Nonogram

How to use the nonogram puzzle game

1. Open the Size menu and pick a grid from 5x5 to 25x25. The default is 10x10.
2. Open the Difficulty menu and pick Easy, Medium or Hard.
3. Choose a puzzle type. Random puzzle makes a new puzzle each time. Picture puzzle picks a picture from the library, optionally from one theme.
4. Read the clues. Each number beside a row or above a column gives the length of a block of filled squares, in order.
5. Click a square to fill it, or drag across a line to fill several squares at once. Right-click a square you know is empty to mark it with an X.
6. When you are stuck, press Hint. It shows one square that a clue already proves and names the row or column. Press Check to mark wrong squares in red, or to see how many squares are still to fill.
7. When a row or column matches its clue, its numbers turn grey. Turn on ‘Cross out finished lines automatically’ to fill the rest of that line with X marks.
8. When the puzzle is solved, the page shows your time, hints used and, for picture puzzles, the picture’s name.

Arrow keys move, Space or Enter fills, X marks a cross and Backspace clears. Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) undoes and Shift+Ctrl+Z redoes. Restart clears the board, New puzzle makes another, and Show solution reveals the answer. Copy link gives you a link that opens exactly the same puzzle.

What is a nonogram?

A nonogram is a logic puzzle played on a grid. Each row and column has clues that give the lengths of the blocks of filled squares in that line, in order, and filling the right squares reveals a picture or pattern. Nonograms are also called hanjie, paint by numbers or picture logic puzzles, but the rules are the same.

How do nonograms work?

Each clue lists blocks (runs) of filled squares. Rows are read from left to right and columns from top to bottom. Two blocks in the same line always have at least one empty square between them. A clue of 0 means the whole line is empty. Every square belongs to one row and one column, and both must match their clues, which is what makes the puzzle solvable by logic.

How to play nonogram?

Start by reading the clues in each line and working out where the blocks can go. Take the clue 3 1 in a 5-square line. The blocks need 3 + 1 gap + 1 = 5 squares, so there is only one placement: filled, filled, filled, empty, filled.

How to solve nonograms?

Start with the overlap rule. If a block of length n sits alone in a line of length L and 2n > L, the middle 2n − L squares must be filled. A clue of 7 in a 10-square row fills squares 4 to 7, because every possible position of that block covers them. Fill those squares, mark any square you know is empty with an X, and then check the crossing column or row for new certainties. Repeat until the grid is complete.

Are all nonograms solvable?

A set of clues can have more than one solution, but every puzzle on this site has exactly one. Puzzles are generated in the browser and kept only after the solver confirms the solution is unique, so you never need to guess between two valid answers. Every picture in the library is also solvable line by line.

Are nonograms hard?

It depends on the difficulty. Easy puzzles can be solved one line at a time in at most 3 passes over all rows and columns (4 passes from 20x20). Medium puzzles can also be solved line by line but need more passes. Hard puzzles have one solution, but line-by-line logic gets stuck, so you must test a square both ways and see which choice leads to a contradiction.

What does nonogram mean?

The name comes from Non Ishida, one of the two people who invented the puzzle in Japan in 1987. James Dalgety coined the name “nonogram” in 1990, after Ishida.

Frequently asked questions

Is this nonogram game free?

Yes. It is free to play, and the puzzles are made on your device, so nothing is uploaded.

Is my progress saved?

Yes. Progress is saved automatically in your browser and restored when you come back to the page.

Can I play nonogram puzzles on a phone?

Yes. On a phone, tap the Fill or X button to choose what a tap does. On a small screen, the Move button lets you scroll a zoomed board instead of drawing.

Can I print the puzzle?

Yes. Press Print to print the puzzle. Tick ‘Print the answer page too’ to add the answer on a second page.

How do I get a hint?

Press Hint to reveal one square that a row or column clue already proves. If a square you filled is wrong, the hint clears it first and points it out.

Can I share a puzzle with a friend?

Yes. Copy link copies a link that opens exactly the same puzzle, so a friend can solve the same grid and compare times.

What does the X mark do?

An X marks a square you know is empty. It is never needed for the solution, but it splits lines into smaller sections and makes the remaining clues easier to place.

Can I sell nonogram puzzles I print from this site?

Yes. Nonogram puzzles from this page are royalty-free for personal, classroom and commercial use, including puzzle books on Amazon KDP, printables on Etsy, Teachers Pay Teachers and Gumroad. No credit is required. The only thing you may not do is copy the generator or the site itself to run a competing service; see the terms.

Related tools

• Picross online: Use this if you want the same puzzle style under the name picross.
• Easy nonograms: Choose this when you are new and want puzzles that can be solved line by line.
• Color nonogram: Use this when you want a nonogram where squares have more than one color.
• 10x10 nonograms: Use this for a medium-sized grid that is quick to finish.
• 15x15 nonograms: Use this for a bigger grid with more clues to work through.
• Mosaic puzzle: a different grid logic puzzle, where digits count the filled cells around them.
• Star Battle: another grid logic puzzle, where stars fill every row, column and region.
• Nonogram solver: Use this when you want to check clues or see how a grid is worked out.
• Daily nonogram: three new puzzles every day.