Clues & Culprits › Archive › October 2026 › Oct 17, 2026 Hard
Oct 17, 2026 — Hard case
Halfway through the Thea Marlow show, every model on the catwalk began, discreetly and then far less discreetly, to scratch. By midnight the collection was a laughing stock, and Marlow's investors pulled out the next morning.
This Hard case seats 20 suspects on a 4×5 grid. 16 of them carry a clue; the other 4 only have something to say about themselves. 5 of the steps can only be proven by reading two or more clues together. Every verdict you enter is checked against all the scenarios that still fit the statements on file, so a move only sticks when it is proven.
The opening statement
Theo the fashion critic starts the case already proven innocent:
The person between me and Lionel is innocent.— Theo, fashion critic (D5)
The lineup
Suspects stand in alphabetical order, left to right and top to bottom. Each belongs to one of Clues & Culprits’ twelve character classes — the badge on their nameplate. This case uses 6 of them, each cast as a role in the setting: fashion critics, bodyguards, designers, celebrity guests, photographers, dressers. Clues about a role (“exactly one of the fashion critics”) count everyone in it.
| Seat | Suspect | Role in this case | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Ada | fashion critic | Scholar |
| B1 | Bruno | bodyguard | Enforcer |
| C1 | Cora | designer | Artist |
| D1 | Dexter | celebrity guest | Noble |
| A2 | Ezra | designer | Artist |
| B2 | Felix | photographer | Rogue |
| C2 | Gemma | dresser | Servant |
| D2 | Hugo | photographer | Rogue |
| A3 | Iris | designer | Artist |
| B3 | Joan | fashion critic | Scholar |
| C3 | Kurt | photographer | Rogue |
| D3 | Lionel | celebrity guest | Noble |
| A4 | Marco | celebrity guest | Noble |
| B4 | Nico | designer | Artist |
| C4 | Olive | celebrity guest | Noble |
| D4 | Pia | photographer | Rogue |
| A5 | Quentin | dresser | Servant |
| B5 | Ruby | bodyguard | Enforcer |
| C5 | Sadie | dresser | Servant |
| D5 | Theo | fashion critic | Scholar |
Stuck?
The in-game hint first points at the statement to re-read, then at the suspect you can prove, then shows the proof. For a gentler nudge, open the spoiler-free hints for Oct 17, 2026, or press Share to send a friend your exact board. New to the format? The deduction-puzzle guide covers the habits that unlock every step.
More cases
- Same day: Easy case · Medium case
- Previous Hard: Oct 16, 2026 — The Grey Lady of Staircase Nine
- Next Hard: Oct 18, 2026 — Lobster for the Whole Crew
- Clue types in this case: Neighbor clues · Above, below, left and right · Same-verdict and exactly-one clues · Between clues
- All October 2026 cases · More cases in fashion weeks · Meet the cast