ThePuzzleLabs

Printable Deduction Puzzles

These deduction puzzles print well for group work or solo practice. Read the clues, eliminate possibilities, and write your reasoning in the working area below each puzzle.

Tip: choose "Save as PDF" in your print dialog.

Deduction - Easy

A small painting vanished from the second-floor gallery of the Whitmore Museum between 2:45 PM and 3:15 PM on Tuesday. Only three staff members had keycard access to that floor: Evelyn (curator), Marcus (tour guide), and Diana (gift shop manager). Case file EASY-001.

  1. Security camera footage shows Diana at the gift shop register from 2:50 PM to 3:10 PM.
  2. Marcus was leading a tour of the East Wing during the entire window. Twelve guests confirm this.
  3. Evelyn told investigators she was resting in the staff break room, but no one else was there to confirm it.
  4. The break room has no security camera.
Working area

Deduction - Medium

A company's backup server was wiped between 10 PM and 10:30 PM. The wipe required physical access to the server room and admin-level credentials. Four employees were still in the building: Aisha (engineering), Derek (security), Tomoko (system admin), and Raj (sales). Case file MEDIUM-001.

  1. Only Aisha and Tomoko have admin-level server credentials.
  2. Aisha was on a recorded video call with a client from 9:45 PM to 10:20 PM. Her screen was shared the entire time.
  3. Derek was stationed at the lobby front desk. Lobby camera footage confirms he didn't leave until 10:35 PM.
  4. Raj claims he was in the parking garage, but the garage key-card log shows no entry between 9 PM and 11 PM.
  5. Tomoko says she was in the third-floor break room. The break room is next door to the server room.
  6. The server room door requires a key card. Only admin-credentialed employees have server room access.
Working area

Deduction - Hard

A forged check for $50,000 was cashed from Mr. Harmon's business account. The signature was expertly forged. Five people had knowledge of Mr. Harmon's signature: Ingrid (secretary), Wei (business partner), Paul (accountant), Sandra (lawyer), and Carl (nephew). Case file HARD-001.

  1. Handwriting analysis shows the forged signature was written by a left-handed person.
  2. Ingrid and Wei are left-handed. Paul, Sandra, and Carl are right-handed.
  3. Wei was in Singapore for a business trip the entire week. Passport stamps and hotel receipts confirm this.
  4. The check was printed on Mr. Harmon's personal check printer, which is kept in his locked office.
  5. Ingrid has a spare key to Mr. Harmon's office.
  6. Carl has significant personal debt, but he's right-handed and doesn't have office access.
  7. Ingrid's fingerprints were found on the check printer, though she says she 'cleans it occasionally.'
Working area

Deduction - Expert

A diamond was stolen from a jewelry store's first-floor vault during a fire alarm evacuation (2:15–2:40 PM). Five employees were in the building: Rhea (third-floor office), Vince (second-floor stock), Petra (first-floor sales), Hans (first-floor security), and Sylvie (basement inventory). Case file EXPERT-001.

  1. The fire alarm was pulled from the third-floor pull station at 2:15 PM.
  2. Elevator log shows Rhea arrived on the third floor at 2:14 PM.
  3. During evacuation, all employees were supposed to gather in the parking lot.
  4. The parking lot headcount photo at 2:20 PM shows Petra, Hans, Sylvie, and Rhea. Vince is missing.
  5. Vince claims he stopped at the second-floor bathroom before evacuating.
  6. A neighbor's doorbell camera recorded someone matching Vince's description entering the building's west entrance at 2:18 PM. The west entrance is closest to the vault.
  7. The vault was unlocked during business hours — it relies on security staff presence, not a lock, during the day.
  8. Hans (security) was the first to reach the parking lot at 2:17 PM. He left his post at the vault when the alarm sounded.
  9. Rhea and Vince were seen having lunch together earlier that day.
Working area

Deduction - Einstein

A priceless sculpture at the Metropolitan Gallery was swapped for a painted foam replica sometime overnight. The swap required professional art skill and gallery access. Six people are under investigation: Helena (art restorer), Dmitri (exhibition painter), Yara (curator), Owen (night security), Mei (ticket manager), and Carlo (janitor). Case file EINSTEIN-001.

  1. The foam replica was skillfully painted. Creating it would require professional art training and access to high-quality spray paint.
  2. Only Helena and Dmitri have professional art training among the six suspects.
  3. Security cameras had a scheduled maintenance gap from 1 AM to 3 AM.
  4. Helena's badge log shows she exited at 11:04 PM. But the parking camera shows her car still in the lot at 1:30 AM.
  5. Dmitri was on the overnight exhibition setup shift (midnight to 6 AM) with gallery keys.
  6. The spray paint used on the replica is a restoration-grade brand stocked only in the restoration lab. Dmitri does not have restoration lab access.
  7. The parking garage has an unsecured pedestrian door that doesn't require a badge to enter.
  8. Owen (security) was on patrol rounds with GPS tracking. His route doesn't go near the sculpture gallery between 1-3 AM.
  9. Yara was at a conference in another city. Hotel check-in records confirm.
  10. Mei's shift ends at 6 PM. Carlo's cleaning shift ends at midnight. Neither returned.
Working area
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