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