Inkwell Stars solution — March 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: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 2, column 8).
3. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 3, column 5).
4. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 1).
5. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 4).
6. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 4).
7. Joint analysis (Region 4 + Region 1): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 3).
8. Composite container (columns 1-3): Regions 1 and 4 are confined here, so the leftover cells owe exactly 2 of the band's 6 stars - a star on these cells would crowd them out (row 8, column 2).
9. Joint analysis (Row 2 + Row 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 8).
10. Joint analysis (Region 3 + Row 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 6).
11. Region dichotomy: Region 5 has only two ways to place its stars, and one of them fails (Column 3 would only have room for 1 of the 2 stars it still needs) - so its stars are R3C4 and R3C6 (row 3, column 4).
12. Mark 7 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 5).
13. Row 3 complete: Mark 2 remaining cells as X (row 3, 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 1, column 8).
15. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 1, column 7).
16. Clump analysis (Row 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 1).
17. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 9).
18. Clump analysis (Row 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 1).
19. Clump analysis (Row 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 4).
20. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 2).
21. Generalized counting (rows 8-9): region star limits exclude these cells (row 8, column 5).
22. Generalized counting (columns 4-5): region star limits exclude these cells (row 5, column 6).
23. Two last candidates (column 6): Eliminate 3 cells adjacent to both (row 8, column 7).
24. Clump analysis (Column 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 8).
25. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 3).
26. Clump analysis (Region 7): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 7, column 3).
27. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 2).
28. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 2, column 2).
29. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 3).
30. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 4, column 1).
31. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 2).
32. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 3).
33. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 4).
34. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 2).
35. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 1).
36. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 9, column 4).
37. Row 9 complete: Mark 3 remaining cells as X (row 9, column 6).
38. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 6).
39. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 5).
40. Column 4 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 4).
41. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 5).
42. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 7, column 8).
43. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 8).
44. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 9).
45. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 5).
46. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 5).
47. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 7).
48. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 8).
49. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 9).
50. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 9).
51. Row 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 6, column 1).
52. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 1).
53. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.