Play Nonograms Online
In a nonogram, numbers along the edges tell you how long the filled runs are in each row and column. Fill the right squares and a picture appears. The puzzle also goes by griddler or hanjie. At Sudoku Sagax you play it on a 10x10 grid, ad-free and without having to sign up.
What is a nonogram?
A nonogram is an empty grid with a strip of numbers along two of its sides. Those numbers describe which squares belong to the picture — not individually, but as run lengths in order. Your job is to work out the one arrangement that satisfies every row and every column at the same time.
Unlike sudoku, you never write a digit. Each square is simply filled or empty. That sounds simpler, but it exercises a different muscle. In sudoku you eliminate candidates; here you slide a run back and forth within its line and ask which squares it covers no matter where it ends up.
The puzzle carries several names. Nonogram is the common one, griddler and hanjie are widely used in Britain, and you will occasionally see "Japanese puzzle" or "paint by logic". They all describe the same thing: a picture reconstructed from numeric clues.
The rules, explained simply
A nonogram runs on very few rules:
- Numbers are run lengths. A 7 beside a row means seven filled squares in an unbroken run. 4 2 means a run of four and then a run of two.
- Order matters. The numbers appear in the same order as the runs in the grid, left to right for rows and top to bottom for columns. 4 2 and 2 4 are different clues.
- Runs are separated by at least one gap. Otherwise they would be one run, not two. How wide the gap is, the clue does not say — that is for you to work out.
- A 0 means the line stays empty. Not a single square is filled.
When you are done, every square is either filled or empty and all the numbers on both edges check out. Exactly one arrangement does that.
Techniques to get you started
An empty grid looks daunting the first time. In practice a handful of moves will crack almost any puzzle:
- Start with the big numbers. The longer a run is relative to its line, the less room it has to move. A 10 across ten squares fills the line outright — the safest opening move there is.
- Use the overlap. This is the key technique. Picture the run pushed as far left as it will go, then as far right. Any square covered in both cases is definitely filled, wherever the run finally sits. A 7 across ten squares overlaps itself in four.
- Work in from the edges. A run that starts at the edge is pinned down. The moment you know the first square of a line is filled, the whole first run is fixed, and a gap must follow it.
- Cross off empty squares. Mark what you know must stay empty. Every square you rule out splits the line into shorter sections, and short sections fit far fewer runs — the next deductions tend to fall out on their own.
- Alternate between rows and columns. Nonograms unravel in turns. A square you fill in a row is new information for its column. Stuck in one direction? Look at the other.
- Count when a line is nearly settled. If the runs plus their minimum gaps add up to exactly the length of the line, the line is fully determined and you can fill it in one go.
Nonograms at Sudoku Sagax
You will find nonograms from the home screen under "All game types". There are 800 levels of their own, a separate leaderboard and a trophy for your first completed picture. Every nonogram you solve counts towards your daily streak and the shared points pool.
No level requires guessing. That is not a slogan but the reason our puzzles look the way they do. Many nonograms online are ambiguous in places, and there the only way through is trial and error. We run every generated picture past a logic solver first and keep only those it resolves completely from the clues alone. Because every deduction along the way is forced, each puzzle also has exactly one solution.
You play with two tools: Fill sets a square, Mark crosses off one you know is empty. A mark is a note and never counts as a mistake — only a filled square that should have stayed empty does. Clues grey themselves out once their line is complete, so you can see at a glance what is left. Everything runs in the browser, ad-free, with no trackers and locally served fonts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nonogram?
A nonogram is a logic puzzle in which a picture emerges from numeric clues. Above every column and beside every row, numbers tell you how long the runs of filled squares are, in order. Satisfy every clue and you have found the picture. It is also known as a griddler or hanjie. At Sudoku Sagax you play it on a 10x10 grid.
What are the rules of a nonogram?
The numbers beside a row or above a column give the lengths of the filled runs in that exact order. At least one empty square separates two runs. A clue of 4 2 means a run of four, then a gap, then a run of two. A 0 means the line stays empty. Every square ends up either filled or empty.
Do you ever have to guess in a nonogram?
Never at Sudoku Sagax. Many nonograms online are ambiguous in places, and there trial and error is the only way forward. We check every generated puzzle with a logic solver beforehand and keep only those it resolves completely from the clues alone. All 800 levels are verified this way, and because every deduction is forced, each puzzle also has exactly one solution.
What does the cross mark mean?
The cross is your own note for a square you know must stay empty. It is not a move in the strict sense and never counts as a mistake. It is still the most useful tool you have: ruling squares out narrows down where the remaining runs can sit. You do not need to mark every empty square to win.
Is a nonogram harder than sudoku?
It is mainly different. In sudoku you eliminate digits; in a nonogram you slide runs along a line and look for the squares that get covered either way. That overlap idea takes minutes to grasp. The lasting appeal is the back and forth: every insight in a row opens up new deductions in the columns.