Nonograms
A nonogram is a picture hidden in a grid. Each row and each column has a clue made of numbers, and the numbers tell you how the squares in that line are filled. Work out which squares to paint, one line at a time, and a little picture appears: a mango, a kite, an elephant, a cup of chai. Every puzzle here has exactly one answer, and you can always reach it by logic alone, without guessing.
How to read the clues
A clue like 3 1 means that line holds a block of three filled squares, then at least one empty square, then a single filled square, in that order. The blocks can sit anywhere along the line as long as their order is kept and there is a gap between them. A clue of 0 means the whole line is empty. When the squares you have filled match a number, that number fades, so you can see what is left to place.
How to play
- Tap a square to fill it. Drag along a row or column to fill several in one stroke; the stroke stays in the line you started in.
- Switch to Mark ✕ to cross out squares you know are empty. On a computer, right-click marks a cross. Tapping a filled or crossed square clears it.
- With Check my moves on, a wrong square is fixed for you and counted as a mistake. Turn on 3 lives for a challenge, or switch checking off to play in free mode.
- Undo and redo are always there. A hint reveals one square that a single row or column proves.
Beginner techniques
Big blocks overlap. In a line of ten, a block of eight must cover the middle six squares wherever it sits, so fill them straight away. Try placing the blocks as far left as they go, then as far right: any square covered by the same block both times is certainly filled.
Edges anchor blocks. If the first square of a line is filled, the first block starts there, so you know its full length and the square after it is empty. Crosses split lines: a gap too short for any remaining block must be empty. And when a line's clue is complete, cross out everything else in it, which gives the crossing lines new information.
Modes and tips
The daily puzzle is a 10×10 picture that is the same for everyone. Solve it to grow your streak and share your time and mistakes without giving the picture away. Levels come in three sizes: 5×5 to learn, 10×10 for a coffee break and 15×15 for a proper think. After the drawn pictures, bonus levels keep coming. On a phone, use the zoom button on big grids. Start with the lines that have the largest numbers, keep marking empty squares, and switch between rows and columns whenever you get stuck.