How to play
Each number beside a row or above a column is the length of a block of filled cells in that line, in the order given. Blocks are separated by at least one empty cell, so a row clue of 3 1 means a block of three, a gap, then a single filled cell.
Fill the cells that belong to the picture and mark the ones that must stay empty with a cross. When every line matches its clue, the picture is complete.
Drag along a row or column to fill several cells at once. Switch between Fill and Cross on the pad, or use the right mouse button for crosses. On a keyboard, the arrow keys move, Space fills and X crosses.
Strategy and tips
- Start with the overlap. In a row of 10, a block of 7 pushed as far left as possible and as far right as possible covers cells 4 to 7 both times, so those four cells are filled whatever happens. The longer a block is compared with its line, the more it gives away.
- Add up the clue. When the blocks plus the single gaps between them fill the line exactly — 4 5 in a row of 10 — the line is solved at once. An empty clue means the whole line is crosses.
- Work from the edges. A filled cell touching the border must belong to the first block, so the whole of that block is fixed, and the cell after it is a cross.
- Cross out generously. Crosses are information too: they split a line into segments, and a segment that is shorter than a block cannot hold it.
- Keep an eye on the clues. Finished clues fade, and a clue turns red as soon as its line can no longer match it — the quickest way to catch a slip. The line logic guide goes through these steps with examples.
Questions
- Do I need to guess on the big grids?
- No. Every puzzle is checked so that repeated line-by-line logic solves it completely. If you are stuck, some line still tells you more than you have marked.
- Which size should I start with?
- Easy is 5×5 and takes a minute or two. Medium is 10×10, hard 15×15 and expert 20×20. On a narrow phone the cells of a 20×20 grid are small; turning the phone sideways or using a tablet helps.
- Do I have to mark the empty cells?
- No. Crosses are optional — the puzzle counts as solved as soon as all filled cells are right. Crosses only help you keep track.
- What happens when a line is finished?
- Its clue fades, and if Cross out finished lines is switched on in the settings, the remaining cells of that line are crossed for you.