Star Battle #20 (October 24, 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. Stars at row 8, column 1 and row 10, column 1. The coral region still needs two stars, and its free cells allow only one way to place them without touching — so they go in.

2. Cross out 5 cells. Stars can't touch, not even diagonally — the cells around this star are crossed out.

3. Cross out row 10, column 2. Stars can't touch, not even diagonally — the cells around this star are crossed out.

4. Cross out 6 cells. Column 1 already has both its stars — the rest of it is crossed out.

5. Cross out row 5, column 2. The orchid region still needs two stars that don't touch — this cell can't be one of them, so it's crossed out.

6. Star at row 6, column 2. Every way to place the orchid region's two stars without touching uses this cell — so it's a star.

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

8. Cross out row 3, column 7. The rose 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 5 cells. Every free cell of the teal 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 row 3, column 3. This cell touches every free cell of column 2 — a star here would leave column 2 with no room for its last star, so it's crossed out.

11. Cross out row 3, column 2. 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.

12. Cross out row 2, column 7. Row 1 still needs two stars, and every way to place them without touching puts one next to this cell — so it's crossed out.

51 more steps follow until all 20 stars are placed.

Stars by row: row 1: columns 7 and 9; row 2: columns 2 and 4; row 3: columns 6 and 10; row 4: columns 3 and 8; row 5: columns 5 and 10; row 6: columns 2 and 7; row 7: columns 4 and 9; row 8: columns 1 and 6; row 9: columns 3 and 8; row 10: columns 1 and 5.