The Japanese crossword puzzle (nanogram, griddler) is a special type of puzzle in which various images are encrypted. Today, Japanese nanograms are not inferior in popularity to ordinary scanwords and puzzles. Despite the seeming complexity, absolutely everyone can solve them.
Griddlers or nanograms, known today as "Japanese crosswords", appeared at the end of the last century. They were created by Japanese artist and designer Non Ishida. At first, the nanograms seemed too intricate. However, after a couple of years, the algorithm for solving them was completely mastered by lovers of various puzzles and riddles. Today crosswords of this type are very popular all over the world.
Field markup in Japanese crosswords
There are two types of Japanese crosswords: color and black and white. In black and white crosswords, the picture contains only 2 colors: white (background) and black (the color of the image itself). When solving color crosswords, several colors are involved in creating a picture at once.
The nanogram field is a square with vertical and horizontal lines. They have different thicknesses. Thick lines are used to separate the central part of the field and those segments that contain numbers. The field is divided by thin lines into groups of cells (5 cells in each group). To form an image in a Japanese crossword puzzle, it is necessary to paint over the cells of the central part of the field in the required color. Unfilled cells form the background of the image.
The numbers shown at the top and left of the nanogram indicate the number of cells shaded horizontally and vertically in a row. Each number describes a separate group of cells, determining the position of which is your main task. Let's say there is a set of the following numbers in the crossword puzzle grid: 7, 1. In this case, the number 7 will denote a group of 5 filled cells, and the number 1 - a group consisting of only one cell.
Solving Japanese Crosswords
When solving a Japanese crossword puzzle, you must consider each column and each row separately. Only after completing the next segment, you can proceed to sketching the next group of cells.
The solution to the Japanese crossword puzzle can be divided into several stages:
- the first stage is the definition of cells that should be painted over without taking into account the location of the groups;
- at the second stage, those cells are determined that cannot be painted over (as a rule, they are crossed out with a cross);
- the third stage - determining the numbers, the position of which you have already calculated (they should also be crossed out).
Thus, marks will appear on the crossword field, which will later help you calculate new numbers. You need to solve the Japanese crossword puzzle until you completely recover the image encrypted in it.
