Daily Queens puzzle hints

Catnap hints for July 17, 2026

Catnap daily hints and answers for July 17, 2026. Shared daily puzzle archive from outwit.

Today's board
8×8 grid8 color regions2 free openings14 deduction stepstechniques: confinement, attack-all

3 ranked finishes sampled. Best 58.4s, top-list average 121.9s.

Hints
  1. the A color region has only one open cell left — that's a forced cat.
  2. the C color region has only one open cell left — that's a forced cat.
  3. the D color region has only one open cell left — that's a forced cat.
Show the answer
  1. Row 1: column 2 (A region)
  2. Row 2: column 5 (B region)
  3. Row 3: column 1 (C region)
  4. Row 4: column 6 (D region)
  5. Row 5: column 3 (E region)
  6. Row 6: column 7 (F region)
  7. Row 7: column 4 (G region)
  8. Row 8: column 8 (H region)

Solved board

b @ b b b b b b
b b b b @ b b b
@ b b g g d b b
e e e g f @ b f
e e @ g f f f f
e e e g g f @ h
e e g @ f f f h
e e g g h h h @

Lowercase letters mark the color regions; @ marks each sleeping cat.

Catnap is a Queens / Star Battle logic puzzle: one cat per row, column, and color region, none touching. Every daily board has a single solution reachable by pure deduction.