Nonograms that never need guessing, with hints that teach

The problem

Nonograms are popular, but hints on most sites and apps simply fill in a square without explaining the deduction, so beginners stay stuck. Mobile versions ration hints and interrupt play with ads. Puzzle quality varies too, because user-made grids don't always have a single logical solution.

For: Logic puzzle fans · Sudoku players trying something new · Nonogram beginners

Why now

The New York Times launched Pips, its first original logic game, in August 2025, and it was solved 612 million times by the end of the year, part of more than 11.2 billion puzzles solved on NYT Games in 2025.

Demand signals

Monthly Google searches in the US, pulled 2026-09-24. These are the words people with this problem actually type.

• nonogram74,000
• picross18,100
• nonogram solver2,400
• daily nonogram590

What exists already

• Puzzle-Nonograms.com ↗Free daily, weekly and monthly puzzles with ads (patrons from $1/month); stuck players can reveal the solution but get no explained hint.
• Nonograms.org ↗Large free library of no-guess puzzles with smart hints that open squares; ad-supported, and hints don't explain the rule.
• Nonograms Katana ↗Popular mobile game; the free version has ads and hints are rationed per puzzle (VIP $2.99).
• Picross S ↗Nintendo Switch only, $7.99 for a fixed set of 300 puzzles.

MVP scope

1. Generator that confirms every puzzle is solvable by line logic alone
2. Hint button that highlights a line and names the rule to apply
3. Grids from 5x5 to 25x25, a daily puzzle and endless mode
4. Pixel-art reveal on completion, grouped into themed packs
5. Mistake checker that purists can turn off
6. Offline play on web and mobile