Play Futoshiki Online
Play Futoshiki free in your browser. Futoshiki is a number logic puzzle where greater-than and less-than signs between squares give you the clues. Choose Easy, Medium or Hard, use pencil marks and hints as you like, and keep an eye on the timer. No download and no sign-up.
How to Play Futoshiki
Futoshiki is played on a square grid, such as 5×5. Fill every row and every column with the numbers 1 up to the size of the grid, using each number exactly once. Between some squares you will see a greater-than (>) or less-than (<) sign. The numbers on either side must obey it. A few numbers may be given at the start, and you work out the rest by logic alone.
- Tap an empty square, then tap a number to place it.
- Read each sign like an arrow: the point always faces the smaller number.
- Turn on Pencil mode to note the numbers a square could hold.
- Stuck? Use a hint to reveal one correct number.
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Choose your Futoshiki level
There are three levels here. Easy puzzles give you plenty of starting numbers and signs, so you can solve them by checking rows, columns and signs one at a time. Medium puzzles have fewer givens, and you will start to need pencil marks. Hard puzzles may start with very few numbers, so most of the solving comes from following chains of signs across the grid.
Game controls
- Pencil. Switches pencil mode on and off, so you can note possible numbers without placing an answer.
- Hint. Reveals one correct number when you are stuck.
- Erase. Clears the square you have selected.
- New. Starts a new puzzle.
- Timer. Shows how long you have been solving.
Futoshiki rules explained
- The grid. A puzzle of size N uses the numbers 1 to N. On a 5×5 grid that means 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
- Rows and columns. Each number appears exactly once in every row and exactly once in every column. Unlike Sudoku, there are no boxes.
- Inequality signs. A sign between two neighbouring squares must be true. If it says A > B, the number in A must be larger than the number in B.
- Given numbers. Some puzzles start with a few numbers already placed. These cannot be changed.
- One solution. A good puzzle has exactly one answer, which you can reach without guessing.
Futoshiki solving tips
- Rule out the extremes. A square on the larger side of a sign can never hold 1. A square on the smaller side can never hold the highest number. Start every puzzle by marking these out.
- Follow the chains. When signs line up, such as A < B < C, the squares must climb. In that chain, A can be at most N−2 and C must be at least 3.
- Find where each number must go. Pick a number and look along one row. If only one square in that row can hold it, place it there. Then do the same for columns.
- Look for squares with one option. Cross off every number already used in a square’s row and column, then apply its signs. If only one number is left, that is the answer.
- Use pencil marks on harder puzzles. Write every possible number in each square, then remove marks as you place numbers and as signs rule them out.
- Watch for pairs. If two squares in a row can hold only the same two numbers, those numbers belong there. Remove them from every other square in that row.
- Re-check the signs after every move. Each number you place can unlock the squares on the other side of its signs.
History of Futoshiki
Futoshiki comes from Japan. The name means “not equal”, after the inequality signs that make the puzzle work. Its creation is usually credited to Tamaki Seto in 2001. It became popular outside Japan in the mid-2000s, when newspapers began printing it alongside Sudoku. Like Sudoku, every row and column is a Latin square, but the signs give Futoshiki its own style of reasoning. You can read more on Wikipedia’s Futoshiki page.
Futoshiki or Sudoku?
Both puzzles ask you to place each number once in every row and column. Sudoku adds 3×3 boxes and relies on many given digits. Futoshiki drops the boxes and gives you inequality signs instead, so you spend more time comparing neighbouring squares and following chains. If you enjoy one, the other is a natural next step.
More logic puzzles to try
If you enjoy Futoshiki, try Sudoku, the classic number placement puzzle, or Kakuro, which works like a crossword made of sums. Mathdoku adds simple arithmetic to the same row-and-column rules.
Futoshiki FAQ
Is this Futoshiki game free? Yes. It is free to play in your browser, with no download or sign-up.
Do I need an account? No. Open the page and start playing.
Do I need to be good at maths? No. You only compare numbers to see which is larger. There is no adding or subtracting.
What do the signs mean? The > and < signs show which of two neighbouring squares holds the larger number. The open side faces the larger number.
Does every puzzle have one solution? Yes. You can solve each one by logic without guessing.
What is pencil mode? It lets you write small notes in a square to track which numbers could go there, without placing a final answer.
Can I play Futoshiki on my phone? Yes. The game runs in your phone’s browser.