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Nonograms - Example

Still not sure how to go about solving these nonograms? Well, maybe a simple example will help make things clearer.

Space Invader

Here's a very simple puzzle, only 5 by 5, but it should help the tutorial make a bit more sense.

3.
1.1.1.
3.
1.1.
1.1.
1.
1.		 1.
2.		 3. 1.
2.		 1.
1.		  

So where do I start?

Let's look at each row in turn, and see if we can find any overlap. On the first row, we have 5 blank squares, and a clue of 3. So, as we saw in the tutorial, the middle square must be a solid, so we can fill it in. Easy, huh?

On the second row, we have a clue of 1.1.1, which requires 5 squares (including dots). So there is only one way for this to happen, and we can fill in the entire row. The third row again has a clue of 3, so we can fill in the middle square as before, but the fourth and fifth rows can't give us any squares just yet. So after going through all the rows, our puzzle now looks like this:

3.
1.1.1.
3.
1.1.
1.1.
1.
1.		 1.
2.		 3. 1.
2.		 1.
1.		  

And now I look at the columns, right?

Right. So working from the left, we see that the first column has a clue of 1.1. We already have one solid, from row 2, so if this is in a block of 1, it must be surrounded by dots. So we can put a dot above and below this solid.

On to column 2, for which the clue is 1.2. Now, we have a dot in row 2, so the block of 1 cannot fit below this as well as the block of 2. This means the 1 must be above the dot (so we can fill that in), and the 2 must be below (so we can fill in a single solid in the overlap).

In column 3, the clue is 3, and we already have 3 solids in this column. So we can fill in the rest of the column as dots. Column 4 produces the same result as column 2, and the last column can be done as the first. So after the columns, the puzzle now looks like this:

3.
1.1.1.
3.
1.1.
1.1.
1.
1.		 1.
2.		 3. 1.
2.		 1.
1.		  

It looks like we're nearly finished!

Almost. To finish off, we look at the rows again. The first two are done, and the third and fourth can be quickly finished off. We can't tell any more about the fifth row yet though:

3.
1.1.1.
3.
1.1.
1.1.
1.
1.		 1.
2.		 3. 1.
2.		 1.
1.		  

And now the columns again?

And now it's easy. That blank in column 1 must be the other block of 1, and the blank in column 2 must be a dot to make it 1.2. Similarly, column 4 must have a dot, to make it 1.2., and finally, we can put a solid in column 5! We've finished!

3.
1.1.1.
3.
1.1.
1.1.
1.
1.		 1.
2.		 3. 1.
2.		 1.
1.		  

So what's that picture supposed to be?

What do you mean, what's it supposed to be? A Space Invader! Of course. Obviously a real puzzle is a lot bigger, it's a bit tricky to draw a meaningful picture in only 5 by 5!

Riiiiight...

So, if you understand all of that, you can have a go at the practice puzzle. Or, refresh the basics in the tutorial.

How To Solve Them // Worked Example // Puzzle 0 // Puzzle 0 answer // Puzzle 1 // Puzzle 2 // Puzzle 3 // Puzzle 4 // Puzzle 5 // Puzzle 6 // Puzzle 7 // Puzzle 8 // Puzzle 9 // Puzzle 10 // puzzle 8 // puzzle 10 // puzzle 2 // puzzle 0 // puzzle 7 // progress // puzzle 1 // mystery of the mummy // puzzle 3 // puzzle 6 // puzzle 9 // puzzle 4 // puzzle 5