Bells & Whistles

Bells & Whistles starts from the nonogram and splits it in two. Cells are not filled in; they receive either a bell or a whistle, and the two symbols are read by different clues: row labels describe groups of bells, column labels describe groups of whistles. The classic daily puzzle carries nine rows and nine columns of clues, with a timer, Undo, Reset and a question mark above the grid.

1. Read the two sets of clues: groups of bells in rows, groups of whistles in columns, noting that two groups under the same label can never touch.
2. Click a cell to place a bell, click again to change it to a whistle, click a third time to clear it.
3. Use right-click to cycle in the opposite direction, starting from the whistle.
4. Click a row or column label to invert this input behavior.
5. Go back with Undo, start over with Reset.

Because the second symbol is not a cosmetic gimmick: in a classic nonogram the cross is only there to keep track, but here it carries its own clues. Each cell becomes a two-sided decision that informs two labels at once, and a nine-by-nine grid, modest though it is, suddenly requires a different kind of mental gymnastics than the one automated on picross.

The checker is the board itself: as soon as a row or column matches its groups, its label turns green. The help panel adds a shortcut: clicking an already-validated label fills the remaining empty cells of that row with the opposite symbol. No attempt counter, no penalty: the only counter shown is the timer, which can be hidden.

Mini

The short format, indicated by a button under the grid.

Classic

The daily format, open by default: nine rows and nine columns of clues.

Large

The large format, the third button in the row.

• The two symbols read different axes: solving a row of bells mechanically fills in columns, and that's where the real leverage for deduction is.
• Right-click starts the cycle at the whistle: on a tightly constrained column, it saves one click per cell.
• At the end of a puzzle, let the green labels do the work: clicking them completes the row with the opposite symbol and helps avoid fatigue-driven mistakes.