Inkwell Games · Stars

Inkwell Stars solution — January 17, 2026

Stuck on today's Inkwell Games Stars puzzle? Here's the complete step-by-step solution to the 9×9 grid for January 17, 2026 — every star placed with pure logic, one deduction at a time, no guessing. Tap Next to step through it.

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Solve walkthrough Step 1 of 56

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

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This is an independent, logic-based walkthrough created by TryHard Puzzles to teach Star Battle solving technique. TryHard Puzzles is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Inkwell Games.