Nonogram

About Nonogram

A nonogram (also called Picross) hides a picture inside a grid of numbers. Each row and column tells you how many squares to fill and in what order — work out where they must go, and a drawing appears. Every puzzle here can be solved by pure logic: you never have to guess. Twelve pictures, from a five-square house up to a ten-square cat.

Nonogram is one of our puzzles & logic games for kids. This one plays in the iPhone and iPad app rather than in the browser, but 33 of our games are free to play right here — browse the full library to find them. It is also in our logic games for kids collection.

How to Play

• The numbers beside a row say how many squares to fill, in that order, with at least one gap between runs.
• Tap a square to fill it in.
• Switch to ‘Mark empty’ to cross off squares you know stay blank — that's how you narrow it down.
• Fill every correct square and the hidden picture appears.

Tips & Tricks

• Start with the biggest numbers — a run of 5 in a 5-wide row can only sit one way.
• Marking the empty squares is as useful as filling the full ones.
• A wrong square is just crossed off; you can't lose the puzzle.

What It Practises

A nonogram hides a picture in a grid. The numbers beside each row and column say how many squares to fill, in order, and the child has to work out where they must go. Every puzzle here can be solved without guessing, so it teaches pure deduction: using what is certain to find the next certain thing.

It also practises reading number clues carefully and keeping track of several constraints at once. Marking squares that must stay empty is half the method, and children discover that crossing things off is as useful as filling them in.

• Logical deduction from constraints
• Reading and applying number clues
• Persistence with a multi-step problem

What Age Is Nonogram For?

Made for ages 9 to 12. The twelve puzzles run from a five-square house to a ten-square cat, so a nine-year-old can learn on the small ones. Younger children who like pictures may enjoy Dot to Dot or Color Connect first.

Tips for Parents

Start with a row whose number equals the width, such as a 5 in a 5-wide grid. It's completely filled, and that gives the first foothold.

Show them the 'Mark empty' mode early. Children who only fill squares get stuck; children who also cross out squares don't.

Solve the first puzzle together, talking through each step out loud.

Try It Without a Screen

• Draw a 5×5 grid, colour a simple picture, write the clues and swap with your child to solve.
• Look for nonogram or Picross puzzle books.
• Do pixel art on squared paper, counting the squares in each row.

Nonogram — Frequently Asked Questions