What is Minedunit?

Minedunit is a daily murder-mystery puzzle that hides a minesweeper board inside a whodunnit. A body has been found, the suspects are standing somewhere on the floor plan, and every covered tile is either safe floor or a piece of hidden evidence. The numbers count the evidence in the tiles around them, so each case can be solved by logic alone.

Once a suspect turns up, you can read what they said. Everybody lies a little differently: in the easy cases only the killer lies, and in the harder ones an innocent person may lie too. Set the statements against the evidence, and the one suspect who fits everything is your killer.

There are three new cases every day: easy, medium and hard. They are the same for everyone, so you can compare notes with friends without spoiling anything.

How to play

1. 1

   Find the hidden evidence

   Evidence hides under the tiles. Numbers tell you where it is. Open the safe tiles, examine the evidence. You never have to guess.

   Played Minesweeper? Evidence works like the mines.

2. 2

   Numbers are clues

   A number counts the evidence in the 8 tiles around it, diagonals too. A blank tile means none, and its neighbours open by themselves.

3. 3

   Two simple rules

   Number full? Every other covered tile around it is safe. No room left? Every covered tile around it is evidence.

4. 4

   Open or Examine

   Safe floor? OPEN. Evidence? EXAMINE. Pins are free reminders.

5. 5

   Three flashlights

   The wrong tool costs a flashlight. Lose all three and the killer escapes. You never need to guess.

6. 6

   Suspects and lies

   Find suspects to hear their statements. The killer always lies. Evidence notes never lie.

7. 7

   Accuse early

   Sure who did it? Press ACCUSE. You do not need to open every tile. A wrong accusation ends the case.

On a keyboard: O chooses Open, E Examine, P turns pin mode on, N jumps to your notes and H explains the next step. The arrow keys move around the board, and Enter or Space uses the chosen tool.

Tips for solving

• Start where the numbers are full. If a number already touches as much evidence as it shows, every other covered tile around it is safe.
• Look for numbers with no room left. When the covered tiles around a number are exactly as many as the evidence it still needs, all of them hold evidence.
• Compare neighbours. Two numbers that share tiles often settle a tile that neither can settle alone.
• Check each statement against the board. A false statement means that person lies. Mark statements true or false in your notes as you go.
• Pins are free. Use them to remember a hunch. They never cost a flashlight and they are yours alone.
• Do not clear the board. Press ACCUSE as soon as you are sure. The game only lets you accuse once the clues prove the killer, so a refusal means there is more to find.
• Stuck? Ask for a nudge, or have the next step explained in words. It does not change your stars, but your result will show how many hints you used.

Why play daily?

A case takes a few minutes, which makes it an easy habit: one puzzle with your morning coffee, one on the train. Solve any of the day's three cases on its own day to keep your streak going, and earn up to three stars by keeping your flashlights and finishing in few taps.

Missed yesterday? The archive keeps yesterday’s cases too, and every earlier case is in the iOS app. Cases played after their day do not count towards your streak, but they are just as good a puzzle. When you finish, share a spoiler-free result card and see who in your group cracked it fastest.