Futoshiki

The popularity of Futoshiki (aka Calcudoku), like that of other significant Japanese-style puzzles, lies in its apparent simplicity. The solver’s challenge is to place numbers in a grid in accordance with a few simple instructions. In a basic 3×3 puzzle, the solver must place the numbers 1 to 3 so that each number appears once in each row and each column.

The Futoshiki twist is that the grid shows ‘greater than’ (>) and ‘less than’ (<) symbols to indicate where a number should be greater or smaller than the number next to it. 

We can create Futoshiki puzzles in different sizes, with the difficulty level generally increasing with grid size. Starter numbers may be given – but solving depends on the ability to interpret the strategically placed ‘greater than’ and ‘less than’ symbols between certain squares.