Common questions
Short answers about the grid, the clues, and the learning guide.
What am I trying to work out?
Match each person with one item from every other group. Every item is used once in its group. Together, a name and its matching items describe one person's complete set of details.
Why do some labels appear twice?
They refer to the same items. Repeating a group lets the grid compare it with different groups in separate sections. A snack label beside one section and above another still means the same snack.
Can I leave squares empty?
Yes. Empty means you do not know yet. Use × only when you can rule out the match, and ✓ when you know the items belong together.
What are the lighter marks?
When you enter a ✓, ClueKiln crosses out the other choices in that section's row and column. Those lighter crosses follow from your match. Removing the match can remove crosses that depended on it.
When should I cross off a clue?
Once its information is recorded. Keep a note of an order or pairing you have not resolved yet. Crossing off a clue does not remove its marks, and its recorded facts can still help you make later deductions.
Do I need to guess?
ClueKiln puzzles are designed and checked for a deduction path without required suppositions. If you are stuck, look for a step you can explain from the clues and marks. Our when-stuck lesson gives you a short checklist.
I know everyone's details. Why isn't the grid finished?
Fill the matching items in the other sections too. If you know a person's drink and snack, you also know which drink goes with that snack. The carry-a-match lesson shows how.
Does tutorial practice affect my score?
No. Lessons have no timer or score and do not change your puzzle history. Check my mark only checks the tutorial exercise. Check on a live puzzle makes that attempt assisted, with no stars or ranking.
What if I make a mistake in a puzzle?
Undo can take back a recent change. Check can point out wrong marks, and Clear errors is offered after a check finds them. Reveal shows the answer and ends the attempt as unsolved. The controls lesson explains these choices.
Why do some examples stop with empty squares?
Short lessons teach one idea. They may not contain enough clues to settle every match. The two full walkthroughs show complete solves; the individual lessons explain which deduction to focus on.