Home » Play Games » Nonogram
Pick a grid size and a picture above, then press Play. The numbers tell you which cells to fill.
🔢 The numbers are runs of filled cells, in order • ✖ Mark cells that must stay empty • 💡 3 hints per picture
A nonogram game you can play right here, free. This is Nonogram, an original GameOLL picture logic game. The number clues tell you which cells to fill, and every filled cell brings a hidden picture closer. Finish the grid and the picture appears in full colour. Three grid sizes keep it fresh: quick 5x5 puzzles, classic 10x10 puzzles, and big 15x15 pictures for a longer sit-down. No download. No sign-up. It works on your phone and your PC.
Every puzzle here is built from a real pixel picture and checked by a solver program, so each one has exactly one solution. There is no guessing and no luck. Fill mode and Mark X mode, a daily puzzle, three hints per picture, and a Challenge mode where three mistakes end the round. Your solved pictures and best times save in your browser.
Genre
Puzzle · Logic
Players
1 Player
Platform
Browser · Mobile · PC
Price
Free
In this guide
How to play Nonogram
A nonogram is a grid with a picture hiding inside it. Number clues on the top and the left tell you which cells are filled. Logic does the rest.
- Pick a grid size — 5 x 5, 10 x 10 or 15 x 15 — then pick a picture and press Play. You see an empty grid with numbers along the top and the left side.
- Read one line at a time. The numbers for a row or column describe the runs of filled cells in that line, in order. A clue of 3 means one solid run of three filled cells. A clue of 2 1 means a run of two, then one single filled cell later.
- In Fill mode, tap a cell that must be filled. It turns purple. If the cell is empty in the hidden picture, it shows a red X and counts as a mistake.
- Switch to Mark X mode for cells you are sure stay empty. The X is a note to yourself. It costs nothing, and you can tap it again to clear it.
- Watch the clues as you work. When every filled cell in a line is found, that line's numbers turn green. The row and column you are working on stay lit, so you never lose your place.
- Stuck? A hint fills one true cell for you. You get three hints per picture, so save them for the lines that will not crack.
- Fill the last true cell and the picture is revealed in full colour, with your time and mistake count. Your best time for that grid size is saved.
You can drag across cells to fill or mark a whole stretch at once. Press Restart any time to clear the grid and start the same picture again.
How to read the clues
One rule explains every clue on the board. The numbers list the runs of filled cells in that line, in the order they appear, and at least one empty cell must sit between two runs. Nothing else is hidden in them. A clue of 5 on a 5x5 grid means the whole line is filled. A clue of 0 means the whole line is empty, so you can mark every cell in it at once.
Big numbers are your best friends at the start. On a 10x10 grid, a clue of 8 leaves only three possible homes for the run: it can start at the first, second or third cell. The middle cells are covered by all three options, so those cells must be filled. That overlap trick opens most puzzles. Small split clues, like 1 1 1, are just as useful near the end of a line, because the gaps between the runs squeeze the options down to one.
Rows and columns talk to each other. Every cell you fill in a row is also a fact about its column, and every X you mark rules out a spot in two lines at once. When a row stops giving you answers, turn to its columns and work across instead. A line whose numbers turn green is done: every run in it is placed, and the rest of its cells can be marked empty with confidence.
Controls for phone and PC
| Action | Phone / tablet | PC / laptop |
|---|---|---|
| Fill a cell | In Fill mode, tap the cell | In Fill mode, click the cell |
| Mark or clear an X | In Mark X mode, tap the cell | In Mark X mode, click the cell |
| Fill or mark a stretch | Drag your finger across the cells | Drag the mouse across the cells |
| Use a hint | Tap Hint | Click Hint |
| Start the picture over | Tap Restart | Click Restart |
| Pick another picture | Tap Menu | Click Menu |
Grid sizes, the daily puzzle and the two modes
The 5 x 5 grids are the friendly start: six small pictures that teach the rules in a minute or two each. The 10 x 10 grids are the classic game, with bigger pictures and clues that need real thought. The 15 x 15 grids stretch the same pictures across a much larger board, for players who want a long, calm solve. That is 18 pictures in all, and the game remembers which ones you have solved on each size.
| Feature | How it works |
|---|---|
| Challenge mode | Three mistakes end the round. You can retry the picture, or keep going in Relaxed mode |
| Relaxed mode | No mistake limit. Wrong cells are still flagged, but the round never ends early |
| Hints | 3 per picture. Each hint fills one true cell |
| Daily puzzle | One shared puzzle per day, picked from the date, across all three sizes |
| Best times | Your fastest solve is saved for each grid size |
The daily puzzle is built from the date, so every player gets the same size and the same picture on the same day. Clear it and the game remembers the date, with a fresh challenge waiting tomorrow.
Solving tips that crack hard grids
- Start with the biggest numbers. A long run has very few possible homes. The overlap in the middle is always filled, and that first anchor gives the crossing lines something to work with.
- Mark the sure empties. When a run is placed, the cells just past its ends must be empty, and a finished line can be marked off in full. Good X marks are half the solve.
- Work rows and columns together. A cell that looks like a guess in its row is often a fact in its column. Swap direction before you ever think about guessing.
- Count the gaps. Add the runs in a clue and one gap for each space between them. If the total equals the line length, the line has exactly one layout. Fill it in full.
- Use the edges. A run that touches the edge of the grid has no freedom on that side. Edge clues settle fast, and they pin down the corners that anchor whole pictures.
- Never guess in Challenge mode. Three mistakes end the round. If no line gives you a sure cell, scan again slowly. Every puzzle here has one solution, so a sure cell always exists.
- Spend hints late. A hint is worth most when two lines are left and both look stuck. One true cell usually unlocks the whole endgame.
Is Nonogram free and safe to play?
Yes. The game is free. It runs fully inside this page. It asks for no name, no email and no account. It installs nothing on your device. Your solved pictures, best times and daily record stay in your browser only.
Nonogram is an original game made by GameOLL. Every picture in it was drawn as pixel art for this game, and every puzzle was checked by a solver program before release, so the one-solution promise is a fact, not a hope.
More games and guides on GameOLL
- Want every game in one place? Visit our Play Games page.
- Love number grids? Play Sudoku Master, our sudoku game.
- Prefer careful clicking? Play Minesweeper, our minesweeper game.
- Hunt hidden words in Word Search Quest, our word search game.
- Chase the big tile in Tile Merge 2048, our 2048 game.
- Think moves ahead in Checkers Master, our checkers game.
Nonogram FAQ
Is Nonogram free to play?
Yes. Nonogram is 100% free. You play all 18 puzzles right on this page, on all three grid sizes. There is no download, no sign-up and no payment.
What do the numbers mean in a nonogram?
The numbers for a row or column list the runs of filled cells in that line, in order. A clue of 3 means one run of three filled cells. A clue of 2 1 means a run of two, then at least one empty cell, then one filled cell. A clue of 0 means the whole line stays empty.
Does every puzzle have only one solution?
Yes. Each puzzle starts as a pixel picture, and a solver program checks the finished clues before the puzzle is added to the game. The check proves the picture is the only grid that fits its clues, so pure logic always reaches the end.
What happens when I fill the wrong cell?
The cell shows a red X and your mistake count goes up. In Challenge mode, three mistakes end the round, and you can retry the picture or keep going in Relaxed mode. In Relaxed mode there is no limit, so you can learn at your own pace.
What is the daily puzzle?
Every day there is one shared puzzle. It is picked from the date, so you and every other player get the same grid size and the same picture on the same day. Clear it and the game remembers the date, ready for a new challenge tomorrow.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes, in your own browser. It keeps the pictures you have solved on each grid size, your best time for each size, and the last day you cleared the daily puzzle. Nothing leaves your device.
Final verdict: should you play Nonogram?
Yes — if you like a quiet game that still makes you think. Nonogram gives you 18 honest picture puzzles in your browser: three sizes, clues that always add up, a daily puzzle to share, and a promise most versions cannot make — every puzzle has exactly one solution, proven by a solver. A 5x5 heart takes two minutes. A 15x15 picture can fill a calm half hour. Pick a size, and start reading the numbers.
▶ Play Nonogram 🎮 See All Free GamesLast updated: November 5, 2026. Nonogram v1.0 — the first release of our original picture logic game, with 18 puzzles across three grid sizes, fill and mark modes, Challenge and Relaxed play, hints, and a daily puzzle. Every puzzle is solver-checked to have exactly one solution. An original GameOLL browser game. Found a bug? Tell us in the comments and we will fix it in the next version.
