Inkwell Stars solution — April 26, 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 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 1).
4. 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).
5. Crowding (Region 4): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 6, column 2).
6. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 1).
7. Blocking rule: a star here would touch every other open cell in its region, leaving no room for the region's second star (row 5, column 2).
8. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 5, column 3).
9. Mark 4 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 3).
10. 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 2, column 3).
11. 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).
12. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 2 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 1, column 2).
13. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - row 1 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 2, column 1).
14. Joint analysis (Region 3 + Region 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 1, column 5).
15. Composite container (columns 4-10): Regions 2, 6, 7, 9 and 10 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 2, column 9).
16. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 2 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 1, column 10).
17. Lookahead: This cell must be a star - eliminating it leads to contradiction (column 2 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3) (row 2, column 10).
18. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 9).
19. Generalized counting (rows 2-2): region star limits exclude these cells (row 2, column 2).
20. Clump analysis (Column 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 1).
21. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 6).
22. Two last candidates (row 2): Eliminate 3 cells adjacent to both (row 1, column 6).
23. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 4, column 5).
24. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 4).
25. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 3, column 3).
26. Column 3 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 1, column 3).
27. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 1, column 4).
28. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 5).
29. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 6).
30. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 7).
31. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 8).
32. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 8).
33. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 9).
34. Row 3 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 3, column 1).
35. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 1).
36. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 1).
37. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 1).
38. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 2).
39. Row 4 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 4, column 10).
40. Column 8 complete: Mark 6 remaining cells as X (row 5, column 8).
41. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 9, column 2).
42. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 8, column 2).
43. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 2).
44. Clump analysis (Column 10): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 5, column 9).
45. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 10).
46. Row 5 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 5, column 7).
47. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 7, column 9).
48. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 8, column 9).
49. Two last candidates (column 9): Eliminate 2 cells adjacent to both (row 9, column 10).
50. Clump analysis (Row 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 7, column 6).
51. Clump analysis (Column 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 6).
52. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 5).
53. Squeeze (rows 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 8, column 10).
54. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 10).
55. Squeeze (rows 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 10, column 9).
56. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 9).
57. Clump analysis (Region 10): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 6).
58. Squeeze (columns 6-7): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 7, column 7).
59. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 7).
60. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 4).
61. Column 4 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 7, column 4).
62. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 5).
63. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 6).
64. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 7).
65. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 6).
66. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 7).
67. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.