Alibi (Stew Prod)

About Alibi (Stew Prod)

Each case in Alibi is a small mystery. In the one pictured, five people were at Marlow House, the brass key went missing from the library, and one of their alibis is a lie: whoever was in the library had the key, and you have to find them. A logic grid matches each suspect to a place, a time and an object.

The twist is that the clues are face down. Each card shows only a word for what it is about, such as VANE, CELLAR or NINE, and a hint like 'rules out an hour', and turning one over is the only thing in the game that costs anything. So the puzzle is choosing which question is worth asking next. Every case has a par, the fewest clues it could be cracked in.

When you accuse, the game checks your reasoning. SOLVED means the clues you had turned forced the answer; LUCKY means you were right but guessing. Both close the case, but only SOLVED counts. There are three sizes: Open and shut with four suspects and only the plainest kinds of clue, Standard with five, and Knotty with six, from about two to ten minutes.

Today's case button deals the day's case at your chosen size from the date, the same for everyone, and New case deals a random one. Your result can be shared as one line with a row of squares against par. There is a light and dark theme, keyboard play and no sound, and nothing to sign up for. Stew Prod also makes the mahjong solitaire Archive and the daily nonogram Figure.

How to play Alibi (Stew Prod)

1. Pick a size (Open and shut, Standard or Knotty) and press Today's for the day's case.
2. Read the crime at the top of the clue list: it says what went missing and how to tell who has it.
3. Turn over clues one at a time, choosing the ones most likely to help; each turn counts against par.
4. Mark the grid with ticks, crosses and maybes until one arrangement is left.
5. Press Accuse: SOLVED if your clues forced the answer, LUCKY if you guessed; then share your line.

Screenshots

Tips

• Read the face-down labels and hints before turning anything: a clue that rules out an hour may settle more than one about a person.
• Each tick lets you cross out the rest of its row and column in that block, so fill those in before asking for more.
• Accuse only when the grid has a single answer; a right guess still scores LUCKY, not SOLVED.
• Start on Open and shut to learn the clue kinds, then move up to Standard and Knotty.

Questions