Nonogram
Nonogram is a picture logic puzzle, also known as Hanjie or Paint by Numbers. The numbers beside each row and above each column give the lengths of its runs of filled cells, in order, with at least one empty cell between runs. Fill the right cells and a picture appears.
How to play
Easy puzzles are 8×8, Medium 10×10, and Hard and Expert 15×15. Up to Hard, every row and column can be worked out on its own; Expert puzzles also need a short “what if” on a single cell. Every puzzle here has exactly one solution.
- Each number is a run of filled cells in that row or column, in the order shown.
- Runs in the same line are separated by at least one empty cell.
- A 0 means the line has no filled cells.
- Cells not covered by any run stay empty.
Playing on this site
- Choose Fill or Cross below the board, then tap a cell to mark it; tap it again to clear it.
- Drag to mark a stretch of cells; the drag locks to the row or column it starts along and is one undo step.
- With a keyboard, use the arrow keys to move, Space to mark, F and X to switch between Fill and Cross.
- A clue fades once its line matches the picture.
- Crosses are only a helper: the puzzle is solved as soon as the filled cells form the picture.
- Hint points out wrong cells first, then highlights a line whose clue decides the next cells.
- Your puzzle is saved in this browser, so you can come back to it later.
Techniques by level
Every technique the solver knows, from easiest to hardest. A puzzle's level is the hardest one it needs.
Easy
- Line logic
- The clue of the highlighted line is enough on its own to decide the marked cells.
Expert
- Contradiction
- Assume the opposite in the marked cell and a rule breaks a few steps later. So it can only be this.
Questions
How do I start a Nonogram?
Look for big numbers. In a 10-cell row with the clue 7, the run must cover the middle four cells wherever it starts, so fill those. Then lines with a 0 or with clues that add up to the full length, gaps included, are fully decided.
Will I ever have to guess?
No. Every puzzle has exactly one solution that logic alone reaches, at every level.
Is Nonogram free to play here?
Yes. Every level is free, with no account and no sign-in.