Solving guide
A practical Murdoku strategy
Good Murdoku solving feels less like guessing and more like bookkeeping. Treat every clue as a filter on the map.
Start with unique objects
Clues about a single chair, a single plant, or one named room usually create the smallest candidate set. Mark those before relational clues.
Convert directions into zones
If a suspect is south of another suspect, remove all cells that are not below the reference. This often becomes powerful once either person has only two or three candidates.
Apply row and column pressure
When one suspect is placed, cross out the rest of that row and column for every other suspect. Many very easy puzzles fall quickly from this rule.
Do not solve the murder too early
Victim clues point to the endgame, but the murderer is usually proven only after positions settle. Use the murder condition as a final consistency check.
Watch area boundaries
Two squares may touch physically but belong to different regions. If a clue says beside a plant or alone in a region, the colored boundary matters.