What is a nonogram?
A nonogram is a grid logic puzzle. You get an empty grid and a set of numbers along the top and left side. The numbers tell you how many shaded cells sit together in each row and column, and in what order. Shade exactly the right cells and every clue is satisfied.
Nonograms were invented in Japan in the late 1980s and spread through newspapers and handheld consoles under names like griddlers, hanjie and paint by numbers. In puzzle books the finished grid usually forms a small picture. The nonograms here are generated fresh for every game, so the finished grid is a unique pattern rather than a drawing, which means you can never recognise the answer early and have to solve every cell by logic.
How to solve a nonogram, step by step
Every nonogram is solved one line at a time. You look at a single row or column, ask which cells must be shaded or empty whatever the arrangement, mark them, and move on. Each mark then gives new information to the lines that cross it.
- Find the overlaps. Imagine a run pushed as far left as it can go, then as far right. Cells covered in both positions must be shaded. In a row of 10, a clue of 7 always covers the middle four cells.
- Add up the clues. A row of 10 with clues 3 3 2 needs 3 + 3 + 2 plus two gaps, which is 10. It fits exactly one way, so fill it in completely.
- Use the edges. A shaded cell against the border must be the start of the first run. Complete that run and cross the next cell.
- Cross out as you go. Crosses are as valuable as shaded cells. Once a line’s runs are all placed, cross out everything else in it.
- Switch direction often. After working the rows, go through the columns. The two directions keep feeding each other until the grid is done.
Choosing a size
Start with 5×5 or 10×10 to learn the techniques above; each takes a few minutes. 15×15 is the classic newspaper size and a satisfying coffee-break puzzle. 20×20 and 25×25 are long, absorbing solves where careful crossing-out really pays off. Full screen mode gives you larger cells on big grids.
Why nonograms are worth playing
Nonograms reward patience and careful checking more than speed, and they never require a guess: each puzzle here has a single solution you can reach by pure logic. They are a calm, focused way to spend ten minutes, and the moment a hard grid finally falls into place is hard to beat.
How to play Nonogram
- Each number next to a row, or above a column, is the length of one run of shaded cells in that line.
- Runs appear in the same order as their numbers, left to right and top to bottom.
- Between two runs there is always at least one empty cell.
- A clue of 0 means the whole line stays empty.
- The puzzle is solved when every row and column matches its clue.
Nonogram tips
Start with the big numbers
In a 10-wide row, a clue of 8 must cover the middle six cells whatever its position. Overlap like this gives you your first shaded cells without any guessing.
Mark the empty cells too
Crossing out cells you know are empty is as useful as shading. Crosses split a line into smaller gaps, and small gaps often have only one way to fit a run.
Work the edges
When a shaded cell touches the border, the run it belongs to must start there. Complete that run and put a cross right after it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a nonogram and picross?
None: picross, griddlers, hanjie and paint by numbers are all names for the same puzzle. Picross is the name Nintendo made popular; nonogram comes from Non Ishida, one of its inventors.
Do nonograms need guessing?
No. Every nonogram on MindedGames has a single solution you can reach by logic alone, line by line.
Which size should I start with?
A 5×5 or 10×10 nonogram takes a few minutes and teaches every technique. Move to 15×15 and larger once overlap and edge runs feel natural.
