A Picross solver for checking the whole picture
Picross is a satisfying puzzle because every filled square is justified by numbers at the edge of the grid. It is also easy to get caught between two plausible shapes when a few rows have multiple placements. This Picross solver is a focused checking tool: type the horizontal and vertical clue runs, solve them together, and compare the resulting squares with the board in front of you. It is particularly handy for a mobile game where the clue labels are visible but the surrounding pattern is difficult to hold in memory.
The core rule is simple. Each number describes one contiguous group of filled cells, and separate numbers on the same line must have at least one empty cell between them. A line marked 2 1 therefore contains a run of two, a gap, then a run of one. The exact positions are determined only when both the horizontal and vertical requirements agree. This online Picross solver checks those two directions at once instead of relying on how the final image might look.
Use this page for the Picross intent: enter the clues as you see them, get a grid, and use it to make the next confident mark in your own game.
Enter Picross clues in the fastest format
Keep horizontal clues in top-to-bottom order
The left field represents rows. Put the first row’s clue on the first line, then continue downward. The right field represents columns from left to right. This positional order is more important than any label in the original app, because moving a correct clue one line changes a different row or column entirely.
Separate groups, preserve empty lines
Spaces separate groups on one line: type 5 3, not 53. A dash means the entire row or column is empty. It may feel unimportant in a picture puzzle, but an empty line constrains every crossing cell, so do not omit it. The solver accepts commas too, although spaces make transcription and proofreading simpler.
Set dimensions first
Choose the total grid height and width before pasting. The tool supports from 2 to 20 in either direction, suitable for most quick Picross boards. It creates exactly the required line count, which makes a missing clue easier to notice before you run the calculation.
What happens when you press Solve Picross
The Picross helper generates every legal pattern for each clue line. It then removes a row pattern whenever its cells disagree with the remaining column patterns, and removes column patterns whenever they disagree with rows. Repeating that exchange often fixes the whole puzzle. If a choice remains, the solver checks compatible alternatives and stops after it knows whether the supplied clues permit one or multiple answers.
A dark square in the output is filled; a light square is empty. The output is a reference grid, not an editable copy of your game. Check a small uncertain area, make the equivalent marks in your board, and return for another pass if new clues appear. When the page says more than one answer is possible, check the original clue list before assuming the puzzle itself is ambiguous.
Useful Picross patterns to recognize yourself
An exact-fit clue is the easiest: a row of five with clue five is entirely filled. Overlap is the next powerful pattern. In a ten-cell line, a seven-cell run can start only at positions one through four, so cells four through seven are filled in every placement. Edge information becomes strong when you know a cell is empty or filled: it cuts off possible starts and often resolves the crossing line too.
Use crosses or empty marks as deliberately as filled marks in your actual puzzle. A confirmed empty cell can separate two clue groups and eliminate surprisingly many arrangements. The Picross solver is a good independent check after you make that deduction, especially when a long line has several runs.
When the result does not look right
The tool reports no solution: compare the selected dimensions with the board, then scan for a line copied in the wrong direction or a missing number. A clue such as 4 4 cannot fit in a seven-cell line because its required gap makes it eight cells long.
The image is rotated or strange: make sure horizontal clues were entered as rows, from top to bottom, and vertical clues as columns, from left to right. The solver does not infer orientation from a picture.
Several results are possible: the clues may be incomplete, copied with a missing blank line, or genuinely underconstrained. A standard Picross puzzle should usually be uniquely solvable; inspect the original labels before using one displayed solution.
Picross, Nonogram, and private browser solving
Picross is a name for the same family of logic picture puzzles often called Nonograms, Griddlers, or Paint by Numbers. The rule system is compatible, but this page writes its guidance around the Picross game workflow. If you searched by the other name, use the dedicated Nonogram Solver.
All calculations happen in this browser page. You type numbers rather than upload an image, and no account is needed to check a board. That makes the helper a lightweight companion whether you play on desktop, phone, or tablet.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use this Picross solver for a rectangular board?
Yes. Rows and columns are separate inputs, so a board does not need to be square.
What does a dash mean in a clue field?
It means that row or column contains no filled squares at all.
Is a valid grid always the intended answer?
Usually, but only unique clues force one answer. The status text warns if the clue set allows multiple valid grids.