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