Inkwell Games · Stars

Inkwell Stars solution — July 19, 2026

Stuck on today's Inkwell Games Stars puzzle? Here's the complete step-by-step solution to the 10×10 grid for July 19, 2026 — every star placed with pure logic, one deduction at a time, no guessing. Step through it below.

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Solve walkthrough Step 1 of 72

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 9, column 2).
  3. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 9).
  4. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - columns 8-10 must hold 6 stars but the regions there could only supply 5 (row 4, column 7).
  5. Joint analysis (Region 4 + Region 2): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 2, column 9).
  6. Triple analysis (Region 4 + Region 2 + Column 10): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 10).
  7. Triple analysis (Region 8 + Region 9 + Row 9): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 9, column 7).
  8. Triple analysis (Region 8 + Region 9 + Row 10): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 10, column 3).
  9. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 9, column 1).
  10. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 8, column 1).
  11. Mark 3 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 1).
  12. Generalized counting (columns 1-2): region star limits exclude these cells (row 1, column 1).
  13. Composite container (columns 3-10): Regions 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 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 5, column 3).
  14. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 9, column 4).
  15. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 9, column 5).
  16. Generalized counting (rows 10-10): region star limits exclude these cells (row 10, column 8).
  17. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 8, column 6).
  18. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 8, column 7).
  19. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 9, column 6).
  20. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 5).
  21. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 6, column 6).
  22. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 6, column 7).
  23. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 9, column 3).
  24. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 10, column 4).
  25. Clump analysis (Row 9): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 9).
  26. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 8).
  27. Generalized counting (columns 1-4): region star limits exclude these cells (row 1, column 3).
  28. Clump analysis (Region 6): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 4).
  29. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 7, column 7).
  30. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 6, column 8).
  31. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 5, column 2).
  32. Clump analysis (Region 5): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 1).
  33. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 10, column 2).
  34. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 3, column 3).
  35. Clump analysis (Region 3): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 4, column 1).
  36. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 6, column 3).
  37. Generalized counting (rows 7-9): region star limits exclude these cells (row 7, column 5).
  38. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 5, column 5).
  39. Blocking rule: This position would block too many candidates (row 5, column 6).
  40. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must have star (row 6, column 5).
  41. Row 6 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 6, column 1).
  42. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 5, column 1).
  43. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 2).
  44. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 3, column 2).
  45. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 3).
  46. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 8, column 3).
  47. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 4).
  48. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 2, column 5).
  49. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 3, column 5).
  50. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 3, column 6).
  51. Clump analysis (Region 1): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 8).
  52. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 5, column 7).
  53. Clump analysis (Column 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 6).
  54. Crowding (Row 4): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 3, column 9).
  55. Squeeze (rows 1-2): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 5).
  56. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 2, column 4).
  57. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 4, column 5).
  58. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 2, column 10).
  59. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 10).
  60. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 1, column 8).
  61. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 1, column 6).
  62. Row completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 4, column 10).
  63. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 10).
  64. Region completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 5, column 8).
  65. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 3, column 7).
  66. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 8).
  67. Column 8 complete: Mark 1 remaining cells as X (row 9, column 8).
  68. Column completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 7, column 9).
  69. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 10).
  70. Column completion: 1 stars needed, 1 candidates (row 9, column 9).
  71. Mark 1 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 10).
  72. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.

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This is an independent, logic-based walkthrough created by TryHard Puzzles to teach Star Battle solving technique. TryHard Puzzles is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Inkwell Games.