▦ Nonogram Coach

Nonogram guide

How to Solve 8x8 Nonograms

Solve an original 8x8 house using overlap, separate runs, and row-to-column deductions.

Quick answer

An 8x8 nonogram gives enough cells to reveal a recognizable picture while staying small enough for beginners. Use large-clue overlap, edge clues, completed-line X marks, and row-column switching.

Original worked picture · 8 × 8

Follow the clues, reveal a house

Each step marks only cells that every remaining legal placement agrees on. Use the clues as evidence; the emerging picture is the reward.

New to overlap? See the existing five-cell proof first →

↓ 1675151761
2
4
6
8
6
2 2
2 2
6

Blank = unknown · teal = filled · X = proven empty. Row 1 is at the top; column 1 is on the left.

Start with the largest clues. Reveal step 1 to see what they prove.

Read the full walkthrough
  1. Step 1: check rows.
    • Row 3, clue 6: 3 legal placements remain. Every placement agrees on c3 fill, c4 fill, c5 fill, c6 fill.
    • Row 4, clue 8: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on c1 fill, c2 fill, c3 fill, c4 fill, c5 fill, c6 fill, c7 fill, c8 fill.
    • Row 5, clue 6: 3 legal placements remain. Every placement agrees on c3 fill, c4 fill, c5 fill, c6 fill.
    • Row 8, clue 6: 3 legal placements remain. Every placement agrees on c3 fill, c4 fill, c5 fill, c6 fill.
  2. Step 2: check columns.
    • Column 1, clue 1: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on r1 X, r2 X, r3 X, r5 X, r6 X, r7 X, r8 X.
    • Column 2, clue 6: 3 legal placements remain. Every placement agrees on r3 fill, r5 fill, r6 fill.
    • Column 3, clue 7: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on r1 X, r2 fill, r6 fill, r7 fill.
    • Column 4, clue 5 1: 2 legal placements remain. Every placement agrees on r2 fill, r7 X.
    • Column 5, clue 5 1: 2 legal placements remain. Every placement agrees on r2 fill, r7 X.
    • Column 6, clue 7: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on r1 X, r2 fill, r6 fill, r7 fill.
    • Column 7, clue 6: 3 legal placements remain. Every placement agrees on r3 fill, r5 fill, r6 fill.
    • Column 8, clue 1: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on r1 X, r2 X, r3 X, r5 X, r6 X, r7 X, r8 X.
  3. Step 3: check rows.
    • Row 1, clue 2: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on c2 X, c4 fill, c5 fill, c7 X.
    • Row 2, clue 4: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on c2 X, c7 X.
    • Row 6, clue 2 2: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on c4 X, c5 X.
    • Row 7, clue 2 2: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on c2 fill, c7 fill.
    • Row 8, clue 6: 1 legal placement remains. Every placement agrees on c2 fill, c7 fill.

Start with the full row

In the house above, row 4 has clue 8. Fill all eight cells. Rows 3, 5 and 8 have clue 6: all legal placements cover columns 3–6, so those cells are filled too. Leave the ends unknown for now.

Use overlap first

In an 8-cell line, clues like 6 or 5 have forced overlap in the center. Mark those first to unlock crossing clues.

Keep separate groups separate

Rows 6 and 7 have clue 2 2. They contain two runs of two, with at least one empty square between the runs. Once the columns prove the filled cells, mark the gap and the outside cells X. Do not join the two runs into a four-cell block.

Practice this in the app

Try a guided 8x8 picture puzzle in Calm Nonogram Coach.

Open Calm Nonogram Coach