Read every clue before you guess, track everything in an elimination grid, prioritise clues that rule suspects out rather than ones that point in, and treat contradictions as information rather than mistakes — the same method real detectives use, and exactly what Alibi rewards.
Every great fictional detective — Poirot, Holmes, Miss Marple — solves crimes the same fundamental way: not through hunches, but by systematically ruling out what's impossible until only the truth is left. That's also exactly how you solve a logic deduction puzzle like Alibi. Here's how to think like a detective when you sit down with one.
1. Read every clue before you guess
The single biggest mistake new solvers make is locking onto a suspect early and looking for clues to confirm it. Real detectives — and good logic-puzzle solvers — do the opposite: they gather everything first, then deduce.
Read all the clues once through without trying to solve anything. You're building a mental (or literal) list of facts before you start connecting them.
2. Build an elimination grid
Professional logic-puzzle solvers almost always use a grid: suspects down one side, clues or attributes across the top. Every time a clue rules someone out, mark it. Every time a clue confirms someone, mark that too.
This isn't just a memory aid — it's the method itself. Sherlock Holmes' famous line, "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," is a description of exactly this grid-based elimination process.
3. Look for clues that rule things out, not just in
Beginners tend to focus on clues that point directly at a suspect ("the culprit was tall"). But the most powerful clues in a good logic puzzle are often the ones that rule people out — an alibi, a contradiction, a "this person was seen elsewhere."
In Alibi, this is the core mechanic: every clue you uncover eliminates possibilities rather than confirming a single suspect outright, mirroring how real detective work actually happens.
4. Watch for contradictions
If two clues seem to conflict, that's not a mistake in the puzzle — it's a signal. One of your working assumptions is wrong. Contradictions are the puzzle's way of telling you to back up and re-check an earlier deduction.
5. Don't guess until you've exhausted deduction
It's tempting to guess once you're down to two suspects. But a well-designed logic puzzle, including Alibi, is solvable through pure deduction — if you're stuck between two options, it usually means there's a clue you haven't fully used yet, not that the puzzle requires luck.
6. A real detective's mindset, in five habits
Suspend judgement until all the evidence is in
Track everything visually — don't rely on memory alone
Prioritise clues that eliminate, not just clues that point
Treat contradictions as information, not errors
Trust deduction over guessing
7. Put it into practice
Alibi is built to reward exactly this kind of thinking — every case is solvable through careful elimination, no guessing required. Play today's case.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to guess in Alibi?
No — every case is designed to be solvable through pure deduction. If you're stuck, there's a clue you haven't fully used yet, not a gap that requires a guess.
What's the fastest way to get better at logic-deduction puzzles?
Use an elimination grid instead of relying on memory, and prioritise clues that rule suspects out over ones that merely point toward someone — see the full method above.
What does 'eliminate the impossible' actually mean in practice?
It means treating every clue as a way to cross suspects off your list, rather than looking for a single clue that names the culprit outright — the truth is whatever's left once everything impossible has been ruled out.
Ready to put it into practice? Play today's Alibi case.