How to play nonograms
Nonograms turn number clues into a picture. There's no guessing and no arithmetic beyond counting squares.
Reading the clues
The numbers beside a row, or above a column, list the runs of filled squares in that line, in order. A clue of 2 3 means a run of two, then a run of three, with at least one empty square between them. Any spare squares can sit before, between or after the runs.
A worked example
Here's an empty 5×5 puzzle with its clues.
24442115531Row 2 has the clue 5. Trying every way it could fit, the new squares below come out the same in all of them. Filled squares are shaded, and × marks squares that must stay empty.
24442115531Row 3 has the clue 5. Trying every way it could fit, the new squares below come out the same in all of them. Filled squares are shaded, and × marks squares that must stay empty.
24442115531Row 4 has the clue 3. Trying every way it could fit, the new squares below come out the same in all of them. Filled squares are shaded, and × marks squares that must stay empty.
24442115531Keep going, line by line, and the picture appears. This one is a heart.
2444211×××553××1××××
Three strategies that do most of the work
- Start with big clues. In a line of 10, a clue of 8 must cover the middle six squares, however you slide it.
- Use empty squares. Marking squares with × shows the space left for each run, which is what cracks the harder lines.
- Go back and forth. Each square you settle in a row is new information for its column. Keep alternating until the picture finishes.
Controls
Tap or drag to fill squares. Switch to Mark ×, or right-click, to rule squares out. On a keyboard, arrow keys move, Space fills, X marks and U undoes. If a board is too big for your screen, a Touch button appears so you can switch between painting and scrolling.