Inkwell Games · Stars

Inkwell Stars solution — January 24, 2026

Stuck on today's Inkwell Games Stars puzzle? Here's the complete step-by-step solution to the 10×10 grid for January 24, 2026 — every star placed with pure logic, one deduction at a time, no guessing. Step through it below.

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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 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 3).
  3. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 7).
  4. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 9).
  5. Star claim: Region 5 must place a star in row 8; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 7, column 8).
  6. Column 3 candidates: Middle cell cannot have star (row 5, column 8).
  7. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 8).
  8. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 7).
  9. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 8, column 7).
  10. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 6).
  11. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 8, column 9).
  12. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 10).
  13. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 6, column 8).
  14. Row 8 complete: Mark 4 remaining cells as X (row 8, column 1).
  15. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 3, column 3).
  16. Mark 5 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 2).
  17. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 3, column 5).
  18. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 5).
  19. Row 3 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 3, column 1).
  20. Column 3 candidates: Middle cell cannot have star (row 6, column 4).
  21. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 5, column 4).
  22. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 7, column 4).
  23. Two last candidates (row 7): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 6, column 1).
  24. Crowding (Row 9): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 10, column 2).
  25. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R4C10 and R5C10 would touch (row 6, column 6).
  26. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 6, column 10).
  27. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 10).
  28. Squeeze (columns 5-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 5, column 1).
  29. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 5, column 6).
  30. Squeeze (columns 1-2): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 4, column 10).
  31. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 4, column 1).
  32. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 1, column 9).
  33. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 1, column 10).
  34. Squeeze (columns 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 1).
  35. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 7, column 2).
  36. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 9, column 2).
  37. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 1, column 2).
  38. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 1).
  39. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 1, column 5).
  40. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 6).
  41. Row 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 7).
  42. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 2, column 7).
  43. Column 5 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 9, column 5).
  44. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 9, column 3).
  45. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 3).
  46. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 10, column 10).
  47. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 9).
  48. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 9, column 1).
  49. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 1).
  50. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 10, column 6).
  51. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 7).
  52. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 2, column 9).
  53. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 10).
  54. 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.