Clues & Culprits › Clue types › Above, below, left and right
Above, below, left and right
Counts of everyone in a straight line from a suspect: above or below in their column, left or right in their row.
Everyone above me is innocent.
Direction clues look along a straight line from a suspect. "Above" and "below" mean anywhere in the same column, not just the next card; "left" and "right" mean anywhere in the same row. Left and right are always from your point of view as you look at the board.
How to read it
- "Everyone above me is innocent" settles every card between the speaker and the top edge.
- "There is exactly one criminal to the left of Gus" — somewhere in Gus's row, to his left, exactly one criminal.
- "The person below me is a criminal" is used when only one card sits below the speaker.
How it combines with other clues
A direction clue covers part of a row or column, so pair it with the matching row or column count: the clue tells you about one side, and the count then tells you about the other. Two direction clues from people in the same column can pin down the stretch between them.
Common mistakes
"Above" is not "directly above". If a clue means just the next card, it will say "the person above me" — and only when there is exactly one.
Real examples from recent cases
There are no criminals below me.— Ezra, painter (A2) in Oct 25, 2026 Easy: Forty-One Rubbers in a Row
There is exactly one criminal above me.— Iris, painter (A3) in Oct 25, 2026 Easy: Forty-One Rubbers in a Row
The person above me is a criminal.— Gus, chef (C2) in Oct 25, 2026 Medium: The Loaf That Ticked
There are exactly two criminals below Dina.— Tess, intern (D5) in Oct 25, 2026 Hard: An Allergy to Tuesdays
Questions
What does “Everyone above me is innocent.” prove?
Counts of everyone in a straight line from a suspect: above or below in their column, left or right in their row.
Where do above, below, left and right appear most?
In every difficulty. In Easy cases they usually settle someone on their own; in Hard cases they tend to combine with other clues.
Next: Between clues · All types: Neighbor clues · Row and column clues · Profession clues · Between clues · Corner and edge clues · Same-verdict and exactly-one clues · more