Inkwell Stars solution — March 7, 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 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 2).
3. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 4).
4. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 5).
5. Generalized counting (columns 3-3): region star limits exclude these cells (row 1, column 3).
6. Composite container (columns 4-10): Regions 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9 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).
7. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 7 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 4, column 1).
8. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 2, column 1).
9. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 2, column 2).
10. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 3, column 1).
11. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 7 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 6, column 2).
12. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 5, column 2).
13. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 3).
14. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 3, column 3).
15. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 4).
16. Row 3 complete: Mark 6 remaining cells as X (row 3, column 5).
17. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 9).
18. Composite container (rows 1-6): Regions 1, 2 and 3 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 4 of the band's 12 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 5, column 7).
19. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - Region 7 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs (row 6, column 4).
20. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 5, column 4).
21. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 5).
22. Row 5 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 5, column 6).
23. Clump analysis (Row 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 6).
24. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 4, column 8).
25. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 7).
26. Clump analysis (Column 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 4).
27. Star claim: Region 3 must place a star in row 2; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 1, column 8).
28. Crowding (Region 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 9, column 8).
29. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R6C6 and R6C7 would touch (row 8, column 8).
30. Joint analysis (Region 9 + Column 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 9, column 10).
31. Triple analysis (Column 1 + Row 9 + Row 8): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 10, column 1).
32. Triple analysis (Row 9 + Row 10 + Region 10): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 5).
33. Clump analysis (Column 5): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 7, column 5).
34. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 6).
35. Row 3 candidates: Middle cell cannot have star (row 6, column 8).
36. Row completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 6, column 7).
37. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 6, column 9).
38. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 10).
39. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 9, column 9).
40. Clump analysis (Column 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 10).
41. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 4, column 6).
42. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 2, column 9).
43. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
44. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 2, column 7).
45. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 7).
46. Row 2 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 2, column 5).
47. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 1, column 5).
48. Column 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 8, column 7).
49. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 10, column 8).
50. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 9).
51. Column 9 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 8, column 9).
52. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 8, column 10).
53. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 10, column 10).
54. Row 10 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 10, column 2).
55. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 9, column 4).
56. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 3).
57. Region complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 7, column 1).
58. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 7, column 3).
59. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 8, column 1).
60. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 1).
61. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 9, column 6).
62. Column 1 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 1).
63. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 1, column 2).
64. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.