By Noyon Rahman · Updated August 2026 · Reviewed for accuracy against the live game

About Nonogram

Nonogram — also known as Picross, Griddlers, or Hanjie — is a picture-logic puzzle where numbers reveal a hidden image. Each row and column carries a set of clues: a clue like "3 1" means the line contains a block of three filled cells, then a gap of at least one, then a single filled cell. By combining the row and column clues, you deduce exactly which cells to fill and which to leave empty, gradually revealing a pixel-art picture. Invented in Japan in 1987 by Tetsuya Nishio, the puzzle became a worldwide craze through Nintendo's Picross series, and it remains one of the most satisfying logic puzzles ever designed.

How to Play Nonogram

Look at the clue numbers at the start of each row and above each column. The numbers appear in order and describe consecutive runs of filled cells separated by at least one empty cell. For each line, work out where filled cells must go by considering the clue against the line's length. Click cells you are confident about to fill them, and mark cells you know are empty with an × using right-click (or long-press on touch). The board has three lives — fill a cell that should be empty and you lose one. Complete every row and column correctly to reveal the picture and win.

Tips & Strategies

Start with rows whose clues sum close to the line length — they force nearly every cell to be filled.
A clue equal to the full line length means the entire row is filled; a lone zero means it is all empty.
Use × marks aggressively for cells you know are empty — they are as informative as filled cells.
Overlap logic: when a row's blocks are drawn from both ends, cells that overlap in both placements are guaranteed filled.
Re-check each line after every few fills — new certainties in one row often unlock the next.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a clue like "2 1" mean?

It means the line contains a run of 2 filled cells and a separate run of 1 filled cell, in that order, with at least one empty cell between them. The empty cells can appear before, between, or after the runs in any arrangement.

Do I ever need to guess in Nonogram?

No. Every puzzle generated here is guaranteed solvable by pure logic — if you feel stuck, you have simply missed a deduction. Look for lines with only one or two possible arrangements and test them.

What happens if I make a mistake?

Filling a cell that should stay empty costs one of your three lives. Lose all three and the puzzle restarts. Marking a wrong × costs nothing, so when unsure, prefer marking empties over filling cells.

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Nonogram