Printable Futoshiki Puzzles

Free Futoshiki puzzles you can download and print. Each puzzle is a single page PDF with plenty of room to write. Solutions are provided separately so you won't accidentally see the answer.

Click any puzzle link to open the PDF in a new tab, then print or save. All puzzles are free for personal and organizational use.

Futoshiki (Japanese for "not equal") adds inequality constraints to Latin square logic. Fill a grid so each row and column contains each number exactly once, while also satisfying the greater-than (>) and less-than (<) signs between the squares.

Jump to: Easy (20) • Medium • Hard • Futoshiki Rules • Terms of Use

Easy Futoshiki (5×5)

A gentle introduction to Futoshiki. These 5×5 puzzles are ideal for beginners and casual solvers. Use the inequality signs to place each number exactly once in every row and column.

Puzzle	Solution
Easy #001	Solution
Easy #002	Solution
Easy #003	Solution
Easy #004	Solution
Easy #005	Solution
Easy #006	Solution
Easy #007	Solution
Easy #008	Solution
Easy #009	Solution
Easy #010	Solution
Easy #011	Solution
Easy #012	Solution
Easy #013	Solution
Easy #014	Solution
Easy #015	Solution
Easy #016	Solution
Easy #017	Solution
Easy #018	Solution
Easy #019	Solution
Easy #020	Solution

Medium Futoshiki (7×7)

A step up in challenge. These 7×7 Futoshiki puzzles require more planning and logical deduction, but remain accessible without advanced techniques.

Puzzle	Solution
Coming soon

Hard Futoshiki (9×9)

Full-size Futoshiki for experienced solvers. These puzzles demand careful constraint tracking and multi-step reasoning to reach a solution.

Puzzle	Solution
Coming soon

How to Solve Futoshiki

Futoshiki combines Latin square rules with inequality constraints. The result is a puzzle that's part Sudoku, part logic chain.

The rules:

1. Fill each cell with a digit from 1 to N (where N is the grid size).

2. Each row must contain each digit exactly once.

3. Each column must contain each digit exactly once.

4. The inequality signs (< and >) between cells must be satisfied.

Basic strategies:

Start at the extremes. If a cell points toward another with a "greater than" sign and no room for anything larger, the first cell must be the maximum value. Similarly, cells that must be smaller than their neighbors can often be resolved to 1.

Follow inequality chains. When you see A > B > C, you know A must be at least 3, B at least 2, and C can be 1. Chains of inequalities constrain possibilities quickly.

Use row/column logic. Just like Sudoku, if a number appears once in a row or column, it's eliminated from other cells in that row or column. Combine this with inequality constraints for powerful deductions.

Mark candidates. Write small numbers in cells to track possibilities. When inequalities or row/column rules eliminate a candidate, cross it out.

Why Futoshiki?

Futoshiki exercises relational reasoning in a way most number puzzles don't. You're constantly thinking about how values relate to each other, not just where they can go. This makes it a nice complement to Sudoku: similar in structure, different in the mental processes it emphasizes.

The inequality chains also give Futoshiki a satisfying "cascade" quality. One deduction often triggers several others as constraints propagate through the grid.

For more about the cognitive aspects of puzzles, see my Brain Games overview.

More Printable Puzzles

This page is part of my Printable Puzzles collection. I'm adding new puzzle types regularly.

You might also enjoy my Printable Sudoku, Printable Kakuro, or Printable Slitherlink puzzle pages.

Terms of Use

These puzzles are free for personal and organizational use, including classrooms, senior centers, memory care facilities, homeschool groups, clubs, churches, and workplaces. You may print as many copies as you need. Please don't sell them or remove the copyright notice.

Publishers: You may include one or two puzzles in each newsletter or bulletin with attribution to Memory-Improvement-Tips.com.

Published: 01/29/2026
Last Updated: 02/03/2026