GRIDS, the daily nonogram you can play online
GRIDS is a daily nonogram, also called picross or griddlers. You get a grid with numbers beside every row and above every column. Use the numbers to decide which squares to fill. When every square is right, the filled squares make a small picture.
A new puzzle appears every day. Monday and Tuesday are 5 by 5. Wednesday and Thursday are 7 by 7. Friday and Saturday are 10 by 10, and Sunday is a 10 by 10 with more filled squares. Every puzzle can be solved by logic alone, so you never have to guess. It is free, with no signup.
How to play
- Each number is a run of filled squares in that row or column. A clue of 3 means three filled squares in a row. A clue of 2 1 means a run of two, then at least one empty square, then a run of one. A 0 means the line is empty.
- Worked example on a row of 5: the clue 2 1 can only be filled three ways, which are filled-filled-empty-filled-empty, filled-filled-empty-empty-filled, and empty-filled-filled-empty-filled. The second square is filled in all three, so you can fill it now.
- Tap a square to fill it. Tap again to clear it. Switch to Cross mode, or press and hold a square, to mark it with an X when you know it is empty. X marks are only notes for you.
- Drag your finger across a row or column to fill or cross many squares at once. Undo takes back your last move.
- A clue turns grey when its row or column matches the numbers. This does not mean the squares are in the right place, only that the counts fit.
- The puzzle is done when the filled squares match the hidden picture exactly. Then the picture develops in colour and tells you what you drew.
- On a keyboard, move with the arrow keys, press Space to fill, X to cross, and Z to undo.
Tips
- Start with the biggest numbers. In a row of 10, a clue of 7 always fills the middle 4 squares, whichever way it slides.
- Look for rows and columns where the clues plus the gaps add up to the full length. Those have only one way to be filled.
- Fill what you are sure of, then cross out squares that cannot be filled. Crosses help you see where the runs are stuck.
- Work back and forth. A newly filled square in a column often settles a square in a row.
- Edges are useful. If the first square of a line is filled, the first run must start there, so you know where it ends.
- Use a hint only when you are stuck. Each hint costs a star. Checking more than twice also costs a star.
Questions
What is a nonogram?
A nonogram is a logic puzzle on a grid. Numbers at the side and top say how many filled squares are in each row and column. You fill squares until all the numbers fit, and the filled squares show a picture. Picross, griddlers and Hanjie are other names for the same puzzle.
Do I have to guess?
No. Every GRIDS puzzle is checked by a solver that uses only line logic: it looks at one row or column at a time. If the solver cannot finish a puzzle that way, we do not publish it. There is always a next step you can work out.
How do stars work?
You start each puzzle with 3 stars. Each hint costs one star. Pressing Check three or more times costs one star. You cannot go below zero. The Check button only shows wrong squares for a moment, and it never fills anything in.
How big are the puzzles?
Monday and Tuesday are 5 by 5, which takes a few minutes. Wednesday and Thursday are 7 by 7. Friday and Saturday are 10 by 10. Sunday is also 10 by 10 but has more filled squares, so it takes longer.
Can I play on my phone, and play old puzzles?
Yes to both. The grid is built for touch, and you can drag to fill a line. The archive has every past daily puzzle. Archive puzzles do not count toward your streak.