Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
It has furrowed the brows of millions, colonised the pages of major newspapers but sudoku, the fiendish number puzzle, had better watch out: there’s a new grid on the block.
Futoshiki may look straightforward, but the experienced puzzler knows not to be fooled by appearances. In Japan, the game is almost as popular as sudoku; now, puzzle fanatics elsewhere in the world can see what the fuss is about.
Like sudoku, the game’s enormous popularity in Japan can be explained by its deceptive simplicity. Futoshiki (the name literally means “not equal”) is based on a simple grid into which, like the more famous puzzle, numbers are inserted according to a few simple rules. The numbers one to five must be placed in each row and each column, without any repeats; “greater than” or “less than” signs — literally, “not equal” to — between boxes are the only tips to guide you. Sounds easy? Don’t be too sure.
Look out for Futoshiki on our pages from next week
Esther Addlry
