How to play Nonograms

A clue of 5 means the line contains one uninterrupted run of five filled squares. A clue of 3 1 means a run of three appears before a separate run of one. At least one empty square separates the runs, but the clue does not say how many empty squares appear before, between, or after them.

Clues describe the entire line. Once every run is placed and separated correctly, all remaining squares in that row or column are empty. Rows and columns describe the same grid, so each confirmed square becomes evidence for the crossing line.

Start with a full line: a clue of 10 in a 10-cell row fills every square. Then look for clues that nearly fill a line. In a 10-cell row, a run of 7 can shift only four ways; the middle four squares are filled in every placement and are safe to mark.

For multiple clues, add the run lengths and the minimum one-square gaps. A 4 3 clue needs at least eight cells. In a 10-cell line only two spare cells can move around the pattern, so overlapping the earliest and latest layouts often reveals certain squares.

Crosses are not decoration; they divide a line into usable spaces. When a completed run has a confirmed start and end, mark the square immediately outside each end as empty. This prevents another group from touching it and can create a smaller segment for the next clue.

A square can also be crossed when no remaining run can cover it. Check the unresolved groups and the spaces large enough to contain them. Do not cross a square merely because the emerging picture looks unlikely—the clue structure, not the expected image, must prove emptiness.

Nonograms are solved by passing information across the grid. After filling cells in a row, inspect the affected columns. A new filled cell may anchor a run to an edge, join a partial group, or rule out a placement. The resulting crosses then clarify another row.

When a line stops yielding information, leave it and work elsewhere. Repeating the same uncertain line does not create evidence. A productive rhythm is to finish all consequences of a move, cross completed lines, then scan for the next line with the least freedom.

The hidden picture is a reward, not a solving rule. Symmetry and familiar shapes can suggest a square that the clues do not yet prove. One incorrect fill changes two lines and can make later deductions appear valid, so guesses spread quickly.

If the clues seem inconsistent, recheck group order, required gaps, and the ends of completed runs. Clever Pause publishes Nonograms that pass a no-guess solver, so a logical next step exists even when it is located in a different part of the board.