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Play Futoshiki Online Free

Futoshiki is a Sudoku-style logic puzzle built around inequality clues — fill the grid with numbers so every row and column contains each number once, while every > and < sign stays true. Play free, no sign-up required.

How to Play Futoshiki (60-second guide)

Futoshiki is played on a square grid. Your goal is to place numbers from 1 to the grid size in every row and column, without repeating a number. Inequality signs between cells tell you which number must be greater or smaller.

Each row must contain every number once
Each column must contain every number once
A > sign means the number on the left is greater than the number on the right
A < sign means the number on the left is smaller than the number on the right
Start with rows, columns, or inequality chains that limit the possible numbers

Keep Playing

Your Progress — track how many Futoshiki puzzles you solve this week
Save & Continue Later — your puzzle progress is saved automatically in your browser
Choose Your Difficulty — play Easy, Medium, Hard, or Expert Futoshiki puzzles

Choose Your Difficulty

Easy Futoshiki — best for learning the rules and solving simple inequality clues
Medium Futoshiki — balanced puzzles with more candidate checking
Hard Futoshiki — fewer obvious moves and stronger logic chains
Expert Futoshiki — advanced puzzles for players who enjoy deep deduction

What Is Futoshiki?

Futoshiki is a number-placement puzzle from Japan. The name means "unequal," which describes the main twist: some neighboring cells are connected by greater-than or less-than signs. Like Sudoku, Futoshiki uses row and column uniqueness. Unlike Sudoku, there are no 3×3 boxes — the challenge comes from combining Latin-square logic with inequality relationships.

Every valid Futoshiki puzzle has one unique solution that can be reached through logic. You do not need arithmetic, guessing, or advanced math. The key is to compare possible numbers across rows, columns, and inequality clues until only one valid placement remains.

Characteristics of Futoshiki

Grid layout: square grid, usually 4×4, 5×5, 6×6, or larger
Number pool: numbers from 1 to the grid size
Main rule: no number repeats in any row or column
Special clues: inequality signs between neighboring cells
Unique solution: every valid puzzle has exactly one solution
Typical solve time: 2–5 min on Easy, 20+ min on Expert
Best for: players who enjoy Sudoku logic with an extra comparison-based twist

Solving Strategies for Futoshiki

Strategy 1: Use the Biggest and Smallest Numbers First

Inequality clues often reveal where high and low numbers can go. In a 5×5 puzzle, a cell that must be greater than several neighbors is more likely to contain 4 or 5. A cell that must be smaller than nearby cells is more likely to contain 1 or 2.

Strategy 2: Combine Row and Column Logic

Every number can appear only once in each row and column. When a number is impossible in one cell because of an inequality clue, check whether that forces the number somewhere else in the same row or column.

Strategy 3: Follow Inequality Chains

Some clues form chains like A > B > C. In that case, the first cell must be higher than the second, and the second must be higher than the third. Long chains quickly remove many candidate numbers and can unlock the puzzle.

If you enjoy Futoshiki's mix of Sudoku-style uniqueness and inequality clues, these puzzles use similar deduction skills with their own twist:

Sudoku — the classic number-placement puzzle with rows, columns, and 3×3 boxes.
Skyscrapers — another Latin-square puzzle where clues depend on number height and visibility.
Calcudoku — combines row and column uniqueness with arithmetic cages.
Kakuro — uses number uniqueness inside sum-based crossword-style runs.
Jigsaw Sudoku — keeps Sudoku logic but replaces regular boxes with irregular regions.