Picross or better known as Nonograms belong to the family of Sudoku. The major advantage of solving this puzzle is that they sharpen your brain muscles and expand the limits of your brain. Solving this puzzle may not seem that easy. However, with the right tactics you can make sure to solve them without much effort.
So, if you are also looking for the rules to solve Picross puzzle, this post is for you. In this post, you’ll get to explore the ways to solve Picross puzzle.
Let’s get started…
What is Picross Puzzle?
As the name says, Picross is a puzzle game for those interested in expanding the limits of their brains. This is similar to Sudoku; however, you need to create images by filling in squares within a grid. There is no place for guesswork. You will be guided by numerical clues provided along the grid’s edges. The numbers represent the number of filled squares in each row or column. Players can gradually reveal a hidden picture by using logic to determine which squares to fill in.
This puzzle comes in various sizes and levels of complexity, allowing players to test their skills at different difficulty levels. Once you successfully fill the entire grid, you will get to see a magnificent artwork.
Let’s dig deeper into the following article to know how to solve the picross puzzle. Here, you will go through the best tips and techniques that you can implement to solve it in no time. Read on!!
Step-By-Step Guide To Successfully Solve The Picross Puzzle
Take a look at the following tips to successfully solve the Picross puzzle:
- Begin with Simple Picross Puzzles. If you are a beginner, then give a shot to the simple Picross Puzzle. This is because a simple puzzle will help you understand the rules properly. Once you get accustomed to the simple levels, you can opt for the advanced levels to expand the limits of your brain. The more you practice challenging puzzles, the more creative your brain will be.
- No Guess Word. Well, guess works don’t really work with Picross puzzles. Hence, it is advised not to anticipate anything in between the puzzle. The whole 10×10 puzzle grid is based on logic. You have to use your logic to crack the puzzle.
- Recheck the Filled Numbers. Just like Sudoku, one wrong number can ruin the whole puzzle for you. The same is the case with the Picross puzzle. If you get stuck somewhere, consider revisiting the filled numbers. You might have filled in the wrong numbers. Hence, you are unable to move on.
- Check Hints and Clues. Each row or column in the Picross puzzle provides hints or clues. The numbers outside the left side of a row are its hits, and the numbers outside each column are hints or clues.
- Use Clues. Solve the whole grid according to the clues. Any mismatch in the order will prevent you from moving ahead, making the whole puzzle seem illogical.
- Leave Gaps. Each number displayed in a clue is a block. You have to leave one gap between blocks. For instance, if the clue is 231, there are two blocks, three blocks, and one block. You have to leave a gap of one block between two blocks and three blocks.
- Start with a Big Number. When you start solving the Picross puzzle, look for the big numbers. Otherwise, you can start where there are many numbers.
- Use Marker. When solving the puzzle, use the thicker marker. This will easily show you how you have been counting the moves in blocks.
- Learn Basics. Learn to recognize and remember the patterns while solving the Picross puzzle. It will help you solve the puzzle next time. You will get a basic idea of how to solve the advanced level of the Picross puzzle. For instance, eight numbers in the grid of 10×10 means that you will fill six blocks. The number 7 in the clue means that you will have to fill four blocks. And so on!
- Be Patient. Puzzles require a lot of your time and effort, especially if you are a beginner. Being patient is essential if you really want to master them.
Also See: The Witness Puzzle Game Types and Rules Guide
Techniques to Solve the Picross Puzzle
Before you start solving the Picross Puzzle, you should learn some significant techniques. Your strategic moves in the right direction on the grid will help you solve the puzzle in no time. Go over the following techniques to solve the Nonogram or Picross puzzle effortlessly. Take a look…
1. Overlap
The technique ‘Overlap’ is a vital strategy for solving the Picross Puzzle. You should know about it because it will help you play with thoughtful moves. You should consider every possible way by which you could fill out that row. Begin with empty blocks. Start pondering which empty blocks to fill or which empty blocks you should leave. For instance, The clue is given 2 and 5 for the column. Start counting 2 and 5 blocks and leave the gap of one block in between them.
Then, you can start counting 2 and 5 blocks from the opposite side. When you count from the other side, you will find the overlapping blocks. Don’t delete them. Instead, remove all the blocks that have not been overlapping. So, fill out the blocks that have been overlapping. They will appear as if you have painted them.
2. Mark with X
The next technique that you should try is to mark the empty blocks with X. With the mark X; you will be able to figure out where the blocks are and where they should be. If you have marked all the possible blocks that should be empty, solving the Picross puzzle will be very easy. This will help you divide the connected lines of every block.
3. Shadow Technique
At times, you may find it difficult to solve the complete line. The key to solving the Picasso puzzle is to solve the line with your logic as much as you can. But stay away from guesswork. If you have painted a big, single-number line, you will find that its middle cells will be filled symmetrically. This is a technique that you should incorporate to get better results.
4. Use End Squares
Suppose a filled-in square near the edge is two blocks away, and the clue is number 2; you will fill in an x symbol in the first square. Similarly, a filled-in square is near the edge of five, and the clue is number four. You will have to mark the first square as X. These XS will help you complete the entire sequence with ease.
Border the Complete Picture
Here is another wonderful technique for solving the Picross puzzle. However, it is crucial to do things in proper order. For instance, if one of the edge lines in the grid is a bunch of consecutive numbers, you can fill them all. This will give the solved puzzle grid the appearance of pixel border artwork.
Summing it up
So, these are the ways you can solve Picross puzzle effortlessly. We believe this article has been informative and helped you understand the basics of the Nonogram puzzle. It’s natural to struggle with the puzzle at first, but with consistent practice, you can become a master at it. So, give the tips mentioned above a try and become the expert!
