Futoshiki Puzzles — 5x5

Free printable 5x5 futoshiki puzzles in PDF with answer pages. The classic newspaper size with 1 to 5 and inequality signs. No sign-up.

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Five by five is the size futoshiki is usually printed at, and it is the first one where the inequality signs stop being decisive on their own. With 1 to 5 in every row and column, a two-cell chain no longer pins anything down — you need to combine what the signs rule out with what the row and column already contain. That combination is the pleasure of the puzzle: the signs narrow the candidates, the no-repeat rule finishes the job, and neither alone would be enough.

One 5x5 futoshiki per page with inequality signs set between cells at a size that stays unambiguous when you write digits either side. Cells are large enough for pencil candidate marks in the corners. Each puzzle has a matching answer page showing the completed grid. Black and white, one puzzle per US Letter page.

Futoshiki 5x5 01 Futoshiki 5x5 01Download PDF ↓ Futoshiki 5x5 02 Futoshiki 5x5 02Download PDF ↓ Futoshiki 5x5 03 Futoshiki 5x5 03Download PDF ↓ Futoshiki 5x5 04 Futoshiki 5x5 04Download PDF ↓ Futoshiki 5x5 05 Futoshiki 5x5 05Download PDF ↓ Futoshiki 5x5 06 Futoshiki 5x5 06Download PDF ↓ Futoshiki 5x5 07 Futoshiki 5x5 07Download PDF ↓ Futoshiki 5x5 08 Futoshiki 5x5 08Download PDF ↓ Futoshiki 5x5 09 Futoshiki 5x5 09Download PDF ↓ Futoshiki 5x5 10 Futoshiki 5x5 10Download PDF ↓

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Frequently asked questions

How do I use candidate marks in futoshiki?
Pencil the possible values small in each cell's corner, then prune. A cell on the small side of a sign cannot hold 5, and one on the large side cannot hold 1; a cell in the middle of a rising chain of three cannot hold 1 or 5 either. Once candidates are pruned, the usual sudoku-style eliminations across rows and columns take over.
What if a 5x5 futoshiki has no given numbers at all?
That is normal and perfectly solvable. Sign-only futoshiki puzzles are common — the inequalities carry all the information. Start with the longest chain, which on a 5x5 fully determines its cells if it runs the whole width.
Does futoshiki have Latin square rules?
Yes, in effect. A completed futoshiki grid is a Latin square — each number appears exactly once in every row and every column — with the additional inequality constraints layered on top.
How long does one take?
Usually five to ten minutes once you are comfortable with the sign logic. First-timers often take much longer on a sign-only grid and then speed up dramatically, because the same chain patterns recur in almost every puzzle.