What is the easiest way to start a Nonogram?

Start with 5x5 puzzles and fill any clue that equals the full width of the grid. Then use the overlap method on lines that contain a block longer than half the line.

Should beginners use hints in Nonograms?

Hints are useful as a learning tool. After a hint, work out which clue forced that cell so you can apply the same reasoning next time. NonogramGo disables ranking for runs that use hints or the solver.

How long does a Nonogram take to solve?

A 5x5 puzzle typically takes under a minute, a 10x10 a few minutes, and a 20x20 board can take twenty minutes or more depending on experience.

Nonogram Tips for Beginners

Ten habits that will take you from your first 5×5 board to confident 15×15 solving. None of them require memorising formulas.

1. Start small, on purpose

Finish ten 5×5 puzzles before moving up. Small grids teach the reading habits that large grids depend on, and they let you see a complete solve from start to finish in under a minute.

2. Fill the full-line clues first

Any clue that equals the width (or height) of the grid fills the whole line. These are free cells and they often break the puzzle open.

3. Learn the overlap trick early

If a block is longer than half the line, part of it must be filled no matter where it sits. On a 10-wide row, a block of 6 forces two cells in the middle. This single technique solves most easy puzzles.

4. Mark empty cells, not just filled ones

Use the X tool liberally. A cell you have proven empty is a permanent piece of information, and recording it stops you from reconsidering the same dead end.

5. Alternate between rows and columns

After every row you complete, look at the columns crossing it, and vice versa. Deductions propagate around the board much faster when you deliberately switch direction.

6. Count the minimum length of a line

Add the block sizes and the minimum gaps between them. If the total nearly fills the line, the blocks barely have room to move, which means most of the line can be drawn.

7. Never guess

If you feel like guessing, the answer is usually in a line you have already looked at twice. Guessing creates contradictions that are slow and frustrating to unwind.

8. Treat hints as lessons

When you use the Hint button, do not just accept the cell. Ask which clue forced it, then apply the same reasoning yourself on the next puzzle.

9. Practise daily

Five minutes a day beats an hour once a week. The Daily Challenge gives everyone the same seeded puzzle each day, which makes it a good habit anchor.

10. Increase size gradually

Move from 5×5 to 10×10 to 15×15, and only then to 20×20. Each step adds a manageable amount of complexity rather than a wall of it.

Where to go next

Once these habits feel automatic, read the advanced strategies guide for slack counting and edge logic. Then try to beat your own times on the size you find most comfortable.