Inkwell Stars solution — February 14, 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. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 7).
3. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 9).
4. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 2).
5. Generalized counting (rows 1-2): region star limits exclude these cells (row 2, column 3).
6. Composite container (rows 3-10): Regions 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 16 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 3, column 2).
7. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 1 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 1, column 1).
8. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 2 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 1, column 2).
9. Triple analysis (Column 2 + Region 4 + Region 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 4).
10. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R6C4 and R7C5 would touch (row 1, column 3).
11. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Column 4 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 1, column 5).
12. Joint analysis (Region 2 + Row 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 9).
13. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 4 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 1, column 6).
14. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 5).
15. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 4 would only have room for 0 of the 1 star it still needs (row 1, column 7).
16. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 1, column 8).
17. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
18. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 10).
19. Crowding (Region 8): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 9, column 8).
20. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R6C4 and R7C5 would touch (row 1, column 10).
21. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 4).
22. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 5).
23. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 6).
24. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 7).
25. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 3, column 10).
26. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 10).
27. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 10).
28. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 9).
29. Row 2 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 2, column 1).
30. Clump analysis (Column 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 1).
31. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 10, column 2).
32. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 2).
33. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 3).
34. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 2).
35. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 2).
36. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 1).
37. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 1).
38. Row 8 complete: Mark 5 remaining cells as X (row 8, column 5).
39. Three candidates in a row: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 9, column 6).
40. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 9, column 5).
41. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 4).
42. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 7).
43. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 7).
44. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 9).
45. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 3, column 3).
46. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 4).
47. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 6, column 5).
48. Two last candidates (column 4): Eliminate 1 cell adjacent to both (row 5, column 5).
49. Two last candidates (column 9): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 6, column 8).
50. Clump analysis (Column 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 7).
51. Clump analysis (Column 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 6).
52. Star claim: Region 5 must place a star in column 8; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 4, column 8).
53. Crowding (Row 5): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 4, column 5).
54. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 5).
55. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 4).
56. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 9).
57. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 8).
58. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 3, column 8).
59. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 7).
60. Row 3 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 3, column 1).
61. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 1).
62. Row 4 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 4, column 6).
63. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 4).
64. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 6).
65. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 7).
66. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.