Shikaku Puzzles Online — Rectangle Fields 7+
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Shikaku is the Japanese rectangle puzzle: a grid with a few numbers, and you must divide the whole field into rectangles so that each rectangle contains exactly one number and its area equals that number. A 6 can be 1×6 or 2×3 — which one fits is the whole puzzle.
Here the field is a patchwork of garden beds: drag from a number to the far corner and the bed grows, with its size — '3×2 = 6' — written live while you drag. Finished beds get their own colour and furrows.
500 puzzles in six chapters, from 4×4 strips to 10×10 fields with numbers like 12 that have several factor pairs. Every puzzle has exactly one solution, verified by a solver.
How to play
Tap a number to pick it up, then tap (or drag to) the opposite corner of the rectangle you want. Tap a finished bed to remove it. The field is done when every square is covered with no gaps.
A wrong bed is shown on the board — a red outline with '3×3 = 9 ≠ 8', two numbers inside both ringed, an overlap hatched — and never costs a life. The first puzzle is a voiced lesson on the live field.
What your child learns
This is area and multiplication done with the hands: to place a 12 the child must know 12 = 3×4 = 2×6 = 1×12 and then see which shape fits the space. It builds factor sense, the length-times-width idea of area, and the habit of checking a guess against the neighbours before committing.
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 does the number mean?
The number of squares in the rectangle that contains it — its area. A 4 is a 1×4 strip or a 2×2 square.
Can a rectangle hold two numbers?
No — exactly one. The board rings both numbers if you try.
Is this a math game?
Yes, quietly: every rectangle is a multiplication fact and an area problem, solved by drawing instead of writing.
Is every puzzle solvable?
All 500 have exactly one solution, checked by a solver before they reached the game.
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By Evgeny Arsentiev, PhD · Last updated: September 2026