Picnic in the park

One deduction at a time

Follow the numbered clues, one-to-one eliminations and cross-grid deductions. When a counterfactual is needed, its assumptions and clue-by-clue contradiction are shown.

Measured complexity: rule tier 3/4 · 48 verified grid deductions · 0 counterfactuals. Difficulty measures the rules used by this solver, not a promised completion time.

1. Step 1: Clue 1: placing Olives at Spotted leaves no valid later position for Cheese. Olives cannot be paired with Spotted.
2. Step 2: Clue 1: placing Cheese at Checked leaves no valid earlier position for Olives. Cheese cannot be paired with Checked.
3. Step 3: Clue 2 restricts Alex to Checked or Plain. Alex cannot be paired with Floral.
4. Step 4: Clue 2 restricts Alex to Checked or Plain. Alex cannot be paired with Spotted.
5. Step 5: Clue 3 restricts Oscar to Plain or Spotted. Oscar cannot be paired with Checked.
6. Step 6: Clue 3 restricts Oscar to Plain or Spotted. Oscar cannot be paired with Floral.
7. Step 7: Clue 4 restricts Zoe to Cheese or Grapes. Zoe cannot be paired with Olives.
8. Step 8: Clue 4 restricts Zoe to Cheese or Grapes. Zoe cannot be paired with Crackers.
9. Step 9: Clue 5 restricts Zoe to Olives or Cheese. Zoe cannot be paired with Grapes.
10. Step 10: All other Snacks choices for Zoe have been eliminated. Zoe must be paired with Cheese.
11. Step 11: Cheese is already matched to Zoe; each item is used once. Ivy cannot be paired with Cheese.
12. Step 12: Cheese is already matched to Zoe; each item is used once. Oscar cannot be paired with Cheese.
13. Step 13: Cheese is already matched to Zoe; each item is used once. Alex cannot be paired with Cheese.
14. Step 14: Clue 6: placing Crackers at Floral leaves no valid later position for Olives at the required gap of 2. Crackers cannot be paired with Floral.
15. Step 15: Clue 6: placing Crackers at Plain leaves no valid later position for Olives at the required gap of 2. Crackers cannot be paired with Plain.
16. Step 16: Clue 6: placing Crackers at Spotted leaves no valid later position for Olives at the required gap of 2. Crackers cannot be paired with Spotted.
17. Step 17: All other Blankets choices for Crackers have been eliminated. Crackers must be paired with Checked.
18. Step 18: Checked is already matched to Crackers; each item is used once. Olives cannot be paired with Checked.
19. Step 19: Checked is already matched to Crackers; each item is used once. Grapes cannot be paired with Checked.
20. Step 20: Clue 1: placing Cheese at Floral leaves no valid earlier position for Olives. Cheese cannot be paired with Floral.
21. Step 21: Clue 6: placing Olives at Floral leaves no valid earlier position for Crackers at the required gap of 2. Olives cannot be paired with Floral.
22. Step 22: All other Blankets choices for Olives have been eliminated. Olives must be paired with Plain.
23. Step 23: Plain is already matched to Olives; each item is used once. Cheese cannot be paired with Plain.
24. Step 24: All other Blankets choices for Cheese have been eliminated. Cheese must be paired with Spotted.
25. Step 25: All other Snacks choices for Floral have been eliminated. Grapes must be paired with Floral.
26. Step 26: Grapes is already matched to Floral; each item is used once. Grapes cannot be paired with Plain.
27. Step 27: Grapes is already matched to Floral; each item is used once. Grapes cannot be paired with Spotted.
28. Step 28: Oscar and Grapes have no possible Blankets item in common, so they cannot belong together. Oscar cannot be paired with Grapes.
29. Step 29: Oscar and Crackers have no possible Blankets item in common, so they cannot belong together. Oscar cannot be paired with Crackers.
30. Step 30: All other Snacks choices for Oscar have been eliminated. Oscar must be paired with Olives.
31. Step 31: Olives is already matched to Oscar; each item is used once. Ivy cannot be paired with Olives.
32. Step 32: Olives is already matched to Oscar; each item is used once. Alex cannot be paired with Olives.
33. Step 33: Alex and Grapes have no possible Blankets item in common, so they cannot belong together. Alex cannot be paired with Grapes.
34. Step 34: All other Neighbours choices for Grapes have been eliminated. Ivy must be paired with Grapes.
35. Step 35: Ivy is already matched to Grapes; each item is used once. Ivy cannot be paired with Crackers.
36. Step 36: All other Snacks choices for Alex have been eliminated. Alex must be paired with Crackers.
37. Step 37: Ivy and Checked have no possible Snacks item in common, so they cannot belong together. Ivy cannot be paired with Checked.
38. Step 38: Both Ivy and Floral are matched to Grapes; they must belong together. Ivy must be paired with Floral.
39. Step 39: Ivy is already matched to Floral; each item is used once. Ivy cannot be paired with Plain.
40. Step 40: Ivy is already matched to Floral; each item is used once. Ivy cannot be paired with Spotted.
41. Step 41: Floral is already matched to Ivy; each item is used once. Zoe cannot be paired with Floral.
42. Step 42: Both Oscar and Plain are matched to Olives; they must belong together. Oscar must be paired with Plain.
43. Step 43: Oscar is already matched to Plain; each item is used once. Oscar cannot be paired with Spotted.
44. Step 44: Plain is already matched to Oscar; each item is used once. Zoe cannot be paired with Plain.
45. Step 45: All other Neighbours choices for Spotted have been eliminated. Zoe must be paired with Spotted.
46. Step 46: Zoe is already matched to Spotted; each item is used once. Zoe cannot be paired with Checked.
47. Step 47: All other Neighbours choices for Checked have been eliminated. Alex must be paired with Checked.
48. Step 48: Alex is already matched to Checked; each item is used once. Alex cannot be paired with Plain.

Answer key

Ivy · Grapes · Floral

Oscar · Olives · Plain

Zoe · Cheese · Spotted

Alex · Crackers · Checked