How to play Nonogram
A Nonogram hides a picture in a grid. The clues along the edges help you work out which squares to shade and which to leave empty.
The rules
- Shade squares, following the numbers on the edges, to uncover the silhouette.
- Each number says how many squares in a row you have to shade: a 5, for example, means five squares one after another.
- If a row or column has several numbers (like 3 1), they go in that order, with at least one empty square between each block.
Reading a row
Read its clues from left to right. 2 1 means a group of two shaded squares, followed by a group of one. Leave at least one empty square between the groups; the gap can be larger.
The clues do not tell you the exact position of each group. Empty squares can also appear at the start or end of the row.
Reading a column
Read its clues from top to bottom. 1 2 means one shaded square, then two consecutive shaded squares further down, with one or more empty squares between the groups.
Using both directions
Every square belongs to a row and a column, so your marks must fit both sets of clues. Look for positions you can establish with certainty, then use them to make progress in the other direction.
Try the Relaxed Nonogram for 31 October: print it or open the same board in the app.
