Clues & Culprits › Archive › Oct 2, 2026 Easy walkthrough
Oct 2, 2026 Full Proof Walkthrough
Every verdict in the Easy case “Three Hundred Copies of a Lie”, in an order where each step is proven by the statements already on file.
Play it first Just a hint, please
This Easy case seats 16 suspects on a 4×4 grid. 14 of them carry a clue; the other 2 only have something to say about themselves. Every step can be proven from a single clue plus what you already know. The order below is one valid route; any order where each verdict is proven when you enter it reaches the same answer.
Spoiler: show the full walkthrough
Start: Kurt (C3) begins the case proven innocent.
The person between me and Ivan is innocent.— Kurt, tipster (C3)
Step 1: Juno (B3, reporter) is innocent. This follows from Kurt’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 2: Ivan (A3, printer) is a criminal. This follows from Juno’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
The person to my left is a criminal.— Juno, reporter (B3)
Step 3: Marco (A4, editor) is innocent. This follows from Ivan’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
The person below me is innocent.— Ivan, printer (A3)
Step 4: Ned (B4, reporter) is a criminal. This follows from Marco’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly two of my three neighbors are criminals.— Marco, editor (A4)
Step 5: Otto (C4, printer) is innocent. This follows from Ned’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly one of my five neighbors is a criminal.— Ned, reporter (B4)
Step 6: Emil (A2, lawyer) is innocent. This follows from Otto’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Emil and I are either both criminals or both innocent.— Otto, printer (C4)
Step 7: Freya (B2, printer) is innocent. This follows from Emil’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Only one of the three printers is a criminal.— Emil, lawyer (A2)
Step 8: Dexter (D1, editor) is innocent. This follows from Freya’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Dexter and I are either both criminals or both innocent.— Freya, printer (B2)
Step 9: Celia (C1, editor) is a criminal. This follows from Dexter’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
The person between me and Basil is a criminal.— Dexter, editor (D1)
Step 10: Hugo (D2, tipster) is a criminal. This follows from Celia’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Hugo and I share the same verdict: both criminal or both innocent.— Celia, editor (C1)
Step 11: Greta (C2, lawyer) is a criminal. This follows from Hugo’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
There are exactly two criminals in my row.— Hugo, tipster (D2)
Step 12: Basil (B1, lawyer) is innocent. This follows from Greta’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly two of my eight neighbors are criminals.— Greta, lawyer (C2)
Step 13: Arlo (A1, reporter) is a criminal. This follows from Basil’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly three of my five neighbors are criminals.— Basil, lawyer (B1)
Step 14: Lionel (D3, editor) is innocent. This follows from Greta’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 15: Pia (D4, tipster) is a criminal. This follows from Arlo’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly two of the three tipsters are criminals.— Arlo, reporter (A1)
The final lineup
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arlo criminal | Basil innocent | Celia criminal | Dexter innocent |
| 2 | Emil innocent | Freya innocent | Greta criminal | Hugo criminal |
| 3 | Ivan criminal | Juno innocent | Kurt innocent | Lionel innocent |
| 4 | Marco innocent | Ned criminal | Otto innocent | Pia criminal |
What happened
Only three hundred copies of the lie were ever printed, and Ivan ran every one on the old press in the basement. Arlo and Ned wrote it; Celia waved it through as editor; Greta signed it off as 'legally sound for one edition only'. Hugo and Pia had spent the week placing small bets in forty betting shops, and by the time the mayor rang to complain, the winnings were in a holdall on the night bus.