mark 4 remaining cells as X (row 7, column 1).
  8. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 7).
  9. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
  10. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 4, column 8).
  11. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 7).
  12. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 3).
  13. Crowding (Row 8): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 9, column 8).
  14. Crowding (Region 2): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 4, column 3).
  15. Region confined to row: Eliminate other row candidates (row 5, column 1).
  16. Region confined to row: Eliminate other row candidates (row 5, column 7).
  17. Region confined to row: Eliminate other row candidates (row 5, column 9).
  18. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 4, column 9).
  19. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 8).
  20. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 7).
  21. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 6).
  22. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 2, column 4).
  23. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 2, column 3).
  24. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 2).
  25. Column 3 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 5, column 3).
  26. Clump analysis (Column 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 1).
  27. Clump analysis (Column 2): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 9, column 2).
  28. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 1).
  29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 1).
  30. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 2).
  31. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 5, column 4).
  32. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 4).
  33. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 6).
  34. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 7).
  35. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 2).
  36. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 1).
  37. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 5).
  38. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 5).
  39. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 4).
  40. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 5).
  41. Row 9 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 9, column 6).
  42. Column 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 5).
  43. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 6).
  44. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 7).
  45. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 7).
  46. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 8).
  47. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 9).
  48. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 1, column 8).
  49. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
  50. Row 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 1).
  51. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 1).
  52. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 8).
  53. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 9).
  54. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.

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This step-by-step walkthrough is generated by the TryHard Puzzles solver to teach Star Battle (Two Not Touch) solving technique.