Clues by Sam Jan 17, 2026 Answer – Full Solution Explained
Hard·Solved
A1
👨🎨
Chase
painter
B1
👩🏫
Dana
teacher
C1
💂♀️
Evie
guard
D1
👨🍳
Frank
cook
A2
🕵️♂️
Gabe
sleuth
B2
👷♂️
Ivan
builder
C2
👨🍳
John
cook
D2
👩🍳
Kay
cook
A3
🕵️♀️
Laura
sleuth
B3
👨⚖️
Martin
judge
C3
💂♀️
Nicole
guard
D3
💂♂️
Olof
guard
A4
👩⚖️
Petra
judge
B4
👩🏫
Susan
teacher
C4
👨✈️
Thor
pilot
D4
👷♀️
Uma
builder
A5
👩🎨
Vicky
painter
B5
👨⚖️
Will
judge
C5
👨✈️
Xavi
pilot
D5
👩🎨
Zoe
painter
Final Board State
This puzzle is fully solved.
All characters have been identified as innocent or criminal based on today's clues.
Final Result
Innocent 4Criminal 16Unknown 0
See how each clue leads to the final result
Answer (spoilers)
A quick reference of the final identities. For explanations, see the reasoning above.
▶ Answer list (spoilers)
Innocent · 4
[ B1 ] [ A2 ] [ C2 ] [ C3 ]
Criminal · 16
[ A1 ] [ C1 ] [ D1 ] [ B2 ] [ D2 ] [ A3 ] [ B3 ] [ D3 ] [ A4 ] [ B4 ] [ C4 ] [ D4 ] [ A5 ] [ B5 ] [ C5 ] [ D5 ]
Clues
Raw text reference from the original puzzle
Original clue texts as provided in today's puzzle. No deductions or interpretations are applied here.
▶ Raw clues (original text)
A1 · Chase
"Susan is one of Thor's 7 criminal neighbors"
B1 · Dana
"Chase is one of 2 criminals above Petra"
C1 · Evie
"I was nowhere near the crime scene! Where did you say it was again?"
D1 · Frank
"I was committing another crime... no, I mean, sleeping."
A2 · Gabe
"What's the crime again?"
B2 · Ivan
"I was in a meeting when it happened!"
C2 · John
"Only one column has exactly 3 criminals"
D2 · Kay
"Exactly 1 innocent in column C is neighboring John"
A3 · Laura
"It wasn't me! It was... someone called... Wendy! You just missed her."
B3 · Martin
"I have an alibi! You can ask my mom!"
C3 · Nicole
"Ivan, do you even know when it happend? What ever it was."
D3 · Olof
"Only 1 of the 3 innocents neighboring Martin is in column A"
A4 · Petra
"There are exactly 2 innocents above Xavi"
B4 · Susan
"All criminals in row 5 are connected"
C4 · Thor
"What ever you're accusing me of, I didn't do it!"
D4 · Uma
"Are you sure there even was a crime?"
A5 · Vicky
"Only 1 of the 4 innocents neighboring Ivan is in row 3"
B5 · Will
"There are more innocents in row 3 than row 5"
C5 · Xavi
"Row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals"
D5 · Zoe
"Exactly 2 innocents above Xavi are neighboring Ivan"
Answer Explanation
Full reasoning transcript (reference)
This is the full reasoning transcript for today's puzzle. For an interactive walkthrough, use Replay above.
▶ View full transcript (19 steps)
A1 · Chase → CRIMINAL
Because: Dana’s clue explicitly says, “Chase is one of 2 criminals above Petra,” which directly identifies Chase as a criminal. Therefore, we can determine that A1 Chase is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Chase is one of 2 criminals above Petra" — Dana (B1)
B4 · Susan → CRIMINAL
Because: Chase’s clue explicitly says “Susan is one of Thor’s 7 criminal neighbors,” and since all statements are true, this directly means Susan is a criminal. Therefore, we can determine that B4 Susan is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Susan is one of Thor's 7 criminal neighbors" — Chase (A1)
C5 · Xavi → CRIMINAL
Because: Relevant people: Thor at C4 and his neighbors, including Susan at B4 and the row 5 trio B5–C5–D5; row 5 connectivity concerns A5–B5–C5–D5. Chase’s clue says Susan is one of Thor’s seven criminal neighbors, so among Thor’s eight neighbors exactly one is innocent. Besides Susan, Thor’s remaining seven neighbors include B5, C5, and D5, so at most one of those three can be innocent—meaning at least two of B5, C5, and D5 are criminals. Susan’s clue says all criminals in row 5 are connected, so any two or more criminals among B5, C5, and D5 must be contiguous. The only way two or more of these three can be connected is if C5 is one of the criminals (B5 and D5 alone would be disconnected). Therefore, we can determine that C5 · Xavi is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Susan is one of Thor's 7 criminal neighbors" — Chase (A1)
"All criminals in row 5 are connected" — Susan (B4)
B5 · Will → CRIMINAL
Because: Relevant people: Thor at C4, Susan at B4, Xavi at C5, Will at B5, and Zoe at D5. Thor has exactly 7 criminal neighbors and Susan is one of them, so among his other neighbors (which include Will and Zoe) at most one can be innocent—meaning at least one of Will or Zoe is criminal. With Xavi already criminal in row 5, that gives row 5 at least two criminals; but Xavi also says row 2 is the only row with exactly two criminals, so row 5 must have three or four. Susan states all criminals in row 5 are connected; with C5 in that connected group and the row needing at least three criminals, the connected block must pass through B5. Therefore, we can determine that B5 (Will) is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Susan is one of Thor's 7 criminal neighbors" — Chase (A1)
"All criminals in row 5 are connected" — Susan (B4)
"Row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals" — Xavi (C5)
D5 · Zoe → CRIMINAL
Because: Relevant people are around Thor at C4: his eight neighbors are B3, C3, D3, B4 (Susan), D4, B5 (Will), C5 (Xavi), and D5 (Zoe). “Susan is one of Thor’s 7 criminal neighbors” means exactly seven of these eight are criminals; with Susan, Will, and Xavi already criminals, the remaining five—B3, C3, D3, D4, and D5—contain exactly one innocent. “There are more innocents in row 3 than row 5,” and since row 5 already has two criminals (Will and Xavi), if D5 were that one innocent then row 3 could have at most one innocent (only A3), while row 5 would have at least one, so row 3 could not have more than row 5. Hence D5 cannot be the lone innocent in that group and must be a criminal. Therefore, we can determine that D5 · Zoe is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Susan is one of Thor's 7 criminal neighbors" — Chase (A1)
"There are more innocents in row 3 than row 5" — Will (B5)
A5 · Vicky → CRIMINAL
Because: Thor (C4) has eight neighbors: B3, C3, D3, B4, D4, B5, C5, and D5, and the clue says exactly seven of them are criminals, with Susan (B4) among those criminals. Since B4, B5 (Will), C5 (Xavi), and D5 (Zoe) are already known criminals, the single innocent among Thor’s neighbors must be one of B3, C3, D3, or D4, so at least three of those four are criminals; in particular, row 3 (B3, C3, D3, A3) already has at least two criminals among B3/C3/D3. Because row 2 is the only row with exactly two criminals, row 3 cannot have exactly two, so it must have at least three criminals and therefore at most one innocent. Will’s clue says row 3 has more innocents than row 5, so row 5 must have zero innocents, which makes A5 (Vicky) a criminal. Therefore, we can determine that Vicky is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Susan is one of Thor's 7 criminal neighbors" — Chase (A1)
"Row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals" — Xavi (C5)
"There are more innocents in row 3 than row 5" — Will (B5)
D3 · Olof → CRIMINAL
Because: Ivan is at B2, and Vicky’s clue says he has exactly 4 innocent neighbors with only 1 of those in row 3, so among Ivan’s row‑3 neighbors A3, B3, and C3, exactly two are criminals. Xavi’s clue says row 2 is the only row with exactly two criminals, so row 3 cannot total exactly two criminals. Row 3 already has two criminals among A3/B3/C3, so to avoid row 3 having exactly two, the remaining spot in that row, D3 (Olof), must also be a criminal. Therefore, we can determine that D3 Olof is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals" — Xavi (C5)
"Only 1 of the 4 innocents neighboring Ivan is in row 3" — Vicky (A5)
A4 · Petra → CRIMINAL
Because: Consider column A around Petra at A4: above her are A1 (Chase), A2 (Gabe), and A3 (Laura), and Martin’s column-A neighbors are A2, A3, and A4. Dana says there are exactly 2 criminals above Petra and Chase is one of them, so between A2 and A3 exactly one is criminal and the other is innocent. Olof says Martin has exactly three innocent neighbors and only one of them is in column A, so among A2, A3, and A4 there is exactly one innocent. Since A2/A3 already account for exactly one innocent, A4 cannot be innocent. Therefore, we can determine that A4 · Petra is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Chase is one of 2 criminals above Petra" — Dana (B1)
"Only 1 of the 3 innocents neighboring Martin is in column A" — Olof (D3)
C4 · Thor → CRIMINAL
Because: Xavi is at C5, so the people above him are Evie (C1), John (C2), Nicole (C3), and Thor (C4). Petra says there are exactly two innocents among these four, and Zoe adds that exactly two innocents above Xavi are neighboring Ivan. Ivan is at B2, whose neighbors among those four are C1, C2, and C3, but not C4. Therefore the two innocents must be within C1–C3, so C4 cannot be an innocent. Therefore, we can determine that Thor is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Exactly 2 innocents above Xavi are neighboring Ivan" — Zoe (D5)
"There are exactly 2 innocents above Xavi" — Petra (A4)
B3 · Martin → CRIMINAL
Because: The people that matter are Ivan at B2 (and his neighbors), Xavi at C5, Petra at A4, and Martin at B3. From Zoe, the only positions “above Xavi” that neighbor Ivan are C1–C3, and exactly two of those three are innocents; from Vicky, Ivan has exactly four innocent neighbors in total. Since B1 (Dana) is already an innocent neighbor, those two innocents among C1–C3 plus B1 account for three of Ivan’s four innocent neighbors, leaving room for only one more innocent among the remaining neighbors A2, A3, and B3 (A1 is a known criminal). From Dana’s clue about Petra, A1 is one of the two criminals above Petra, so between A2 and A3 exactly one is innocent, which uses up that final innocent slot. Therefore, we can determine that B3 · Martin is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Chase is one of 2 criminals above Petra" — Dana (B1)
"Only 1 of the 4 innocents neighboring Ivan is in row 3" — Vicky (A5)
"Exactly 2 innocents above Xavi are neighboring Ivan" — Zoe (D5)
D2 · Kay → CRIMINAL
Because: Focus on row 2 (A2–D2) and on Martin at B3. Olof says Martin has exactly 3 innocent neighbors; with A4, B4, and C4 already criminals, that leaves exactly 2 criminals among his remaining neighbors A2, B2, C2, A3, and C3. Xavi says row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals, so row 3 cannot have exactly 2; since B3 and D3 are already criminals, at least one of A3 or C3 must also be a criminal. That means among A2, B2, and C2 there is at most one criminal; but row 2 must total exactly two criminals, so those three must contribute one criminal and D2 must be the other. Therefore, we can determine that D2 · Kay is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals" — Xavi (C5)
"Only 1 of the 3 innocents neighboring Martin is in column A" — Olof (D3)
C2 · John → INNOCENT
Because: Above Xavi (C5) are C1–C4; among these, only C1, C2, and C3 neighbor Ivan at B2. Zoe’s clue says exactly two of C1, C2, and C3 are innocents. Kay’s clue says John’s column‑C neighbors are C1 and C3, and exactly one of them is innocent. Since C1 and C3 contribute exactly one innocent, the second innocent among C1, C2, and C3 must be C2. Therefore, we can determine that C2 · John is INNOCENT.
Clue:
"Exactly 2 innocents above Xavi are neighboring Ivan" — Zoe (D5)
"Exactly 1 innocent in column C is neighboring John" — Kay (D2)
B2 · Ivan → CRIMINAL
Because: The people “above Xavi” are C1, C2, C3, and C4; among these, only C1, C2, and C3 are neighbors of Ivan at B2. Zoe’s clue says exactly two innocents from that neighbor subset are above Xavi; since C2 (John) is already innocent, exactly one of C1 or C3 is innocent and the other is criminal. That fixes column C to have exactly three criminals: C4 and C5 (already criminal) plus exactly one of C1/C3. John’s clue says only one column has exactly three criminals, so column B cannot also total three. Column B already has three criminals (B3, B4, B5); therefore B2 (Ivan) cannot be innocent and must be the fourth criminal. Therefore, we can determine that B2 Ivan is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Exactly 2 innocents above Xavi are neighboring Ivan" — Zoe (D5)
"Only one column has exactly 3 criminals" — John (C2)
A2 · Gabe → INNOCENT
Because: In row 2, the people are Gabe (A2), Ivan (B2, criminal), John (C2, innocent), and Kay (D2, criminal). The clue says row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals, so row 2 must have exactly two criminals. Ivan and Kay already make two; if Gabe were also a criminal, the row would have three, which would break the clue. Therefore, we can determine that A2 Gabe is INNOCENT.
Clue:
"Row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals" — Xavi (C5)
A3 · Laura → CRIMINAL
Because: Above Petra (A4) in column A are Chase (A1), Gabe (A2), and Laura (A3). Dana’s clue says there are exactly two criminals among those above Petra, and Chase is one of them. We already know Chase is a criminal and Gabe is innocent, so the second criminal must be Laura. Therefore, we can determine that A3 · Laura is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Chase is one of 2 criminals above Petra" — Dana (B1)
C1 · Evie → CRIMINAL
Because: Ivan (B2) has eight neighbors: among them, Dana (B1), Gabe (A2), and John (C2) are already known innocents, while Laura (A3) and Martin (B3) are criminals. The clue says Ivan has exactly four innocent neighbors, and only one of those is in row 3. Since A3 and B3 are criminals, the single row‑3 innocent must be Nicole (C3), which completes the four innocents (B1, A2, C2, C3). That leaves Evie (C1), the only other unknown neighbor, unable to be innocent. Therefore, we can determine that C1 Evie is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Only 1 of the 4 innocents neighboring Ivan is in row 3" — Vicky (A5)
D1 · Frank → CRIMINAL
Because: We only need to compare rows 2 and 1. The clue says row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals. Row 2 already has exactly two (Ivan and Kay), so every other row must have a different count; row 1 already has two known criminals (Chase and Evie), so to avoid also having exactly two, it must have more than two, which forces Frank to be a criminal. Therefore, we can determine that D1 · Frank is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Row 2 is the only row with exactly 2 criminals" — Xavi (C5)
C3 · Nicole → INNOCENT
Because: The people “above Xavi” are the four in column C at C1–C4, and among them, only C1, C2, and C3 are neighbors of Ivan at B2. Zoe’s clue says exactly two of those neighbors are innocents. We already know C1 (Evie) is a criminal and C2 (John) is an innocent, so to reach exactly two innocents among C1–C3, C3 must also be an innocent. Therefore, we can determine that C3 · Nicole is INNOCENT.
Clue:
"Exactly 2 innocents above Xavi are neighboring Ivan" — Zoe (D5)
D4 · Uma → CRIMINAL
Because: Thor (C4) has eight neighbors: Martin (B3), Nicole (C3), Olof (D3), Susan (B4), Uma (D4), Will (B5), Xavi (C5), and Zoe (D5). The clue states Thor has exactly seven criminal neighbors, and Susan is one of them. Among these neighbors, six are already criminals (Martin, Olof, Susan, Will, Xavi, Zoe) and one is innocent (Nicole), leaving Uma as the only unknown. To make the total reach seven criminal neighbors, Uma must also be criminal. Therefore, we can determine that D4 Uma is CRIMINAL.
Clue:
"Susan is one of Thor's 7 criminal neighbors" — Chase (A1)