In short. Pick “Fill” or “Cross”, then tap or slide over the squares. The numbers of each row and each column give, in order, the lengths of the runs of black squares, separated by at least one white square. Once every number is satisfied the grid is solved, and “Next grid” serves another one, already waiting.
Under the grid, pick the size, from 5 × 5 to 25 × 25, and the difficulty. A 10 × 10 takes a few minutes on a phone; a 25 × 25 is best enjoyed on a computer.
Nonogram rules in thirty seconds
- Each number is a run of black squares: “3 1” means three black squares in a row, then, further along, a single one.
- The runs keep their order, left to right for a row, top to bottom for a column.
- At least one white square separates them, and nothing stops there being more.
You make progress by crossing over: a row teaches its columns something, and they hand it on to other rows. The techniques that are enough, starting with the overlap rule, are explained in the guide to solving nonograms.
Grids drawn on demand
No hidden picture here: every grid is a random pattern, as on the classic nonogram sites. The generator fills squares at random, then replays the grid with the same deduction as the Nono game, line by line. If it stalls somewhere, it touches up a few squares until it goes all the way: a grid that would force you to guess never reaches you. While you play, the next one is already being made.
Picking the size and difficulty
- Easy: lots of black, so long runs. The overlap rule does almost all the work.
- Medium: shorter runs; you have to cross rows and columns several times.
- Tough: barely more than half the squares are black. The numbers break up, and each deduction calls for another, often at the far end of the grid.
Measured on our grids: a tough 15 × 15 takes on average twice as many trips between rows and columns as an easy one. Your settings are kept for your next visit, and so is the number of grids you have solved here.
Stuck? One hint at a time
The “One hint” button doesn’t fill the grid for you: it picks the row or column that teaches the most given what is already placed, circles it and sets the squares it forces. If a square is wrong, it tells you that first. At the end, the message notes how many hints you took.
Prefer grids that hide a picture? The Nono game has two hundred of them, from 5 × 5 to 15 × 15. Stuck on a grid from a newspaper? The nonogram solver reads it from a photo. And to make your own, there is the nonogram maker.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play nonograms online for free?
Yes: no account, no ads on this page, on a phone or a computer. The grids are unlimited.
Which size should I pick?
A 5 × 5 to learn, a 10 × 10 for a break, a 15 × 15 for a proper game. The 20 × 20 and 25 × 25 play best on a computer.
Do the grids have only one solution?
Always. Every grid is replayed by deduction before it reaches you: if the deduction doesn’t go all the way, the grid is touched up or thrown away.
Do I ever have to guess?
Never here. Every square follows from the numbers, one row or column after another.
Can I send a grid to a friend?
Yes. Once the grid is solved, “Send to a friend” builds a link: your friend plays it in the Nono game, and Nono tells you on your next visit that they solved it.
Picross, griddlers, hanjie: is it the same thing?
Yes, these are several names for the same puzzle: nonogram, picross, griddler, hanjie or paint by numbers, depending on the country and the publisher.
Play Nono
Read the numbers, reveal the picture. Free, no account, in your browser.
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