Roboku
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Case 16: who took the Porcelain Vase?
During the night rounds at the museum, a guard raised the alarm: the Porcelain Vase, which should be in the Office, is missing. Everything points to the thief still being among those present. Help the police unmask them.
The board
- 1Office
- 2Inner Courtyard
- 3Archive
- 4Workshop
- 5Café
- 6Restoration Room
- 7Restrooms
- Plant: no character can stand on its cell, but the stolen item can be there.
- Seat: anyone can be on it.
- Shelf: no character can stand on its cell, but the stolen item can be there.
- Table: nothing can be on its cell.
- Screen: nothing can be on its cell.
- Window: the blue line on a wall.
Suspects and clues
- FFarah
She's in column E. - MMatthew
He's in row 3. - HHana
She's on a seat. - EElena
She's 4 rows away from the Archive. - IInes
She's 2 columns away from the Office and 4 columns away from the Archive. - GGrace
She's in the Archive. - PPorcelain Vase (stolen item)
It's not in the Café.
Remember the rules: no two suspects (nor the item) ever share a row or a column, each character is in a different room, and the thief is the only one sharing a room with the stolen item. Unsure? Read how to play and the clue types.
Solution
Try it yourself first: pen and paper are enough. When you want to check, open the reasoned solution.
Show the step-by-step solution
- Farah's clue: She's in column E. 5 cells remain possible: E3, E4, E5, E6 and E7.
- Matthew's clue: He's in row 3. 5 cells remain possible: C3, D3, E3, F3 and G3.
- Hana's clue: She's on a seat. It leaves a single cell: C7.
- Elena's clue: She's 4 rows away from the Archive. It leaves a single cell: B6.
- Ines's clue: She's 2 columns away from the Office and 4 columns away from the Archive. It leaves a single cell: F2.
- Grace's clue: She's in the Archive. 3 cells remain possible: A1, B1 and A2.
- The stolen item's clue: It's not in the Café. 33 cells remain possible.
- Hana can only be on C7. No one else can be in row 7 or column C, and no other character can be in the Restoration Room.
- Elena can only be on B6. No one else can be in row 6 or column B, and no other character can be in the Café.
- Ines can only be on F2. No one else can be in row 2 or column F, and no other character can be in the Inner Courtyard.
- B1 and A2 have already been ruled out, so Grace can only be on A1. No one else can be in row 1 or column A, and no other character can be in the Archive.
- There are as many suspects (counting the item) as rows, so each row holds exactly one. Only the Porcelain Vase can still reach row 5, so that is where it must be.
- There are as many suspects (counting the item) as rows, so each row holds exactly one. Only Farah can still reach row 4, so that is where she must be.
- E3, E5, E6 and E7 have already been ruled out, so Farah can only be on E4. No one else can be in row 4 or column E, and no other character can be in the Workshop.
- C3, E3, F3 and G3 have already been ruled out, so Matthew can only be on D3. No one else can be in row 3 or column D, and no other character can be in the Office.
- Every other cell the clue allowed has already been ruled out, so the Porcelain Vase can only be on G5.
Conclusion: Ines is the only person sharing the Inner Courtyard with the Porcelain Vase, which is on G5. She is the thief.