Inkwell Stars solution — June 25, 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 8, column 2).
3. Clump analysis (Row 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 2).
4. Clump analysis (Row 10): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 1).
5. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 5).
6. Clump analysis (Region 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 2).
7. Squeeze (rows 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 8, column 9).
8. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 8, column 8).
9. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 10 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 4, column 6).
10. Star claim: Region 3 must place a star in row 5; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 6, column 5).
11. Generalized counting (rows 5-5): region star limits exclude these cells (row 5, column 1).
12. Composite container (rows 2-4): Region 4 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 1, column 1).
13. Region confined to column: Eliminate other column candidates (row 7, column 1).
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 8, column 3).
15. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 9, column 2).
16. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 1).
17. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 6, column 3).
18. Squeeze (columns 1-2): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 2, column 1).
19. Squeeze (columns 2-3): each clump in the band must supply its full share of stars (row 1, column 3).
20. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 4).
21. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 10 can only hold 2 stars but the regions there would be forced to place 3 (row 6, column 10).
22. Joint analysis (Region 7 + Column 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 6).
23. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 4).
24. Joint analysis (Row 6 + Row 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 7, column 2).
25. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 1).
26. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 3).
27. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 4).
28. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 2).
29. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 3).
30. Generalized counting (rows 2-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 7, column 5).
31. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 4).
32. Joint analysis (Row 3 + Region 3): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 8).
33. Joint analysis (Column 9 + Region 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 8).
34. Triple analysis (Region 6 + Region 4 + Column 10): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 5, column 10).
35. Quad analysis (Row 4 + Row 5 + Region 3 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 7).
36. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R7C6 and R8C5 would touch (row 1, column 6).
37. Deep lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - stars at R7C6 and R8C5 would touch (row 1, column 7).
38. Joint analysis (Region 7 + Column 7): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 6).
39. Squeeze (columns 5-6): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 8).
40. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 5).
41. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 8).
42. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 7).
43. Three candidates in a column: Middle cell can't hold a star (row 5, column 9).
44. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 4, column 9).
45. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 10).
46. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 7).
47. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 7).
48. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 10).
49. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 7).
50. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 6).
51. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 9).
52. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 10).
53. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 6).
54. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 5).
55. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 6).
56. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 5).
57. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 10).
58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 10).
59. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 5).
60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 4).
61. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 4).
62. Region complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 10, column 10).
63. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.