Futoshiki Puzzles Online — More or Less Grids 7+
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Futoshiki (Japanese for 'not equal', also called More or Less) is a Latin-square puzzle: every row and every column holds the numbers 1 to N exactly once, and carved 'greater than' signs between cells must all point the right way — the sharp end always looks at the smaller number.
Here it lives on a carved wooden board with a big digit pad: 120 puzzles in four chapters from 4×4 to 7×7, every one machine-checked to have exactly one solution.
The board marks only real rule breaks — a repeated number in a row or column, or a broken sign. Correct answers are never highlighted.
How to play
Tap a cell, then a digit on the big pad; tap the cell again to erase. The first puzzle is a voiced lesson right on the live board: it shows how a chain of signs pins the biggest number down.
Big Undo is always at hand; Restart asks first.
What your child learns
Futoshiki is comparison practice turned into deduction: 'this cell is smaller than a 2, so it must be 1'. Children internalise the meaning of the < and > signs — a notorious school stumbling block — and learn sudoku-style elimination on top: no repeats in a row, no repeats in a column.
The science behind the games
Every Dad4Kids game is built on one simple truth: children want to play, not study — so we turn learning into a game worth replaying. The method draws on peer-reviewed research in game-based learning, motivation, and how memory works.
- Prins et al. (2013). “Braingame Brian”: toward an executive function training program with game elements. Games for Health Journal.
- Tokac et al. (2019). Effects of game-based learning on students' mathematics achievement: A meta-analysis. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning.
- Alotaibi (2024). Game-based learning in early childhood education: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology.
- Lampropoulos & Sidiropoulos (2024). Impact of gamification on students' learning outcomes and academic performance: a meta-analysis. Education Sciences.
- Taylor & Boyer (2019). Play-based learning: evidence-based research to improve children's learning experiences. Early Childhood Education Journal.
- Gottfried (1990). Academic intrinsic motivation in young elementary school children. Journal of Educational Psychology.
FAQ
What are the rules of futoshiki?
Fill the grid so every row and every column contains each number from 1 to N exactly once, and every inequality sign between two cells is true — the sharp end points at the smaller number.
Does the game show the answer?
No. The board marks only a broken rule — a duplicate in a row or column, or a sign pointing the wrong way. Whether a digit is right you learn by finishing the grid.
What age is it for?
4×4 with a voiced lesson suits a seven-year-old learning the < sign; 6×6 and 7×7 are a real challenge for older kids.
Is every puzzle solvable?
Yes: all 120 puzzles were verified by a solver to have exactly one solution.
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By Evgeny Arsentiev, PhD · Last updated: September 2026