You'll get a briefing for each case, then read access to that site's database. Write real SQL and run it — your query executes against a real embedded database on the server, so real syntax errors show up exactly as they would anywhere else.
Objectives on the left update automatically as your queries touch the right tables — they're a progress signal, not a requirement to follow in order.
When you're confident, file an accusation. It's checked against the evidence, not against which query you happened to run.
This terminal is read-only — SELECT queries only. If you ever want a clean slate, RESET DATABASE reloads the case's original data without touching your progress.
Some later cases are different: they're marked write-enabled, and let you run UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE to actually fix corrupted records instead of just investigating. Those cases replace the accusation box with a VERIFY CORRECTION button — it re-checks the live data rather than a typed answer. RESET DATABASE still works exactly the same way if a correction goes wrong.
Stuck? Use the ◀ ▶ hint controls (three tiers per case) or open the FIELD MANUAL any time for SQL syntax reference.
Your nickname (not your email) is what other players see on the LEADERBOARD. Every query you run is saved to your own private query log — after you solve a case, you can also look up any other player who's solved it to compare how you each got there.
See how other players who've also solved this case got there — right from the case leaderboard, click any name to view their query log.
Pick a nickname — this is what other players see on the leaderboard. Your email stays private and is never shown to anyone else.