Shikaku Puzzles — 12x12

Free printable 12x12 shikaku puzzles as PDFs with answer pages. The largest size on the site, for experienced solvers. No sign-up.

⬇ Download all 10 as one PDF — free, no sign-up

This is the largest shikaku size on the site and the one that rewards patience over speed. A hundred and forty-four cells means the easy forced placements run out early, and the middle of the puzzle usually has to be unpicked through elimination — proving where a rectangle cannot go rather than where it can. If you have been solving 10x10 grids on autopilot, these will slow you down in a good way. Set aside half an hour and use a pencil.

One 12x12 shikaku per page, printed edge to edge so the cells stay large enough to work in despite the grid size. Clue numbers are set in a clear sans-serif that stays readable at small sizes. Each puzzle is paired with an answer page showing the full rectangle partition. Black and white, US Letter, one puzzle per sheet.

Shikaku 12x12 Hard 01 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 01Download PDF ↓ Shikaku 12x12 Hard 02 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 02Download PDF ↓ Shikaku 12x12 Hard 03 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 03Download PDF ↓ Shikaku 12x12 Hard 04 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 04Download PDF ↓ Shikaku 12x12 Hard 05 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 05Download PDF ↓ Shikaku 12x12 Hard 06 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 06Download PDF ↓ Shikaku 12x12 Hard 07 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 07Download PDF ↓ Shikaku 12x12 Hard 08 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 08Download PDF ↓ Shikaku 12x12 Hard 09 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 09Download PDF ↓ Shikaku 12x12 Hard 10 Shikaku 12x12 Hard 10Download PDF ↓

Related printables

Shikaku Puzzles — 10x10Shikaku Puzzles — 5x5Shikaku Puzzles — 7x7Shikaku

Frequently asked questions

How long does a 12x12 shikaku take?
For a solver comfortable with 10x10 grids, usually twenty-five to forty minutes. The opening moves go quickly, then there is typically a long middle stretch where progress comes one rectangle at a time, followed by a fast finish once the board is mostly tiled.
I am stuck with several possible layouts. What now?
Stop placing and start eliminating. Pick a single empty cell and list every clue that could legally reach it. If only one can, that clue's rectangle must include that cell, and its shape is often forced from there. This cell-first approach breaks deadlocks that clue-first scanning misses.
Do I need to fill in every cell?
Yes. A finished shikaku leaves no cell outside a rectangle. If you reach the end with a gap, something earlier is wrong — the gap is usually adjacent to an oversized rectangle you drew a step too far.
Are these suitable for older students?
As an editorial suggestion, they suit strong solvers from roughly age 12 up, and they work well as an adult puzzle. Younger children usually do better on the 5x5 and 7x7 sets, which reach a satisfying finish much sooner.