Inkwell Stars solution — February 8, 2026

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: This position would block too many candidates (row 3, column 8).
3. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 8, column 3).
4. Generalized counting (columns 1-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 1, column 2).
5. Composite container (columns 5-10): Regions 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 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 1, column 5).
6. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 5, column 7).
7. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 7).
8. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 8).
9. Composite container (columns 4-10): Regions 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 14 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 9, column 5).
10. Lookahead: This cell must be a star - eliminating it leads to contradiction (Region 4 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs) (row 1, column 1).
11. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 1).
12. Joint analysis (Row 1 + Region 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 10).
13. Joint analysis (Column 1 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 9, column 3).
14. Joint analysis (Region 5 + Region 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 5).
15. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 10).
16. Composite container (columns 5-10): Regions 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 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 9, column 6).
17. Joint analysis (Row 1 + Region 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 10).
18. Joint analysis (Row 3 + Row 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 2).
19. Joint analysis (Region 10 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 4).
20. Triple analysis (Region 5 + Region 6 + Row 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 9).
21. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 2, column 8).
22. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 2, column 7).
23. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 7).
24. Two last candidates (row 1): Eliminate 1 cell adjacent to both (row 2, column 9).
25. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 3, column 9).
26. Clump analysis (Row 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 4).
27. Crowding (Column 8): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 9, column 7).
28. Generalized counting (columns 8-10): region star limits exclude these cells (row 8, column 7).
29. Crowding (Column 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 7, column 7).
30. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 4, column 7).
31. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 6).
32. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 6, column 8).
33. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 9).
34. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 6, column 6).
35. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 5).
36. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 4, column 5).
37. Row 4 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 4, column 1).
38. Row 6 complete: Mark 5 remaining cells as X (row 6, column 1).
39. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 8, column 6).
40. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 5).
41. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 5, column 3).
42. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 2).
43. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 2, column 5).
44. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 4).
45. Row 2 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 2, column 3).
46. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 3, column 3).
47. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 2).
48. Row 3 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 3, column 1).
49. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 5, column 1).
50. Row 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 5, column 10).
51. Column 1 complete: Mark 4 remaining cells as X (row 7, column 1).
52. Column 3 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 7, column 3).
53. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 10, column 2).
54. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 2).
55. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 10, column 4).
56. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 4).
57. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 7, column 2).
58. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 2).
59. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 8, column 4).
60. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 7, column 10).
61. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 9).
62. Row 8 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 8, column 8).
63. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 9, column 8).
64. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 8).
65. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 9, column 10).
66. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 10).
67. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 1, column 9).
68. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 10).
69. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.