The Cactus Flat Job: a free Western logic-grid puzzle

Four riders were out past Cactus Flat that morning. All four have an explanation, and the sheriff believes none of them. There's an answer in here. Find it.

This free Rookie logic-grid puzzle has 4 suspects, 4 locations, and 4 pieces of evidence. New to logic grids? Start with the pencil-solving guide.

How to mark the grid

●: These two belong together.
✕: These two are ruled out.
blank: Still undecided.

How to play

Click, tap or press Enter on a cell to cycle it: blank, then ● for a confirmed pairing, then ✕ for one you have ruled out. Nothing fills itself in — the deductions are yours to make. Use the arrow keys to move around the grid.

Fill obvious Xs does the bookkeeping only: for each ● you have marked, it crosses off the rest of that pairing's own row and column. It never adds a ●, never reads a clue, and never changes a mark you made.

On a narrow screen the grid scrolls sideways.

Every case has exactly one solution, and it is always reachable by deduction alone. Nothing here guesses for you, and Check will not tell you which mark is wrong.

Clues and evidence

Everyone agreed Preacher Dawes was at Cactus Flat.
The folded wanted poster came off Cutter McCall, and there's no arguing it.
Preacher Dawes never laid hands on the busted pocket watch.
The busted pocket watch never belonged to Two-Bit Charlie.
Nobody saw Two-Bit Charlie anywhere near Copper Basin.
Nell Garrity never made it as far as Copper Basin.
It wasn't Preacher Dawes who turned up with the frayed rope.
You can rule out Iron Butte for Two-Bit Charlie.

The grid

On a narrow screen the grid scrolls sideways.

Your marks, completions and streak are saved in this browser only. There is no account, and clearing your browser data clears that local progress. If you accept analytics, the site sends anonymous puzzle-usage events; it never sends your grid marks, clues or solution.

If you want a hundred more

Five volumes, printed and portable

Each Frontier Logic volume collects 100 western mystery logic-grid puzzles, every one with exactly one solution and a complete answer key. Every volume stands alone, in standard and large print.