VerdictCASE FILES Nº 2026-07-29

The cases for 2026-07-29

Three deduction cases — Easy, Medium, Hard. Each has exactly one solution, reachable by logic alone. No guessing, ever. Solve any one to keep your streak.

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Checkout at the Hotel Meridian — the Carver file

EASY · 14 clues

The night manager of the Hotel Meridian was found slumped over the register, and the guest book had been altered. Each suspect took a different suite along the tower's top corridor, front to back. Sort out who stayed where.

  1. 1. The guest pretending to be the antique dealer was in the suite right before the one carrying the garnet key tag.
  2. 2. Rosalind Carver and the guest pretending to be the stage magician are the same person.
  3. 3. Cassius Lange was right next to the guest pretending to be the travel writer.
  4. 4. Rosalind Carver and the one carrying the copper key tag are the same person.
  5. 5. The guest pretending to be the opera singer was in the suite right before the guest pretending to be the antique dealer.
  6. 6. Cassius Lange was in the suite right before the guest pretending to be the travel writer.
  7. 7. The guest pretending to be the antique dealer was somewhere after the guest pretending to be the opera singer but before the guest pretending to be the travel writer.
  8. 8. Constance Vail and the one carrying the garnet key tag are the same person.
  9. 9. Cassius Lange and the one carrying the amber key tag are the same person.
  10. 10. Oscar Dunne was somewhere before the guest pretending to be the antique dealer in the line.
  11. 11. The guest pretending to be the travel writer and the one carrying the garnet key tag are the same person.
  12. 12. The guest pretending to be the opera singer was in the suite right before the one carrying the amber key tag.
  13. 13. The guest pretending to be the opera singer and the one carrying the jade key tag are the same person.
  14. 14. Cassius Lange was somewhere before the guest pretending to be the stage magician in the line.

The Eclipse Night at Cawdor Observatory — the Vaughn file

MEDIUM · 13 clues

A priceless star map disappeared the night of the eclipse. Each astronomer worked through the dark in a different dome along the ridge. Walk the domes, one by one, and name the thief.

  1. 1. The one tracking the eclipse was somewhere before the one tracking the comet in the line.
  2. 2. Bram Sutcliffe was somewhere before the one tracking the comet in the line.
  3. 3. Idris Hawke was in the dome right before Soren Vaughn.
  4. 4. Idris Hawke was right next to the one using the plate camera.
  5. 5. Idris Hawke was right next to the one tracking the nebula.
  6. 6. Idris Hawke was right next to the one tracking the comet.
  7. 7. Bram Sutcliffe and the one tracking the pole star were exactly 3 domes apart.
  8. 8. Bram Sutcliffe was somewhere after Pieter Aldous but before Nadia Ellison.
  9. 9. Bram Sutcliffe and the one tracking the nebula are the same person.
  10. 10. Bram Sutcliffe was in the dome right before the one tracking the eclipse.
  11. 11. The one using the sextant and the one tracking the eclipse were exactly 2 domes apart.
  12. 12. The one using the spectroscope and the one tracking the new star were exactly 3 domes apart.
  13. 13. Pieter Aldous and the one using the photometer were exactly 4 domes apart.

The Final Curtain at the Lyceum — the Strauss file

HARD · 17 clues

On closing night the lead singer's diamond hair-clip vanished between the second-act bow and the final blackout. Each member of the company waited out the chaos in a separate dressing room down the backstage corridor. Walk the corridor, door by door, and place them.

  1. 1. The one holding the hand mirror was in the dressing room right before whoever was last seen at the curtain call.
  2. 2. The performer in the jester's motley was in the dressing room right before the performer in the silver tunic.
  3. 3. The one holding the prop goblet was somewhere before whoever was last seen at the curtain call in the line.
  4. 4. Emil Sandoval was somewhere before the one holding the tin crown in the line.
  5. 5. The one holding the laurel wreath was right next to whoever was last seen at the mad scene.
  6. 6. The performer in the silver tunic and whoever was last seen at the death aria were exactly 2 dressing rooms apart.
  7. 7. The one holding the letter scroll and whoever was last seen at the curtain call were exactly 4 dressing rooms apart.
  8. 8. Nadia Volkova and the one holding the laurel wreath were exactly 2 dressing rooms apart.
  9. 9. The performer in the gold breastplate was in the dressing room right before whoever was last seen at the mad scene.
  10. 10. Whoever was last seen at the death aria was somewhere before whoever was last seen at the mad scene in the line.
  11. 11. Emil Sandoval was right next to whoever was last seen at the final blackout.
  12. 12. Nadia Volkova was right next to the performer in the velvet cloak.
  13. 13. The one holding the letter scroll and whoever was last seen at the houselights down are the same person.
  14. 14. Reinhold Faust and whoever was last seen at the curtain call were exactly 3 dressing rooms apart.
  15. 15. The one holding the hand mirror was somewhere after the one holding the prop goblet but before the one holding the tin crown.
  16. 16. Thaddeus Crowe was right next to the one holding the hand mirror.
  17. 17. Reinhold Faust was somewhere before the one holding the laurel wreath in the line.

Every Verdict case has exactly one solution, provably reachable by deduction alone — no guessing required. Can you close all three?