Nonograms (Picture Logic Puzzles)
How it works
A nonogram is a grid with a list of numbers beside every row and above every column. Each number is a run of filled cells in that line, in order, with at least one empty cell between runs. A clue of “3 1” means three filled cells in a row, then a gap, then one more. The goal is to fill exactly the right cells so every row and column matches its clue. When you do, the filled cells form a picture.
You never need to guess in a well-made nonogram. Every cell can be proven filled or empty from the clues alone. Crossing out cells you know are empty matters as much as filling, because those crosses become the evidence for the lines that run the other way. The puzzles are also known as picross, griddlers and paint by numbers.
What makes a good one
- One solution, reachable by logic alone, with no coin flips halfway through.
- Clues that dim when a line is finished, so you can see what is left.
- Fill and cross both quick to reach, with drag to paint whole runs.
- Undo, and no lives. A mistake should cost time, not the whole puzzle.
- A picture worth uncovering at the end.
Strategies that help
Start with the big numbers. In a 10-cell row, a clue of 8 must cover the middle six cells wherever it sits. Add the clue numbers plus one gap between each: if the total nearly fills the row, the overlap gives you cells for free.
Cross the zeros and the finished lines. Every cross you mark is information for the column or row that crosses it.
Work the edges. A filled cell touching the border pins the first run of that line, so you can often extend it straight away.
Switch direction often. Progress in a row usually unlocks a column, and the other way round. When you are stuck, scan the lines you haven’t looked at recently.
Our take
Lantern Logic is our daily nonogram. Everyone gets the same puzzle each UTC day: 10x10 early in the week, 12x12 from Friday. A finished line dims its clue and sends a ripple of light along its lanterns, and the solved grid reveals a night-market picture. There are no lives, a hint clears your mistakes or settles a whole line you can prove, and you can keep a streak and share your time without spoilers.
