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