Inkwell Stars solution — October 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 7, 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 7, column 4).
4. Three candidates with two adjacent: Isolated candidate must hold a star (row 6, column 4).
5. Mark 6 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 3).
6. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 9, column 3).
7. Two-option rule: Cell adjacent to both candidates (row 9, column 4).
8. Clump analysis (Row 10): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 8, column 6).
9. Crowding (Region 6): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 5, column 6).
10. 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).
11. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 10 must hold 2 stars but the regions there could only supply 1 (row 9, column 9).
12. Clump analysis (Region 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 10, column 10).
13. Joint analysis (Row 5 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 4, column 8).
14. Clump analysis (Region 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 6, column 7).
15. Joint analysis (Region 6 + Row 6): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 6, column 1).
16. 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 1).
17. 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).
18. Clump analysis (Region 8): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 10, column 1).
19. Joint analysis (Region 6 + Region 4): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 3, column 5).
20. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 6, column 6).
21. Crowding (Row 5): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 4, column 9).
22. Crowding (Row 7): a star here would leave too little room for its 2 remaining stars (row 8, column 9).
23. Joint analysis (Region 7 + Region 5): every legal combination of their stars rules these cells out (row 8, column 4).
24. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 3).
25. Mark 2 cells adjacent to stars as X (row 7, column 2).
26. Region completion: 2 stars needed, 2 candidates (row 7, column 1).
27. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 1).
28. Column 1 complete: Mark 5 remaining cells as X (row 1, column 1).
29. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 7).
30. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 2).
31. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 4, column 3).
32. Clump analysis (Column 2): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 2, column 3).
33. Clump analysis (Column 7): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 8).
34. Clump analysis (Column 7): each clump must supply its full share of stars (row 10, column 7).
35. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 10, column 8).
36. Clump analysis (Region 4): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 1, column 4).
37. Star claim: Region 3 must place a star in row 2; cells touching all its options are eliminated (row 3, column 6).
38. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 6).
39. Squeeze (rows 2-3): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 1, column 2).
40. Lookahead: Placing star here leads to contradiction - column 2 must hold 2 stars but the regions there could only supply 1 (row 1, column 9).
41. Squeeze (columns 8-9): the band's clumps can only just fit its stars (row 10, column 3).
42. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 10, column 9).
43. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 9, column 10).
44. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 9, column 5).
45. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 5).
46. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 3).
47. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 2).
48. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 2).
49. Two last candidates (row 8): Eliminate 1 cell adjacent to both (row 7, column 9).
50. Two last candidates (column 9): Eliminate 1 cell adjacent to both (row 4, column 10).
51. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 4, column 4).
52. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 4).
53. Region confined to row: Eliminate other row candidates (row 1, column 10).
54. Clump analysis (Column 10): candidate clumps can only just supply the remaining stars (row 3, column 9).
55. Column completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 5, column 9).
56. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 5, column 8).
57. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 7, column 8).
58. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 8, column 8).
59. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 3, column 8).
60. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 2, column 7).
61. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 5).
62. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 1, column 5).
63. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 1, column 7).
64. Row completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 2, column 10).
65. Mark 1 cell adjacent to stars as X (row 3, column 10).
66. Row 7 complete: Mark 1 remaining cell as X (row 7, column 10).
67. Region completion: 1 star needed, 1 candidate (row 8, column 10).
68. Solved! Every row, column, and region has its two stars, none touching.