Nonogram Online Free
The numbers beside each row and above each column give the runs of filled squares in that line, in order. Fill the grid to match and a picture appears.
Tap to fill a square, again to cross it out, again to clear. Drag to fill several.
What is a Nonogram?
A Nonogram is a picture logic puzzle. Each row and column has a clue such as 3 1, which means that line has a run of 3 filled squares, then at least one gap, then a run of 1. Working out every line from its clue and the squares you already know fills the grid and reveals a picture.
Nonograms were invented in Japan in 1987 by Non Ishida and Tetsuya Nishio, and the name comes from “Non” plus “diagram”. They are also known as Picross, Griddlers, Hanjie and paint-by-numbers puzzles. Every puzzle here can be solved one line at a time, with no guessing.
How to play Nonogram
- Each number in a clue is a run of filled squares in that row or column. The runs appear in the order given, with at least one empty square between them.
- A clue of 0 means the whole line is empty.
- Tap a square to fill it, tap again to mark it with a dot (a square you know is empty), and a third time to clear it. Drag to fill several squares at once.
- A clue fades when its line matches it. The thick lines every five squares help you count. Every puzzle is made fresh and checked to have exactly one solution, so it can always be solved by logic without guessing. Use Hint if you’re stuck, and pick a size at the top of the board.
Nonogram skills
- Counting and number sense
- Logical deduction
- Visual and spatial reasoning
Level: Ages 8 and up
Tips for Nonograms
Start with big clues. In a 10-square row, a clue of 8 must cover the middle six squares wherever it sits, so fill those first.
Add up a line. Clue 4 3 1 needs 4 + 3 + 1 squares plus 2 gaps, which is 10, so in a 10-square row every square is fixed.
Mark empty squares with dots. Knowing where a run can’t go is as useful as knowing where it is.
When a line is finished, dot the rest of it, then check every crossing line again.
Nonogram questions and answers
How do you solve a Nonogram?
Each clue lists the runs of filled squares in that row or column, in order, with gaps between them. Work line by line: find squares that must be filled in every possible arrangement of the clue, and squares that can’t be, then use those to work on the crossing lines.
What is the difference between a Nonogram and Picross?
None in the rules. Picross is the name Nintendo uses for its Nonogram games, and Griddlers, Hanjie and Paint by Numbers are other names for the same puzzle.
Who invented Nonograms?
Non Ishida, a Japanese graphic artist, and Tetsuya Nishio, a puzzle maker, both came up with the idea in 1987. The puzzles became popular in the UK in the 1990s through newspapers.
Do these Nonograms need guessing?
No. Every puzzle is checked when it’s made by solving it one line at a time, so it has exactly one solution and you can always find the next square by logic.
Which size should I start with?
Start with 5 × 5 to learn how the clues work. 10 × 10 is the classic size, and 15 × 15 takes a confident solver several minutes.