Hitori Puzzles — 5x5

Free printable 5x5 hitori puzzles as PDFs with answer pages. The smallest grid size, ideal for learning the three rules. No sign-up.

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Hitori runs backwards from most number puzzles: instead of writing numbers in, you shade them out. On a 5x5 grid the aim is to black out cells until no number appears twice in any row or column, while keeping every shaded cell isolated from other shaded cells and every white cell joined to the rest. Twenty-five cells is small enough that a wrong move shows itself within a few steps, which is exactly what you want while the three rules are still new.

Each sheet has one 5x5 hitori grid with numbers printed in a light-friendly weight, so shading a cell with pencil or marker still leaves the digit faintly visible if you need to backtrack. Cells are drawn large for easy filling. Answer pages show the finished grid with shaded cells marked. Black and white, one puzzle per US Letter page.

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

Related printables

Hitori Puzzles — 10x10Hitori Puzzles — 6x6Hitori Puzzles — 8x8

Frequently asked questions

What are the three rules of hitori?
One: no number may appear more than once in any row or column among the unshaded cells. Two: shaded cells may not touch each other horizontally or vertically, though they may touch at corners. Three: all unshaded cells must form a single connected area — you must be able to walk between any two of them through white cells.
What is the first move in a hitori puzzle?
Look for three of the same number in a row, like 4 4 4. The middle one must stay white, because shading it would leave two shaded cells adjacent to it or force both outer cells white and duplicated. Also look for a pair with a matching number elsewhere in the same line — the pair itself is often decidable straight away.
Can I shade two cells next to each other?
No. Shaded cells must never share an edge. That rule is what makes the puzzle solvable by logic: whenever you shade a cell, all four of its orthogonal neighbors are immediately confirmed white, which usually unlocks the next deduction.
Is 5x5 hitori good for children?
It suits roughly ages 8 and up as an editorial suggestion. The arithmetic is nil — it is pure spotting of duplicates — but the connectivity rule takes a little practice, so it helps to solve the first one together and talk through why each cell was shaded.