Every row and every column has a clue. The numbers tell you how many cells in that line are filled in, in order, with at least one empty cell between each run.
2
4
4
4
2
1 1
5
5
3
1
Above is a solved 5×5 heart puzzle. Read it from the clues:
• Top row clue "1 1" — one filled cell, at least one empty cell, then another filled cell. Look at the top row: two filled cells separated by empty ones.
• Rows 2 & 3 clue "5" — five cells filled in a row, no gaps. The whole row is solid.
• Middle column clue "4" — four filled cells in that column, going down. Look at the center column: the top cell is empty, then four filled cells down to the bottom.
On a blank puzzle, you combine both the row clue AND the column clue for every cell to deduce which cells must be filled. Work from the clues rather than guessing — the puzzle completes the moment your grid matches the hidden picture.
Full controls, scoring and strategy notes are in the How to Play section below the game.
PUZZLE
PUZZLE COMPLETE
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How to Play Hanjie
Hanjie is a logic puzzle on a grid of squares. Each row and column carries a short list of numbers describing the lengths of consecutive filled runs in that line, in order. Deduce which cells must be filled and which must stay empty until every clue is satisfied, revealing a pixel picture underneath. Work from the clues rather than guessing — the board is accepted only when it matches the intended picture exactly.
A click or tap applies whatever the FILL / CROSS toggle above the grid is set to — it starts on FILL — while a right-click always crosses. Clicking the same cell again clears it. Filling a cell that is not part of the hidden picture counts as an error; crosses are a memory aid only and never count toward a clue. On a keyboard the arrow keys move the cursor, Space fills, X crosses, Z steps back through your last 20 moves, H spends a hint and M mutes the sound. The UNDO and HINT buttons above the board do those same two jobs; RESET empties the grid while the clock, errors and hints carry on; MENU abandons the puzzle and resets your solve streak.
Pick a mode on the start menu: Daily (a seeded 10×10 that is the same for every player on a given UTC day), Casual (a random 10×10) or Hard (a 15×15). The first puzzle you ever start is the 5×5 Heart tutorial whichever mode is selected, and the How to Play button on the menu opens a fully solved 5×5 example whenever you want a refresher. Solving scores 1,000 points on a 5×5, 3,000 on a 10×10 or 6,000 on a 15×15, minus 2 points per second, 50 per error and 100 per hint — a hint fills one correct cell picked at random.
Strategy Tips
Use the overlap technique first: for any line of length N with a single clue K, the middle 2K − N cells must be filled. A 10-cell row with a clue of 8 has at least 6 guaranteed filled cells in the centre — commit those immediately.
Add gap-minimums to rule out edges: a clue of "3 2" needs at least 3 + 1 gap + 2 = 6 cells of line space. In a row of 7 that leaves only one unit of slack, which is enough to lock multiple cells without guessing. Do the arithmetic before you fill.
Cross empties as aggressively as you fill: every cross narrows the remaining placements for runs on that line. Once a clue is satisfied, cross every other cell in the line. Crosses propagate into orthogonal lines and unlock cascades of new deductions.
Attack the largest numbers first: big clues constrain the most and break the puzzle open. Small clues have many possible positions and are easier to solve last, once neighbouring lines are filled.
Work the row/column intersections: every filled cell belongs to both a row clue and a column clue — after locking a cell from one direction, re-read the other. Most progress happens at these crossings.
What Makes This Hanjie Different
For fans of Picross and Mario's Picross-style nonogram puzzles, this version is free online and plays in your browser. Nonogram, Hanjie and Picross all refer to the same genre — the word changes depending on where you grew up. This version leans into a neon cosmic aesthetic rather than the flat newspaper look, with glowing clues, a twinkling-star reveal on solve, and a pixel picture underneath each puzzle. A working daily mode gives every player the same seeded 10×10 grid each UTC day. Three difficulty tiers, a whole-board tutorial overlay, and full keyboard controls round it out. No sign-up, no paywall, no downloads — unlike Nintendo's paid Picross titles on Switch and the mobile nonogram apps that interrupt you with video ads between boards.
History of Nonograms
The genre was invented independently in 1987 by Japanese graphics editor Non Ishida and puzzle designer Tetsuya Nishio. James Dalgety brought the format to the UK, where it was first published as "Paint by Numbers" in The Sunday Telegraph in 1990 and later branded "Hanjie". Nintendo licensed the format for Mario's Picross on Game Boy in 1995, cementing the name most Western gamers know.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are nonogram, Hanjie and picture-logic puzzle all the same thing?
Yes — they are three names for the same genre. "Nonogram" is the generic English term derived from co-inventor Non Ishida. "Hanjie" is the name the British Sunday Telegraph adopted when it ran the format in 1990. Nintendo later popularised another name for the format in the 1995 Game Boy title Mario's Picross. The rules — fill cells so every row and column matches its number clues — are identical across all three labels.
Is there a daily Hanjie puzzle?
Yes. Select "Daily" from the start menu and you will be served a seeded 10×10 puzzle that is the same for every player in the world on the same UTC day. It rolls over at midnight UTC. The daily mode has its own leaderboard so you can compare your score against everyone else who attempted the identical grid.
What are the difficulty levels?
Three. Casual draws a random 10×10 from the bank and is the best place to learn the rules. Daily serves a deterministic 10×10 that matches every other player's grid for the day. Hard steps up to a 15×15 grid with a higher base score and visibly deeper logic chains — the pictures have more detail and the clues require chaining multiple deductions together rather than one-shot overlap finds.
What is the difference between fill mode and mark mode?
Fill mode places a filled cell — these are the cells that count toward row and column clues. Mark (cross) mode places a visible cross on a cell you have logically proven must stay empty. Crosses do not count toward any clue; they are a memory aid that prevents you from trying to fill the same square twice and that makes remaining runs easier to visualise. A click or tap applies whichever the FILL / CROSS toggle above the grid is set to — it starts on FILL, and it works the same on desktop and mobile — while a right-click always crosses.
How do I check my progress on a Hanjie puzzle?
Watch the clues themselves. Whenever the filled runs in a row or column exactly match that line's clue list, the clue dims to show it is satisfied. The board is accepted when your filled cells match the hidden picture exactly, and the solve animation then plays — the filled cells twinkle as stars, a particle burst sweeps across the grid, and the hidden picture's title is revealed above it.
Is there a leaderboard?
Yes. Each mode — Casual, Daily, and Hard — has its own global leaderboard. Your final score after a solve is base score minus time, error, and hint penalties, submitted automatically the moment the puzzle is solved. Daily mode is the most directly competitive because everyone is racing on the same grid that day.
