Star Battle #17 (October 21, 2026): solution and step-by-step

Each step is a deduction a person can make, in the order our solver found them. Rows and columns are counted from the top-left corner.

1. Cross out row 3, column 5. The orchid region still needs two stars that don't touch — this cell can't be one of them, so it's crossed out.

2. Star at row 3, column 4. Every way to place the orchid region's two stars without touching uses this cell — so it's a star.

3. Cross out 7 cells. Stars can't touch, not even diagonally — the cells around this star are crossed out.

4. Cross out row 5, column 3. The sky region still needs two stars that don't touch — this cell can't be one of them, so it's crossed out.

5. Star at row 5, column 4. Every way to place the sky region's two stars without touching uses this cell — so it's a star.

6. Cross out 4 cells. Stars can't touch, not even diagonally — the cells around this star are crossed out.

7. Cross out 4 cells. Column 4 already has both its stars — the rest of it is crossed out.

8. Cross out row 8, column 2. The coral region still needs two stars that don't touch — this cell can't be one of them, so it's crossed out.

9. Cross out 3 cells. Every free cell of the gold region is in row 1, so both that region's stars must be there — the rest of row 1 is crossed out.

10. Cross out 3 cells. Every free cell of row 2 is in the teal region, so both that region's stars must be in row 2 — its other cells are crossed out.

11. Cross out row 5, column 1. This cell touches every free cell of the sky region — a star here would leave the sky region with no room for its last star, so it's crossed out.

12. Cross out row 3, column 7. This cell touches every free cell of the orchid region — a star here would leave the orchid region with no room for its last star, so it's crossed out.

41 more steps follow until all 18 stars are placed.

Stars by row: row 1: columns 3 and 5; row 2: columns 1 and 8; row 3: columns 4 and 6; row 4: columns 2 and 8; row 5: columns 4 and 6; row 6: columns 1 and 9; row 7: columns 3 and 7; row 8: columns 5 and 9; row 9: columns 2 and 7.