Play nonograms online
Reveal a hidden pattern with pure logic: the numbers along the edges tell you how many cells in each row and column are filled. Every puzzle has exactly one solution – no guessing needed.
How it is calculated
How a nonogram works
A nonogram (also called griddler, paint by numbers or hanjie) is a logic puzzle on a grid. Each row has numbers to its left and each column has numbers above it. Every number stands for a block of consecutive filled cells, in exactly that order, with at least one empty cell between two blocks. A row labelled “3 1” contains a block of three cells, then – after at least one gap – a single cell. A “0” means the whole line stays empty. Fill every cell correctly and a pattern appears.
- Choose a size: 5 × 5 to get started, 10 × 10 for more of a challenge, 15 × 15 for longer puzzles.
- Levels or random: Levels are numbered and identical on every device; solving one unlocks the next. “Random” creates a fresh puzzle each time.
- Mark cells: “Fill” paints cells, “Cross” marks cells that are certainly empty. Drag across several cells to set a whole run at once.
Controls
- Mouse: Left-click uses the selected tool, right-click the other one (usually the cross). Clicking a cell that already has that mark clears it – and dragging then clears further cells too.
- Touch: Tap or drag with your finger. Dragging locks to the row or column where you started.
- Keyboard: Arrow keys move the selection, Space or Enter fills, X places a cross, Ctrl+Z undoes the last step.
- Help: Completed numbers are greyed out. “Check errors” marks wrong cells in red, “Hint” reveals a cell that follows logically.
How to solve nonograms
- Start with big numbers: If a block is longer than half the line, all its possible positions overlap in the middle. A 7 in a row of 10 cells always fills the middle four cells.
- Add it up: If the numbers plus the minimum gaps equal the line length, the line is fully determined – for example “2 2” in 5 cells.
- Use crosses: Once a block is complete, the cells before and after it are empty. Crosses narrow down the remaining blocks.
- Alternate rows and columns: Every new cell in a row is also a clue for its column.
Why every puzzle has a unique solution
The generator first fills a grid at random and then runs a solver: it applies the line logic above to every row and column and then searches systematically until it either finds a second solution or rules one out. If there is more than one solution, the grid is thrown away and a new one is rolled. So you can always finish without guessing.
Privacy
Your level progress, best times and chosen size are stored only in your browser’s localStorage. Nothing is sent to a server.
More puzzle games: Sudoku, Tic-tac-toe or Hangman.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a nonogram?
The numbers next to each row and above each column give the lengths of the filled blocks in that line, in order. Blocks are separated by at least one empty cell. Fill the cells so that every row and column matches its numbers at the same time.
How do you solve nonograms as a beginner?
Start with lines whose numbers are large or nearly fill the whole line – their possible positions overlap. Put crosses next to finished blocks and switch between rows and columns, since every new cell helps both.
How do you start a nonogram?
Look for a 0 (the whole line is empty), a number equal to the line length (the whole line is filled), or numbers that add up with their gaps to the full length. These lines can be filled in right away.
Are nonograms always solvable without guessing?
Not every nonogram in general – some have several solutions. Every puzzle here is checked by a solver before it is shown and has exactly one solution, so each cell can be deduced from the numbers.
How many levels are there?
Levels are generated from their number, so there is no fixed end. The level after your highest solved one is unlocked – separately for 5 × 5, 10 × 10 and 15 × 15.
How do I read the numbers in a nonogram?
Read row numbers from left to right and column numbers from top to bottom. “2 3” means a block of two filled cells, then at least one empty cell, then a block of three.
Where does the name nonogram come from?
The puzzles are named after the Japanese graphic designer Non Ishida, who invented them in the late 1980s.
Sources and legal basis
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