Kludoku

Translate testimony into candidate cells

Start by marking where each suspect can still be. Different clues create different shapes on the board:

• a room statement selects every cell inside that room;
• a row or column statement selects one line;
• a furniture clue selects the cells occupied by that object;
• a neighbor clue selects the cells beside another person or object.

Intersect clues about the same suspect. A row crossing a room may leave one square, which is far more useful than either clue on its own.

Update every candidate set after a placement

After placing a suspect, remove that row and column from every other candidate set. Check the room boundaries again too. These updates will often eliminate several more cells.

Return to broad testimony after each placement. A room clue that began with six possible cells may now have only one.

Accuse late

Complete a consistent scene before using the victim to identify the murderer. With only a few suspects left, compare their possible rooms with the victim’s room and keep the pairing that satisfies every testimony. In accomplice cases, invert the liar’s complete set of statements as one rule.

Use What if for a two-cell tie

What if is most useful when a suspect has two remaining cells. Try one cell and apply every row, column, and room consequence. A contradiction rejects that branch. A branch without a contradiction still needs support from the other suspects.