Play, solve, make and print nonograms

5x5 Nonogram

Five rows, five columns: a mini nonogram you can finish in a minute or two.

This is a free 5x5 nonogram puzzle that you play right in your browser, with no sign-up. A nonogram is a logic puzzle on a grid: the numbers beside each row and above each column tell you how many filled squares go in that line, and filling the right squares reveals a picture. Each 5x5 puzzle has 25 squares and 10 clues, so it is a small, short puzzle that is easy to start. You can choose Easy, Medium or Hard, and play a random puzzle or a picture puzzle. This format is also called picross, griddlers or picture logic, and the rules are the same. Puzzles are made on your device, so nothing is uploaded. Puzzles you print here are free to use in class or in products you sell, such as Etsy printables or KDP puzzle books.
5x5 nonogram example

How to use the 5x5 nonogram

  1. Pick a Difficulty: Easy, Medium or Hard.
  2. Pick a Puzzle type: Random puzzle, or Picture puzzle with a Picture theme such as Animals, Nature or Transport. The 15 pictures at 5x5 include a duck, a star and a car.
  3. Read the clues. Numbers beside a row are read left to right, and numbers above a column are read top to bottom.
  4. Click a square to fill it. Drag across a row or column to fill several squares in that line.
  5. Right-click a square to mark it with an X when you know it is empty.
  6. Press Hint to reveal one square that a clue already proves, or Check to see wrong squares in red or how many squares are still to fill.
  7. When the puzzle is solved, the page shows your time, the number of hints used and, for picture puzzles, the name of the picture.

Use the arrow keys to move, Space or Enter to fill, X to mark a cross and Backspace to clear. Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) undoes a move, and Shift+Ctrl+Z redoes it. On a phone, tap the Fill or X button to choose what a tap does. The Copy link button gives you a link that opens exactly the same puzzle.

How do you solve a 5x5 nonogram?

Start with the lines that the clues fully decide, then work back and forth between rows and columns. Every square you fill or mark with an X narrows the line that crosses it, so each step makes the next one easier.

On a 5-square line, some clues have only one possible placement. A clue of 5 fills all five squares, 3 1 gives ###.#, 2 2 gives ##.## and 1 1 1 gives #.#.#. A clue of 4 fills the middle three squares, and a clue of 3 fills the middle square. Clues 2, 1, 2 1 and 1 1 decide nothing on an empty line, so leave those until other squares are known. Most 5x5 puzzles are finished in a few passes.

How do the clues in a nonogram work?

Each number is the length of one block of filled squares in that line, and the numbers are listed in order. Blocks are separated by at least one empty square. The clue 3 1 needs a 3-square block, an empty square and a 1-square block, which is exactly 5 squares, so it decides a whole 5-square line. A clue of 0 means the whole line is empty.

Are 5x5 nonograms good for beginners and kids?

Yes. 5x5 puzzles suit beginners and children learning the rules, because there are only 25 squares and 10 clues to read. They also fit well into a short break. Start on Easy, where at least half of all lines give a square on the empty grid, so there are always obvious places to begin. Medium puzzles can also be solved one line at a time but need more passes. Hard puzzles have one solution too, but line-by-line logic gets stuck, so you test a square: assume it is filled, follow the clues, and if a line can no longer match its clue, the square must be empty. When the puzzles start to feel easy, move on to 10x10 puzzles.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 5x5 nonogram free, and do I need an account?

It is free, and there is no sign-up. The puzzles are made in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.

Is my progress saved?

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

Can I play a 5x5 nonogram on a phone?

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

Can I print a 5x5 nonogram or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The Print button prints the current puzzle, and ticking “Print the answer page too” adds the answer on a second page. For whole sheets of 5x5 puzzles (up to 4 per page, A4 or Letter, with answer pages), use the printable nonograms page and choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog.

Does every 5x5 puzzle have only one solution?

Yes. Puzzles are generated in the browser and kept only after the site’s solver confirms the solution is unique, so you never need to guess between two equally valid answers.

Can I sell the 5x5 nonograms I make here, for example on Etsy?

Yes. 5x5 nonogram puzzles from this page are royalty-free for personal, classroom and commercial use, including Amazon KDP puzzle books, Etsy printables, Teachers Pay Teachers and print-on-demand products. 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.