Picross Game Online – Play Free Nonogram Puzzles

What Is Picross?

Picross is a picture logic puzzle. It is also called a Nonogram, Griddler, or Japanese crossword; these names describe the same basic kind of puzzle. A grid hides a pixel-style picture, and number clues along its rows and columns tell you how many filled squares appear together in each line. Use the clues in both directions to work out the picture square by square.

Unlike an ordinary crossword, Picross clues are not word definitions. You do not need trivia or a vocabulary list. Each number is a precise constraint, so you can solve the puzzle by testing what arrangements are possible and comparing crossing lines. A good solve comes from deductions; guessing is rarely necessary.

How to Play Picross: A Beginner’s Guide

1. Find your grid. Each square can be filled, marked empty, or left unknown while you think.
2. Read a row clue from left to right. Its numbers list consecutive groups of filled cells, in order.
3. Read a column clue from top to bottom. The clues above the board are stacked in that same order.
4. Leave a gap between groups. Two separate runs cannot touch; at least one empty square must divide them.
5. Fill only what the clues prove. Choose Fill and mark a square that must belong to a run.
6. Mark confirmed blanks. Choose Mark empty to place an X where the clues prove no filled square can go.
7. Cross-check the other direction. Each square belongs to both one row and one column. A deduction in a row changes the possibilities for its column.
8. Repeat until every square is known. This game accepts the board only when every square is marked and the full arrangement matches the picture.

For example, the clue 3 1 on a five-square line has just enough room for three filled squares, a required gap, and one more filled square: ###.#. If the line were longer, those groups could shift, so use crossing clues to find their positions.

Understanding Picross Number Clues

A clue describes the lengths of filled runs, not the exact locations of the runs. Here are four common examples:

• 5 on a five-cell line: all five cells must be filled: #####. The run uses the entire line, leaving no empty cells.
• 3 1: first place a group of three, then at least one empty cell, then a single filled cell. The shortest possible line is five cells: ###.#.
• 1 2: one filled cell comes before a separate pair. On a four-cell line, the only pattern is #.##; on a longer line, the groups may shift.
• 2 2: two filled cells, at least one empty separator, then two more filled cells. It needs at least five cells, with ##.## as the exact five-cell pattern.

Extra empty squares may sit before the first run, after the last run, or between runs beyond the required single gap. A dash in this game means the line has no filled cells. The clues still describe the same rule: every square in that line must be marked empty.

Nonogram Solving Tips for Beginners

1. Start with the biggest clues. Long runs have fewer places they can fit. A clue that nearly spans a line often gives you certain cells immediately.
2. Look for completely determined lines. A clue equal to the line length fills every square. Several clues can also use every available space once the mandatory gaps are included.
3. Use overlap. Imagine a ten-cell line with one run of seven. The run can start at cell 1, 2, 3, or 4. Compare its leftmost and rightmost placements: cells 4 through 7 are covered in every case, so those four cells are safe to fill before you know the run’s exact position.
4. Count the minimum gaps. Clues 4 3 need at least eight cells: four filled, one empty, then three filled. Counting the gap prevents you from placing runs too close together.
5. Switch between rows and columns. After marking a row, immediately inspect the crossing column. A mark that looks uncertain in one direction may be forced by the other clue.
6. Mark confirmed empty cells. X marks separate possible runs and make the remaining unknown squares easier to reason about. Unknown means “not decided yet,” not “empty.”
7. Avoid random guesses. When two placements seem possible, check the crossing clues and remove arrangements that cannot fit them. If neither is ruled out yet, solve another line first.
8. Recheck completed clues. A line is complete only after every square is known and its runs match the clue. The green check is a useful signal; if it does not appear, recount the groups and gaps.

How to Solve a Nonogram Step by Step

Try the following verified five-by-five example. The row clues from top to bottom are 3, 5, 5, 3, 1. The column clues from left to right are 2, 4, 5, 4, 2. Together, these clues have one solution:

..###
#####
#####
.###.
..#..

First, the second and third rows each have a clue of 5, so fill both complete rows. The middle column also has a clue of 5, so its five cells are filled. Now inspect the first column: its clue is 2, and the two filled cells in the middle rows already make that run. The remaining cells in that column must be empty. The last column works the same way.

The first row has a clue of 3, while its first and last cells are now empty. Its middle three cells must therefore be filled. Row four is also a run of three between two confirmed empty edge cells, so fill its middle. The final row has a clue of 1; the middle column is already filled, leaving the other four cells empty. Check every row and column again, then compare your marks with the diagram. This is the full solving loop: take an obvious line, record its consequences, switch directions, and repeat.

Common Picross Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Forgetting the required gap: separate clues such as 2 2 need an empty cell between the runs. Count the filled cells and minimum gaps before placing them.
• Reading groups as locations: “3 1” gives run lengths, not a command to start at the edge. Keep all valid placements until other clues narrow them down.
• Treating unknown as empty: leave uncertain cells unknown. Use an X only when the row and column support an empty mark.
• Filling too early: a possible square is not automatically a certain square. Use overlap or a crossing clue before committing.
• Ignoring columns: rows alone may allow several answers. Check the perpendicular clue after each useful deduction.
• Miscounting a run: adjacent filled cells belong to one group. Recount from the start of the line and check for a genuine empty separator.
• Assuming a line is finished: a run can match while other cells remain unresolved. Mark all squares, including the blanks, to earn the completion check.
• Guessing to get unstuck: switch to another row or column. New confirmed squares often remove the uncertainty without a guess.

Picross Difficulty Levels

Beginner has three 5 × 5 pictures and one 5 × 10 picture, so you can learn the clue system on small boards. Medium puzzles are 10 × 10, with more crossings and longer deduction chains. Hard puzzles are 15 × 15 and require tracking more clues at once. Each level has several fixed puzzles. The Daily Challenge uses one date-selected puzzle for everyone on the same UTC day.

How to Use the Picross Game Controls

• Fill: marks a square as part of the picture.
• Mark empty: places an X in a square the clues show is blank. Tap a marked cell again to return it to unknown.
• Undo and Redo: step backward or forward through cell changes, including a hint. A new move after Undo clears the previous redo path.
• Hint: marks a cell forced by a row or column pattern when possible. If the visible marks force no cell, it reveals one solution cell. Hints count toward the score deduction.
• Check mistakes: optionally highlights marks that disagree with the solution. It does not change your board.
• Restart puzzle: clears marks and resets the timer for the current puzzle. The daily board cannot be restarted after play begins.
• New puzzle: starts another puzzle at the selected difficulty. Your unfinished standard puzzle is replaced after confirmation.
• Timer and progress: the timer tracks elapsed play time and stops while paused. Progress shows the percentage of cells currently marked correctly; correcting a mistake can change that percentage.

Why People Enjoy Picross

Picross offers a clear, structured challenge: clues provide rules, and each deduction has a visible result. Solving a board can be a satisfying recreational activity that encourages careful observation, patience, and step-by-step problem solving. It also gives you a quiet alternative to word or arithmetic puzzles. People enjoy it for different reasons, and there is no performance target you need to meet.

When Is a Good Time to Play Picross?

A small Picross board can fit into a short break, relaxed time at home, or another quiet stretch of free time. Pause whenever you need to step away; your unfinished board is saved locally in this browser. Take breaks if you have been playing for a while, and never play while driving or doing anything that requires your full attention.

Picross vs. Sudoku vs. Crossword

Sudoku uses number placement rules in rows, columns, and boxes; Picross uses run-length clues to reveal a picture. A crossword asks you to find words from definitions and crossing letters. If you like visual logic and eliminating possible arrangements, try Picross. If number placement or spatial challenges appeal to you, explore our Number Sequence Game or our Sliding Number Puzzle Game. For territory strategy, try our Color Flood Game, train your visual recall in our Memory Matching Game Online, test quick response speed in our Reaction Time Challenge, or browse the complete collection on the All Games page.

How to Get Better at Nonograms

Begin with a 5 × 5 Beginner puzzle and practice finding full lines, tight clues, and overlaps. Before moving on, make a habit of checking the crossing line after every deduction. When a board is complete, review any mark you changed with Undo or Check mistakes and ask which clue resolved it. Then try the 5 × 10 Beginner board, progress to Medium, and move to Hard when you are comfortable following longer chains of clues. Use hints when you want an explanation-free nudge, and pause rather than forcing a guess. Repeating this routine gives you a dependable solving process across different pictures.

Frequently Asked Questions