Etch (Mind Loft)

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A daily nonogram: fill the squares the clues force and a picture appears.

on mindloftdaily.com

Etch's 19 Oct 10 by 10 nonogram part solved: the top rows and centre stem filled in black, solved clues crossed off, Undo and Hint below

Etch is a free daily nonogram from Mind Loft, the picture logic puzzle also called picross or griddler. Numbers beside each row and column give the runs of filled squares in order; fill the right ones and a picture appears. Every board has one solution reachable by line logic.

About Etch (Mind Loft)

Etch is Mind Loft's picture puzzle. Each row and column has a list of numbers saying how many squares are filled in a run, in order, and the job is to work out which squares those are. Get every line right and a small picture appears.

Every board has exactly one solution and can be solved by pure line logic, so there is never a point where you have to guess. You can drag to fill a run, switch between Fill and Mark with the F and M keys, mark squares you have ruled out with an x, ask for a Hint, and watch each clue cross itself off when its line is satisfied. On a touchscreen nothing is placed until you lift your finger, and Undo (or Ctrl+Z) takes back your last stroke. Marking is free, but filling a square that is not part of the picture turns it red and counts as an error.

A clean solve with no errors scores a perfect 10 and every two errors cost a point; ties break on fewest errors, then time. Puzzles are 10x10 Monday to Friday, 15x15 on Saturday and 20x20 on Sunday. A new picture arrives at midnight Eastern each day.

How to play Etch (Mind Loft)

Open Etch; the day's board is ready with no sign-up.
Read the numbers beside each row and above each column; each is a run of filled squares, in order.
Use Fill (F) to tap a square or drag along a row or column, and Mark (M) to put an x on squares you have ruled out.
Watch each clue cross itself off as its line is complete, and use Hint if you are stuck.
Finish every line to reveal the picture; a square filled that is not part of it turns red and counts as an error.

Screenshots

Etch's 19 Oct daily 10 by 10 nonogram before the first move, with its row and column clues and Mind Loft's Logic menu

Etch title card from Mind Loft: the game's grid icon, its name and the line about filling squares to reveal a picture

Tips

Start with the biggest clues: in a 10-wide row, a run of 8 must cover the middle six squares.
Mark empties with x as soon as a line is complete; they are free and help the crossing lines.
Lines with a 0 or a full-width run settle themselves immediately.

Questions

What time does Etch reset?

A new Etch picture goes up every day at midnight US Eastern Time, the same for every player. Monday to Friday are 10x10, Saturday is 15x15 and Sunday is a 20x20 edition.

Is Etch free?

Yes. Etch plays in the browser on Mind Loft with no app and no account. Signing up with a display name (no password) puts your result on the daily leaderboard; an email is optional.

Can I play earlier Etch puzzles?

Yes. Mind Loft keeps an archive of past Etch boards together with each day's standings.

What happens if I fill a wrong square in Etch?

It turns red and counts as an error. Clear it and carry on; every two errors cost a point from the perfect 10.