Play Nanogram Pro Online: The Hidden Picture Logic Puzzle

If you enjoy the grid-based logic of Sudoku but want a game with a visual reward at the end, Nanogram Pro is exactly what you are looking for.

Also known worldwide as Nonograms, Picross, or Griddlers, this addictive puzzle challenges you to fill in a blank grid based on numerical clues. If you follow the logic perfectly, your filled-in squares will reveal a hidden piece of pixel art!

Choose your grid size below, toggle your marker, and start painting by numbers!

How to Play Nanograms (Rules for Beginners)

The goal of a Nanogram is simple: figure out which squares in the grid should be Filled (⬛) and which ones should be left empty or Marked (❌).

To solve the puzzle, you must look at the number clues located at the top of each column and the left of each row:

Reading the Clues: The numbers tell you exactly how many unbroken lines of filled-in squares there are in that given row or column.

Multiple Numbers: If a row has a clue that says “2 1”, it means there is a block of exactly two filled squares, followed by at least one empty space, followed by a block of exactly one filled square. The order of the numbers is the order the blocks appear in the grid!

Use the Toggle: Use the Fill / Mark toggle button above the board. When you know a square must be filled, use “Fill”. When you know a square cannot possibly be filled, switch to “Mark” and put an X there. (Marking your empty spaces is the secret to winning!)

Winning Strategies: How to Solve Picross Puzzles

Do not try to guess what the picture is! Nanograms are solved using pure deduction. Here are the three best strategies to tackle our Hard (15×15) mode:

1. Start with the “Gimmies” (Full Lines)

Always scan the board for clues that match the exact width or height of the grid. If you are playing on a 10×10 Medium grid and you see a clue that is a 10, you can immediately fill in that entire row or column!

2. The “Overlap” Method (Counting from Both Sides)

What if you are on a 10×10 grid, and the clue is 7? You don’t know exactly where the block of 7 starts, but you can use the overlap trick. Count 7 spaces from the left, then count 7 spaces from the right. The squares that overlap in the middle must be filled in, no matter what! (In this case, the middle 4 squares are guaranteed to be filled).

3. Mind the Borders

Once you fill in a square at the very edge of the board, it becomes an incredibly powerful clue. Look at the numbers intersecting that edge piece. You can often immediately count inward and fill out the rest of that specific block, placing an “X” right at the end of it to mark the required empty space.

Build Your Puzzle Skills

Nanograms are fantastic for visual thinkers. If you love this style of grid-based deduction, you will also love flagging bombs in [Link to your Minesweeper Pro page], or testing your pure math logic in Kakuro Pro.

Did you reveal the final picture?

Were you able to clear the massive 15×15 Hard mode grid? Did you find the thicker 5×5 dividing lines helpful? Let us know your favorite Nonogram strategies in the comments below!