In 3-tert-butyl-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-phenylindeno[1,2-b]pyrazolo[4,3-e]pyridin-5(1H)-one, C(29)H(22)ClN(3)O, (I), inversion-related pairs of molecules are linked by C-H...O hydrogen bonds to form R(2)(2)(18) dimers, which are themselves linked into a chain by a π-π stacking interaction between inversion-related pairs of molecules. In 3-tert-butyl-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)indeno[1,2-b]pyrazolo[4,3-e]pyridin-5(1H)-one, C(30)H(24)ClN(3)O(2), (II), which crystallizes in the space group P-1, with Z' = 2 and with different orientations for the methoxy groups in the two independent molecules, a combination of C-H···O and C-H···π(arene) hydrogen bonds links the molecules into chains of rings, which are further linked into sheets by a π-π stacking interaction.