Free logic puzzles to play and print

Logic Grid Puzzle Maker: Zebra and Einstein Puzzles

Make a new logic grid puzzle in any size from 3x3 to 5x6, solve it on the grid with hints, or print a set with answer pages.

A logic grid puzzle is a matching puzzle: several categories, such as friends, pets and drinks, and a set of clues that tell you which items belong together until every item is paired. This free logic grid puzzle tool makes new ones in your web browser, with no sign-up and nothing to install. Puzzles are made on your device, and nothing is uploaded. Each puzzle has exactly one solution, so the clues are all you need. You can choose sizes from 3x3 to 5x6 and four levels, from Easy to Expert, and print sets with answers. The same puzzle number always produces the same puzzle, so you can share or reprint one exactly. Logic grid puzzles are also called Einstein puzzles, zebra puzzles or deduction puzzles.

How to use the Logic Grid Puzzle tool

Solving a puzzle takes a few steps. The page opens on 4x4 Medium, so you can start there or change the settings first.

  1. Choose a size and a level. Sizes run from 3x3 to 5x6, and levels from Easy to Expert. Pick a theme, or use Random theme.
  2. Read the first clue and mark what it states directly. Tap a cell once for ✗ (no) and twice for ● (yes).
  3. To place a ● in one step, right-click or press and hold the cell.
  4. Keep Auto-cross on. After each ●, the rest of its row and column in that block are crossed out for you.
  5. Tap a clue to cross it out once you have used it.
  6. Watch the “Your answer” table fill in from your ● marks. Turn on Show mistakes to see impossible combinations in red.
  7. If you are stuck, press Hint. It marks one cell and names the clue behind it. Check tells you how many marks are wrong, without showing which ones.
  8. Use Undo, Redo or Reset to change your marks.

Keyboard shortcuts: arrow keys move, X or Space enters ✗, O or Enter enters ●, and Backspace clears a cell. Press Copy link to share the exact puzzle, or New puzzle for a different one with the same settings. For paper copies, open the Print tab.

What is a logic grid puzzle?

A logic grid puzzle has several categories with the same number of items in each, such as 4 friends, 4 pets, 4 ages and 4 drinks. The hidden answer pairs every item with exactly one item from each other category, and every item is used once. The clues are the only information you get, so each one narrows down the possible pairings.

The tool writes sizes as categories x items. A 4x4 puzzle has four categories of four items. The first category is always the people of the theme.

What is the zebra puzzle or Einstein’s riddle?

The zebra puzzle is a famous five-house puzzle first published in Life International in 1962. It is often called Einstein’s riddle, but there is no evidence that Einstein wrote it. Its question asks who drinks water and who owns the zebra. Some versions ask who owns the fish instead. It is a 5x5 logic grid puzzle, with five houses and attributes such as nationality, pet and drink.

This tool does not reproduce the original text. Its 5x5 and 5x6 puzzles with positional, house-style categories are the closest match, and each one comes with new clues and a new solution.

How do you solve a logic grid puzzle?

Start by marking what each clue says directly, then let the grid do the work. After each ●, cross out the rest of its row and column in that block, since each item pairs with only one item. When a row has only one empty cell left, that cell must be ●. Carry facts between blocks: if Cara drinks cocoa and cocoa goes with grapes, then Cara has grapes. Comparison clues help too. A person who is younger than someone else cannot be the oldest.

Here is the worked example from the 3x3 Lunch Boxes puzzle. Clues 2 and 3 say Fay drinks lemonade and Gus drinks milk, which leaves cocoa for Cara. By clue 1, Cara has grapes. Clue 4 says the child with oranges does not drink lemonade, so oranges go to Gus and bananas to Fay. The answer is Cara with grapes and cocoa, Fay with bananas and lemonade, and Gus with oranges and milk.

What makes a puzzle Easy, Medium, Hard or Expert?

Difficulty is measured, not guessed. The level is the weakest set of solving rules that solves the finished puzzle. Easy uses direct clues and single empty cells. Medium adds full cross-checking between categories and simple older/younger clues. Hard adds pair, exact-difference, directly-left-of and next-to clues. Expert needs at least one trial step: assume a cell is ●, follow what it forces, and find a contradiction.

How do I print logic grid puzzles with answers?

Open the Print tab and set the puzzles per page, the number of pages (1 to 10), and the paper (US Letter or A4). Turn answer pages on to add a filled answer table and the solved grid. You can also add a name and date line or use large print. Each printed puzzle has its own number, so you can match it to its answer. Two puzzles per page is available only for 3x3 and 3x4. Check the preview, then press Print / Save as PDF. Choose Save as PDF in the browser dialog to keep a file.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free, and do I need an account?

Yes, the tool is free, and you do not need an account or any sign-up. Nothing needs to be installed. Everything runs in your web browser, and puzzles are made on your device with nothing uploaded. Your marks are saved in your browser for each puzzle, so a reload keeps your progress.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

The tool runs in a web browser, so it opens on a phone or tablet as well as a computer. You can mark cells by tapping, and press-and-hold places a ●. The keyboard shortcuts are for devices with a keyboard.

How many clues does a puzzle have?

Clue counts range from about 4 or 5 for a 3x3 puzzle to 15 to 20 for a 5x6 puzzle. Read the whole clue list once before you start marking.

Does every puzzle have one solution?

Yes. The generator uses a complete solver to prove that the solution is unique before it shows the puzzle, so you will never have two correct answers.

Will I get the same puzzle again?

Yes, if you use the same puzzle number and settings. Use Copy link to share an exact puzzle. Use New puzzle for a different one with the same settings.

Can I get a hint without solving the whole puzzle?

Yes. Hint marks one cell and names the clue and reasoning behind it. When you finish, a message shows your time and how many hints you used.

Which size should I start with?

Start with 3x3 or 4x4 on Easy, then move up a size or a level when you are ready. Random theme picks a theme by puzzle number, and there are 10 everyday themes and 6 kid-friendly ones.