Futoshiki, also known as Hutosiki, is a new type of Japanese number puzzle which, like Sudoku, requires logic rather than mathematical computations to solve. Though it is normally played on a 5x5 grid, Futoshiki grid sizes can range from a fairly easy 4x4 to a mind-boggling 9x9.
In Futoshiki, as in Sudoku, you need to arrange the numbers so that they appear only once in each row or column. But, instead of the 3x3 squares found in Sudoku, Futoshiki puzzles provide greater and less than symbols that must be taken into consideration when solving the puzzle.
Want to give it a try? Here are a few sites where you can find Futoshiki puzzles.
dofutoshiki.com
Claims to be the "ultimate online Futoshiki site". It offers an online tutorial and a sample Futoshiki game, and with a free membership subscription, access to many more along with free solving assistants, the capability of choosing your preferred difficulty level, a chat room, and the option of comparing your scores with those of other players.
Futoshiki at The Puzzle Club
This site offers a free sample Futoshiki to play online. To get more puzzles, you need to pay a membership fee.
Futoshiki at justplayfreegames.com
A great resource for those looking for print-friendly Futoshiki puzzles. Offers six randomly generated Futoshiki puzzles per page. Puzzles are of medium difficulty with 5x5 square grids.
How to Play Futoshiki
Want to learn more about Futoshiki? Sudoku.net offers a tutorial on how to play the game as well as Futoshiki games with grids ranging from 4x4 to 9x9. These games can be played online or printed in Adobe PDF format.
Futoshiki at BrainBashers.com
A new Futoshiki puzzle game every day. The puzzles come in four difficulty levels, from Easy (4x4) to Hard (7x7), just select the difficulty level you prefer.
