Clues & Culprits › Hints › Oct 8, 2026 Hard
Spoiler-Free Hints for Oct 8, 2026
Stuck on the Hard case, “The Stories They Didn't Print”? Open one nudge at a time. Nothing below reveals a verdict unless you click a box marked spoiler.
Back to the case Rules refresher
About this case
For a decade the Daily Lantern has been famous for the scandals it broke. This week a former cabinet minister revealed it was even better at the scandals it didn't break — and that he had paid £80,000 a year for the privilege.
This Hard case seats 20 suspects on a 4×5 grid. 16 of them carry a clue; the other 4 only have something to say about themselves. 6 of the steps can only be proven by reading two or more clues together.
Nudge 1 — where to start
The case opens with Bruno the security guard (B1) already proven. Their statement is enough on its own to prove one more suspect straight away — read it word by word, especially the counting words (exactly, neighbors, between).
Celia and I have exactly two innocent neighbors in common.— Bruno, security guard (B1)
Spoiler: who can I prove first?
Freya (B2) is innocent, proven by Bruno’s statement.
Nudge 2 — the opening
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, in columns B and C. The statements doing the work are paired verdicts, shared-neighbor counts and “between” clues. Every step in this stretch needs just one statement. Tip: with paired verdicts, two suspects tied together share their fate — prove one and the other follows.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Bruno’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Freya (B2) — innocent.
Nudge 3 — after about 5 proven suspects
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 1, 3, 4 and 5, most of them in row 3. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, row and column counts and comparisons. 5 steps here need 2 statements read together. Tip: with neighbor counts, a corner has three neighbors, an edge five, the middle eight — compare the count with what is left.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Kurt’s and Otto’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Lena (D3) — innocent.
Nudge 4 — after about 10 proven suspects
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 1, 2 and 5, most of them in row 5. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, paired verdicts and comparisons. One step here needs 3 statements read together. Tip: with comparisons, a comparison can’t end in a tie, so once one side is known the other is forced.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Kurt’s, Lena’s and Theo’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Suki (C5) — a criminal.
Nudge 5 — the endgame
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, in columns A and D. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, paired verdicts and “most” clues. Every step in this stretch needs just one statement. Tip: with “most” clues, check the suspects with the biggest rings first; only one may hold the record.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Hugo’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Emil (A2) — a criminal.
The hardest step
The toughest moment needs 3 statements at once. If you’re stuck in the middle of the case, this is probably it.
Spoiler: the statements for the hardest step
Read Kurt’s, Lena’s and Theo’s statements together. They settle Suki.
Clue types in this case
shared-neighbor counts ×1, corner and edge counts ×1, neighbor counts ×4, “between” clues ×2, paired verdicts ×4, comparisons ×1, row and column counts ×1, odd/even clues ×1 and “most” clues ×1.
Questions
How many clues does this case have?
16 of the 20 suspects carry a clue. The rest only talk about themselves — you can hide those asides in Settings.
Where is the full solution?
The step-by-step walkthrough proves every verdict in order.