What Is a Nonogram?
A Nonogram is a grid puzzle where you fill in squares to reveal a picture. The numbers beside each row and column tell you how many squares to fill in that line, and in what order. Not where. You figure out the where.
What the numbers mean
Take a row with the clue 3 1. It means: a block of three filled squares, then a gap of at least one empty square, then a single filled square. Nothing else in that row.
- Each number is the length of one run of filled squares.
- Several numbers mean several runs, in order. Rows read left to right, columns read top to bottom.
- Two runs need at least one empty square between them. The gap can be bigger.
- A clue of 0 means the whole line is empty.
A tiny example
Say a 5×5 grid has a row marked 5. A block of five in a row of five only fits one way: the whole row is filled. Clues that match the full width are always your easiest first move.
Other names for the same puzzle
You'll see Nonograms under several names, which makes searching confusing:
- Picross — Nintendo's brand name for the same puzzle.
- Hanjie — common in the UK and Australia.
- Griddlers — popularised by a puzzle community site.
- Japanese crossword, picture cross, and paint by numbers are the same idea too.
Why people keep coming back
It's calm, and every deduction is a small reward. A well-made board has exactly one answer, so you never have to guess. Ours are generated and checked to guarantee that.
Picture lessons
