Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before solving your first Hanjie picture.
What is Hanjie?
Hanjie is a free daily nonogram, the picture logic puzzle also known as Griddlers or Paint by Numbers. You fill squares in a grid to match number clues, and a hidden picture appears.
How do the number clues work?
Each number is the length of a run of filled squares in that row or column, in the order shown. Runs are separated by at least one empty square. A line with no number, shown as 0, is completely empty.
Is there a new puzzle every day?
Yes. A new picture starts at midnight UTC for each difficulty, and everyone who plays that day gets the same one. Pictures come from a hand-made collection and return only after the whole collection has been played.
Which difficulties are there?
Four: Easy (5×5), Medium (10×10), Hard (15×15) and Expert (20×20). Larger grids have longer lines and need more back-and-forth between rows and columns.
Do I ever need to guess?
No. Every picture is checked before it is published: it has exactly one solution, and it can be solved one line at a time by logic alone.
Is Hanjie free, and is my data private?
Yes. Hanjie is free, with no account, login or purchase. Your progress, times and streaks stay in your browser on this device, and visits are only counted in aggregate.