Nonogram Solver

Nonogram Solver — Step by Step

Choose the size, then click a row’s or column’s clue area and type its blocks (for example 3 1 2). Or press ✎ Draw a picture and paint — the clues are worked out for you. Then press Solve. Or play a generated puzzle and send it here with one click.

Nonogram Solver: rules, how to use it, tips

Shade the grid so each row and column shows the blocks in its clue, in order — and reveal a hidden picture.

The rules

Each row and column has a clue: the lengths of its solid blocks of shaded squares, in order.
Blocks of the same colour are separated by at least one empty square.
In colour nonograms each block has a colour; blocks of different colours may touch.
Shade exactly the squares that make every clue true — the result is a picture.

Using the solver

Choose the rows and columns, click each clue area and type its blocks, or draw a picture and let the clues follow (or press Sample).
Press Solve and step through: overlaps, line-by-line deductions and what-ifs, with the line and the new squares highlighted.

Tips

Overlap. Push a block as far left as it can go, then as far right. The squares it covers both times are certainly shaded. A 7 in a row of 10 always covers the middle 4.
Zeros and full lines. A clue of 0 empties the whole line; a clue that exactly fills the line (like 3 1 5 in 11 squares) is completely determined.
Work from the edges. A shaded square touching the edge must belong to the first block, which then extends inwards by the block’s length.
Cross out. Mark squares you know are empty. They split the line into smaller pieces that only some blocks can fit.

The full guide, with a worked example and common mistakes: How to play Nonogram.

Questions

What does a clue of 3 1 2 mean?

That line has a block of 3, then a block of 1, then a block of 2, in that order, with at least one empty square between them.

What are colour nonograms?

Each block has a colour (shown on the clue). Blocks of different colours can touch; blocks of the same colour need a gap.

Do nonograms always have one answer?

Every puzzle here is checked to have exactly one solution. Most can be solved line by line; harder ones need a ‘what if’.

Can I make my own nonogram?

Yes — in the Nonogram Solver press ✎ Draw a picture, paint it, and the clues are worked out. Press Solve to check it has one answer.