Nonogram guide
How to play Nonogram
A Nonogram is a picture hidden in a grid. The numbers next to each row and above each column tell you how many cells to paint, in which groups. Paint the right cells and a little pixel monster appears.
Nonogram rules
The rules in one minute
Every row and every column has a clue: a short list of numbers. That is all you get, and it is all you need.
- Numbers are runs. This row says 1 4 1: that many painted cells in a row, one group per number.
- In order, with gaps. The groups come in the order of the numbers, and at least one empty cell sits between two of them.
- Columns too. The numbers above each column work the same way, from top to bottom.
- A monster appears. When every line fits its numbers, the picture is done and gets its colour.
You may also know nonograms as paint by numbers or picture logic puzzles. Every level in Beasties has exactly one picture that fits all clues, and you can always find it by logic, without guessing.
How to play
Nonogram in Beasties, step by step
The board with its clues in the middle, three tools below it, and your monster peeking over the top edge.
- Tap to paint. With Paint on, a tap fills the cell.
- Drag for a run. Slide along a row or column and every cell on the way gets painted.
- Empty marks a blank. Switch to Empty to put a dot where nothing goes. It helps you count.
- Done lines finish themselves. Once a row or column has all its painted cells, the rest of it gets its dots.
- Hint, if you must. For 30 stars a hint reveals the cell that logic says comes next. The round then gives two stars at most.
Stars and mistakes
Three stars at stake in every level
There is no undo in Nonogram, because there is nothing to undo: every cell you mark shows the truth at once. A wrong guess just costs you.
- A wrong cell costs a star. The cell shakes, shows what really goes there, and one of your three stars falls.
- Three mistakes: try again. With all stars gone the level is lost, and you start the same picture again.
- Solve it, keep the rest. The stars you have left fly into your counter. Spend them on monster parts, hints and level packs.
Difficulty levels
Four sizes, four ways of thinking
The boards below are level 1 of each difficulty, clues and all. The grid grows from 8×8 to 15×15, and so does the thinking: from single rows to rows and columns working together.
Chill
8×8 grid
Small 8×8 pictures. Almost every row and column helps right away.
Normal
10×10 grid
10×10 pictures. Rows and columns take turns, every line tells you something.
Tricky
12×12 grid
12×12 with lots of detail. Think across rows and columns, and about one level in seven needs a “what if”.
Devilish
15×15 grid
Huge 15×15 pictures for pros. About one level in four needs a “what if”.
Chill, Normal and Tricky have 150 free levels each. You unlock the rest for free with the stars you win, or all at once with Pro. Every player gets the same pictures in the same order, so the solutions on this site match your app, from level 1 to 999 on every difficulty.
Nonogram techniques
How to find every cell
Five ideas solve every level in Beasties. Each example comes from a real level of the app, at the exact moment the idea is needed.
Technique 1
Count from both ends
Push the runs of a line as far left as they go, then as far right. Cells that are covered both times are painted for sure. Works best on long runs and on lines with big numbers.
- Push left. Row 7 says 4 4. Put the runs as far left as they go.
- Then push right. Now the same runs as far right as they go.
- Paint the overlap. Where a run covers the same cells both times, they are painted wherever it ends up.
Technique 2
Start at the edge
A painted cell near the edge belongs to the first run, and that run cannot start before the edge. So it has to reach at least as far as its length allows.
- A cell near the edge. In column 5 one cell is painted, close to the start. The clue is 4 2.
- It belongs to the first run. That run of 4 starts at the edge at the earliest, and it must still cover the cell.
- So it reaches this far. Both ways it covers these cells: paint them.
Technique 3
Finished lines
Once a line has all its runs, every other cell in it stays empty. Beasties marks those for you, and lines with a 0 are empty from the start.
- Paint the last cell. Row 3 is missing just one painted cell.
- The rest is empty. All runs are there, so every other cell gets a dot. Beasties does that for you.
- A 0 is empty from the start. Lines with nothing to paint come with their dots already.
Technique 4
Join and split
Two painted cells that belong to the same run get joined. Two runs that would grow too long together need a gap between them.
- Join them. Row 3 has a single run of 8, so both painted cells belong to it, and so does everything between them.
- Too far is empty. The run cannot reach further than its length from those cells. Mark the rest empty.
- Split them. In column 5, joining the two groups would make a run of 4, but the longest is 3. The cell between stays empty.
Technique 5
Think across: what if?
In Tricky and Devilish, single lines sometimes stop helping. Pick a cell, assume it is painted or empty, and follow what the rows and columns say. If a line breaks, the opposite is true.
- Stuck? Ask “what if”. No single line helps here. Assume row 12, column 4 stays empty.
- Follow it through. Rows and columns take turns, each one adds cells, until row 11 cannot fit its numbers.
- So the opposite is true. The assumption broke a line, so the cell is painted. Everything else you tried goes away again.
Tip: after every change, look at the lines that cross it. A new cell in a row is new information for its column, and that is where the next step usually hides.
Solutions
Stuck on a picture?
Every level has its own solution page, free and Pro. Reveal one cell or one line, follow the logic step by step, or open the finished picture.
FAQ
Nonogram questions, short answers
What do the numbers in a Nonogram mean?
Each number is a run of painted cells in that row or column, in the same order as the numbers. Between two runs there is at least one empty cell. A 0 means the whole line stays empty.
Can I look up the rules during a round?
Yes. Tap the gear at the top left of the round: Settings open, and their Game guide row takes you straight to the rules of this game, what is special in it and how the stars work. You also find the guide behind the ? on the level start and in Settings on the home screen.
Does a Nonogram go by other names?
Yes. You may know it as paint by numbers or a picture logic puzzle: a grid, number clues and a hidden picture, always the same rules.
Where do I start?
With the biggest numbers. A run that fills more than half of its line always overlaps itself, so some of its cells are certain. Then look at the lines crossing the cells you just painted.
Do I ever have to guess?
No. Every level in Beasties has exactly one picture, and logic always gets you there. In the hardest levels you sometimes need a “what if”: assume a cell and see whether a line breaks.
What does the Empty tool do?
It marks a cell that stays blank with a small dot. You do not have to mark blanks to win, but it helps you count. When a line is finished, Beasties marks its blanks for you.
What happens after three mistakes?
Every wrong mark costs one of your three stars and shows the right answer for that cell. With all three stars gone the level is lost and you start the same picture again.
What does a hint cost?
A hint costs 30 stars. It reveals the cell that logic says comes next, close to where you were working. A round with a hint gives two stars at most.
Is level 37 the same for everyone?
Yes. The levels are fixed and come with the app: the same pictures in the same order for every player. New levels are only added at the end.