Nonogram Guide: How to Play, Tips & Strategy

🎮 How to Play

Nonograms (also Picross or Griddlers) are logic puzzles where number clues on each row and column give the lengths of filled blocks. Combine the clues to deduce which cells are filled and which are empty, revealing a hidden picture.

🎯 Tips & Strategy

Start with the largest clues relative to the line length — a clue near the full width forces overlapping filled cells.
Mark known empty cells with an X, not just the filled ones — eliminations drive as much progress as fills.
Use the overlap technique: slide a block to its far-left and far-right positions; cells covered both ways are always filled.
Work rows and columns alternately — a fill you place in a row immediately gives new clues to its columns.
Never guess; if a line seems ambiguous, move to a more constrained one and return with new information.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do you solve a Nonogram without guessing?

Combine row and column clues using overlap and elimination. Start with the most constrained lines, mark empties with X, and progress alternately — well-formed puzzles are fully logical.

What do the numbers mean?

Each number is the length of a run of consecutive filled cells in that line, in order, with at least one gap between separate runs.

Why bother marking empty cells?

Knowing a cell is empty often pins down where a run must go in the crossing line, so X marks unlock as many deductions as filled cells do.

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