Greater Than / Less Than
Inequality signs between cells constrain which is larger
Easy
Greater Than / Less Than Easy
Medium
Greater Than / Less Than Medium
Hard
Greater Than / Less Than Hard
Expert
Greater Than / Less Than Expert
What is Greater Than / Less Than?
Greater Than Sudoku (also called Futoshiki-style Sudoku) places < and > inequality signs between adjacent cells. The sign indicates which of the two cells must hold the larger value. Some variants replace all given digits with inequality signs; others provide a hybrid. The constraints create chains of reasoning: if A > B > C > D, then A ≥ 4, B ≥ 3, C ≥ 2, D ≥ 1.
At a Glance
| Constraint type | Cell Relationships |
| Typical givens | 18–24 |
| Difficulty rating | ★★★☆☆ 3/5 |
| Avg. solve time — Easy | 7 min |
| Avg. solve time — Medium | 16 min |
| Avg. solve time — Hard | 32 min |
| Avg. solve time — Expert | 58 min |
How to Solve Greater Than / Less Than
| Technique | What it does | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Chain Inequality — Minimums | Link inequalities in a chain: if A > B > C, then A ≥ 3, B ≥ 2, C ≥ 1. Use these minimums to prune candidates immediately. | Beginner |
| Chain Inequality — Maximums | In the chain A > B > C > D, also bound from above: A ≤ 9, B ≤ 8, C ≤ 7, D ≤ 6. | Beginner |
| Inequality Propagation | After placing a digit, check all inequality arrows from that cell and eliminate impossible values from its neighbours. | Intermediate |
| Forced Single via Range | When an inequality chain reduces a cell's valid range to a single digit, place it directly. | Intermediate |
Average Solve Times
Easy
7 min
Medium
16 min
Hard
32 min
Expert
58 min
Frequently Asked Questions
Are given digits provided?
Our puzzles include some given digits alongside the inequality signs.
Can inequality signs replace all givens?
Some harder puzzles use only inequalities with no given digits — the ratio depends on difficulty.