Clues & Culprits › Hints › Oct 13, 2026 Easy
Spoiler-Free Hints for Oct 13, 2026
Stuck on the Easy case, “Man Overboard at Midnight”? Open one nudge at a time. Nothing below reveals a verdict unless you click a box marked spoiler.
Back to the case Rules refresher
About this case
At midnight in the mid-Atlantic, the SS Aurora's alarm sounded: a millionaire passenger had gone over the rail. After a nine-hour search he was declared lost at sea, and the life-insurance claim was paid within a month. On Tuesday he was photographed buying ice cream in Lisbon.
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.
Nudge 1 — where to start
The case opens with Greta the captain (C2) already proven. Their statement is enough on its own to prove one more suspect straight away — read it word by word, especially the counting words (exactly, neighbors, between).
The person above me is a criminal.— Greta, captain (C2)
Spoiler: who can I prove first?
Celia (C1) is a criminal, proven by Greta’s statement.
Nudge 2 — the opening
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, in columns C and D. The statements doing the work are direction clues, paired verdicts and neighbor counts. Tip: with direction clues, the speaker is never included, and nor is anyone in a different row or column.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Greta’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Celia (C1) — a criminal.
Nudge 3 — after about 4 proven suspects
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 1, 2 and 4, most of them in row 2. The statements doing the work are direction clues and paired verdicts. Tip: with paired verdicts, two suspects tied together share their fate — prove one and the other follows.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Leo’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Percy (D4) — a criminal.
Nudge 4 — after about 8 proven suspects
Three suspects get proven in this stretch, in rows 1 and 4. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, corner and edge counts and role counts. Tip: with neighbor counts, a corner has three neighbors, an edge five, the middle eight — compare the count with what is left.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Arlo’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Basil (B1) — innocent.
Nudge 5 — the endgame
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, in rows 3 and 4. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts and “between” clues. Tip: with “between” clues, only the cards strictly between the two named suspects count.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Olive’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Kurt (C3) — a criminal.
Clue types in this case
neighbor counts ×4, corner and edge counts ×1, paired verdicts ×3, direction clues ×3, “between” clues ×2 and role counts ×1.
Questions
How many clues does this case have?
14 of the 16 suspects carry a clue. The rest only talk about themselves — you can hide those asides in Settings.
Where is the full solution?
The step-by-step walkthrough proves every verdict in order.