Expert Star Battle

Expert Star Battle answer — October 6, 2026

Stuck on the October 6, 2026 expert Star Battle (also called Two Not Touch)? Here's the complete step-by-step solution to the 10×10 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.

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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. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 3).
  3. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 10, column 8).
  4. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 6).
  5. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 9).
  6. Clump analysis (Region 10): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 1).
  7. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - columns 7-10 can only hold 8 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 9 (row 4, column 5).
  8. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - columns 7-10 can only hold 8 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 9 (row 4, column 7).
  9. Joint analysis (Region 8 + Column 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 7).
  10. Quad analysis (Region 8 + Region 3 + Column 8 + Column 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 8).
  11. Joint analysis (Region 1 + Row 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 5).
  12. Quad analysis (Region 8 + Column 8 + Column 9 + Region 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 6).
  13. Generalized counting (columns 7-10): region star limits exclude these cells (row 8, column 7).
  14. Composite container (columns 1-6): Regions 1, 2, 4, 5 and 10 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 12 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 5, column 5).
  15. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 3, column 7).
  16. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 8).
  17. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 7, column 8).
  18. Composite container (columns 1-6): Regions 1, 2, 4, 5 and 10 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 12 stars - impossible without stars on these cells (row 5, column 6).
  19. Generalized counting (rows 1-2): region star limits exclude these cells (row 3, column 9).
  20. Squeeze (columns 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 9, column 8).
  21. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 9, 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 10, column 6).
  23. Clump analysis (Column 10): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 9).
  24. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 4).
  25. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 8).
  26. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 8).
  27. Clump analysis (Region 9): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 10, column 9).
  28. Joint analysis (Row 2 + Row 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 8).
  29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
  30. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 8).
  31. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 7).
  32. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 7).
  33. Row 10 complete: Mark 4 remaining cells as X (row 10, column 1).
  34. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 5).
  35. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 4).
  36. Clump analysis (Row 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 2).
  37. Squeeze (rows 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 6, column 10).
  38. Generalized counting (columns 1-2): region star limits exclude these cells (row 9, column 2).
  39. Quad analysis (Row 6 + Row 5 + Region 2 + Column 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 3).
  40. Quad analysis (Row 6 + Region 4 + Region 2 + Column 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 1).
  41. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R6C4 and R7C4 would touch (row 1, column 1).
  42. Crowding (Row 1): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 2, column 5).
  43. Two last candidates (row 2): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 1, column 3).
  44. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 1, column 6).
  45. Column 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 7, column 6).
  46. Composite container (rows 6-8): Region 9 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 3 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 7, column 2).
  47. Joint analysis (Row 6 + Column 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 2).
  48. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 2).
  49. Squeeze (rows 4-5): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 3, column 1).
  50. Two last candidates (row 3): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 2, column 4).
  51. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 4).
  52. Row 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 2).
  53. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 2).
  54. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Row 5 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 3, column 4).
  55. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 3).
  56. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 2).
  57. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 5).
  58. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 10).
  59. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 10).
  60. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 1).
  61. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 2).
  62. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 1).
  63. Row 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 4).
  64. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 4).
  65. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 5).
  66. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 3).
  67. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 10).
  68. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 10).
  69. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 1).
  70. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 1).
  71. 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.