Inkwell Stars solution — February 16, 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 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 2).
3. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 7).
4. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 4).
5. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 9).
6. Generalized counting (rows 1-3): region star limits exclude these cells (row 4, column 1).
7. Generalized counting (columns 3-3): region star limits exclude these cells (row 1, column 3).
8. Generalized counting (columns 8-8): region star limits exclude these cells (row 1, column 8).
9. Composite container (columns 4-7): Regions 5 and 10 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 4, column 6).
10. Composite container (columns 4-10): Regions 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 14 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 6, column 3).
11. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 7, column 4).
12. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 3).
13. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 2).
14. 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).
15. Clump analysis (Column 3): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 4, column 2).
16. Mark 5 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 1).
17. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 3).
18. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 2).
19. Two last candidates (column 2): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 6, column 1).
20. Two last candidates (column 4): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 4, column 5).
21. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 6).
22. Crowding (Row 3): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 4, column 9).
23. 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).
24. Composite container (columns 5-7): Region 10 is confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 2, column 5).
25. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 1, column 5).
26. Composite container (columns 4-7): Regions 5 and 10 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 8 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 3, column 6).
27. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 2, column 8).
28. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 7).
30. Row 2 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 2, column 1).
31. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 1).
32. Row 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 10).
33. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 3, column 5).
34. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 10).
35. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 10).
36. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 4).
37. Column 5 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 9, column 5).
38. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 8, column 6).
39. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 6).
40. Two last candidates (row 5): Eliminate 1 cell adjacent to both (row 6, column 10).
41. Clump analysis (Column 8): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 7, column 9).
42. Mark 5 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 8).
43. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 8).
44. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 7).
45. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 6).
46. Row 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 7, column 2).
47. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 1).
48. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 1).
49. Row 9 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 9, column 10).
50. Column 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 10, column 1).
51. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 2).
52. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 10).
53. Column 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 6).
54. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 7).
55. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 9).
56. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 10).
57. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.