Follow the numbers, fill the grid, and discover the picture hidden behind the question marks. Pop Cross is a nonogram puzzle game in which the clues beside each row and above each column work together to reveal an image. What begins as an empty grid gradually becomes a recognizable design as you identify one certain square after another.
This is a game of careful choices rather than quick reactions. Information from a row can unlock a column, and marking a square as empty can be just as useful as filling one. Browse categories such as characters, objects, animals, and symbols, then choose a puzzle and start uncovering its hidden picture.
How to play
- Select a category and stage. Swipe through the selection pages to explore other entries. Inside a puzzle, the numbers on the left describe rows, while the numbers at the top describe columns.
- Each number tells you the length of one continuous group of filled squares. A 5 means five adjacent filled squares, not five separate squares scattered across the line.
- When a line has several numbers, its groups must appear in the same order as the clues. Leave at least one empty square between neighboring groups. For example, 1 and 2 mean a single filled square followed, after a gap, by a group of two.
- Select the pencil button and tap squares you know should be filled. Switch to the X button to mark squares that must remain empty. Keeping both kinds of information visible makes it easier to track your deductions.
- Alternate between rows and columns. A square confirmed in one direction also gives information about the line crossing it. Check completed clues, then look for the next place where the answer is certain.
- Find all the required filled squares to reveal the hidden picture. If you get stuck, check the hint control and its remaining count. Work from the clues you can establish instead of filling squares at random.
Start with the clearest information
A large number in a relatively short line is often a useful starting point. For example, a group of eight in a ten-square line must cover some of the middle squares whether it is placed as far left or as far right as possible. Those overlapping squares can be filled without guessing the group's final position.
A clue of 0 means the line contains no filled squares. Another useful case is a line where the group lengths, plus the minimum gaps between them, use all the available space. In that situation, the position of every group is fixed. Count both the filled squares and the required gaps before deciding that a clue looks complicated.
You do not need to solve an entire picture at once. One definite square may be enough to change what you know about several other lines. Build from that small piece of information and reassess the grid as it develops.
Empty squares are clues too
Although the goal is to create a picture, identifying spaces that stay blank is a vital part of the puzzle. An X can divide a line into smaller areas and restrict where a remaining group could fit. After making a mark, check both directions rather than continuing to stare at the same row.
As the image takes shape, it can be tempting to finish by guessing what it should look like. Use the numbers to confirm those ideas. The satisfying moment comes when the horizontal and vertical clues agree and the picture emerges from the logic of the grid.
Discover a picture, one square at a time
Pick a category, find your first certain square, and follow the connections across the board. Straightforward fill and X controls let you concentrate on reading the clues and keeping your progress clear.
Spend a little time resolving one promising line, or settle in to finish a complete image. With every confirmed group, the empty grid becomes more meaningful. Open Pop Cross and find out what its numbers have been hiding.
