A Nonogram clue lists the lengths of filled runs in a row or column. Runs follow the listed order and need at least one empty square between them. The small 5 × 5 board above lets you practice that rule without starting with a large picture or guessing what the final image should look like.
| 5 | 1 1 | 1 1 1 | 1 1 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | |||||
| 1 1 | |||||
| 1 1 1 | |||||
| 1 1 | |||||
| 5 |
The game is paused.
Fill cells to match each row and column’s clue groups in order. Leave at least one empty cell between separate groups. A 0 means the whole line is empty. Select Fill or Mark empty, then select a cell. Select it again with the same tool to clear the mark. Arrow keys move through the board; Enter or Space applies the tool. These three 5 × 5 puzzles do not save progress when you leave.
A clue of 3 means one uninterrupted run of three filled squares somewhere along that line. A clue of 1, 1 means two separate single filled squares with at least one empty square between them. It does not mean one solid run of two, even though both clues involve two filled squares in total.
Order also matters. A clue of 2, 1 requires the run of two to occur before the single square when reading the line in its normal direction. You cannot swap the groups just because another column seems easier to satisfy. Every filled square must eventually agree with both its row clues and its column clues.
In a five-square line, the clue 2, 2 uses all available space: two filled squares, one required gap, and two filled squares. There is no room to move either group. You can mark the whole pattern with a reason for every square, including the empty middle.
A clue of 5 also fills an entire five-square line. These are useful opening steps because they provide information to five crossing lines at once. Do not assume every puzzle begins with an exact-fit line, but look for one before choosing a square based on the picture you expect to emerge.
For a clue of 3 in a five-square line, the run could occupy positions 1–3, 2–4, or 3–5. Position 3 is filled in all three possibilities. You can therefore fill the middle square even though the two ends of the run are not yet known.
Only that shared square is established by this simple overlap. Do not fill all five or choose one of the three placements without more information. A crossing column may later rule out one end and decide the remaining squares. The deduction gives you a partial fact, and partial facts are enough to move a small puzzle forward.
A blank-looking square can mean either «not decided yet» or «proved empty.» Use the game’s empty mark to distinguish them. When a run is complete, its neighboring positions may need to stay empty so it does not grow beyond the clue or merge into another run.
For example, a finished run of two with a clue of 2 cannot accept a third adjoining filled square. Marking the necessary gap can help the crossing column identify where its own run belongs. Empty marks are not penalties; they carry just as much logical value as paint when the clue requires them.
After filling or marking a square, inspect the crossing line. Ask whether it now has an exact fit, a forced overlap, or a completed run needing a gap. If a row looks correct but a column cannot satisfy its clue, revisit the first square whose status you assumed rather than proved.
The board offers several small puzzles, not a promise that every puzzle will finish in a particular number of minutes. Choose one, use undo when you need to correct an action, and do not rely on reloading as a save mechanism for this base Nonogram. For more complex line reasoning, the solving guide builds on these rules with explicit constraints rather than asking you to infer a picture from guesswork.
Two separate filled single squares with at least one empty square between them.
Yes. Runs appear in the listed order.
It distinguishes a proven gap from an unresolved square.
A picture can suggest an idea, but only row and column constraints justify the square.
Do not rely on a reload save for this small base Nonogram; preserve your current session or choose another puzzle deliberately.