One answer per level · No ads · Nothing collected
A Nonograms Katana alternative
with one proven answer, and no ads.
Nonograms Katana is a deep, long-running nonogram app: 1001 free puzzles in black-and-white and colour, each tested by a program to have a unique solution, sizes from 5×5 to 50×50, a library of puzzles sent in by other players, and now an Adventurers Guild and a dungeon to go with them. Tare keeps the part logic fans care about — every level has exactly one answer, and you never need to guess — and changes everything else. Instead of a grid there is a painted hanging mobile; instead of run-length clues there are weights to balance and picture cards to read. Eighty levels, no ads, and nothing collected.
How does Tare compare to Nonograms Katana?
A vast library of picture logic, and a finished set of balance puzzles. Here's where each one fits.
The puzzle
Tare: A hanging mobile. Drag weights numbered 1 to 9 onto hooks at notches 1 to 4 either side of each pivot until every beam balances, with a nested beam pulling its whole load at the hook it hangs from.
Nonograms Katana: Nonograms — also called Picross, Hanjie or Griddlers. Fill or leave blank each cell so the runs in every row and column match the numbers at the edge, and a hidden picture appears.
Nonograms Katana: Nonograms — also called Picross, Hanjie or Griddlers. Fill or leave blank each cell so the runs in every row and column match the numbers at the edge, and a hidden picture appears.
One answer, no guessing
Tare: Every level is machine-checked before it ships: exactly one balanced arrangement, every hidden weight fixed by its picture cards alone, and decoys that fit nowhere.
Nonograms Katana: Its puzzles are tested by a computer program and have a unique solution, and its own description says never to guess — fill only what logic tells you.
Nonograms Katana: Its puzzles are tested by a computer program and have a unique solution, and its own description says never to guess — fill only what logic tells you.
How much there is
Tare: 80 handcrafted levels in four chapters of 20, from The Hang to The Exhibition.
Nonograms Katana: 1001 nonograms from 5×5 to 50×50, puzzles sent by other users, tools to create and share your own, and the Adventurers Guild and Dungeon expansions with loot, quests and a turn-based RPG.
Nonograms Katana: 1001 nonograms from 5×5 to 50×50, puzzles sent by other users, tools to create and share your own, and the Adventurers Guild and Dungeon expansions with loot, quests and a turn-based RPG.
Help when you're stuck
Tare: Optional hints, off by default — one piece at a time.
Nonograms Katana: 15 free hints per puzzle, hint packs ($0.99 for 80, $1.99 for 200), and View Answer for watching an ad or with VIP. Marking tools include crosses, dots, auto-filled trivial lines and a lock to test an assumption.
Nonograms Katana: 15 free hints per puzzle, hint packs ($0.99 for 80, $1.99 for 200), and View Answer for watching an ad or with VIP. Marking tools include crosses, dots, auto-filled trivial lines and a lock to test an assumption.
Price and ads
Tare: No ads at all. Chapter I's 20 levels are free forever; one $2.99 purchase unlocks the other 60, with Family Sharing.
Nonograms Katana: All 1001 puzzles are free, with ads. A $2.99 VIP upgrade removes ads and adds View Answer and five extra hints per puzzle.
Nonograms Katana: All 1001 puzzles are free, with ads. A $2.99 VIP upgrade removes ads and adds View Answer and five extra hints per puzzle.
Privacy and platforms
Tare: Data Not Collected — no account, no networking code, fully offline. iPhone and iPad; no leaderboards and no sync in this version.
Nonograms Katana: Data Not Linked to You: contact info, user content and identifiers, used for analytics, personalisation and app functionality. Cloud save, Game Center achievements and leaderboards. iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Macs, 15 languages, rated 13+.
Nonograms Katana: Data Not Linked to You: contact info, user content and identifiers, used for analytics, personalisation and app functionality. Cloud save, Game Center achievements and leaderboards. iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Macs, 15 languages, rated 13+.
| Feature | Tare | Nonograms Katana |
|---|---|---|
| The puzzle | Balance every beam on a hanging mobile | Fill the grid from row and column clues |
| One answer | Every level machine-checked: exactly one | Tested by a program for a unique solution |
| What you deduce | Hidden “?” weights, from picture cards | The hidden picture, cell by cell |
| Puzzles | 80 handcrafted levels | 1001, plus puzzles from other players |
| Beyond the puzzles | Four painted worlds; up to three stars per level | Adventurers Guild and Dungeon expansions |
| Hints | Optional hints, off by default — one piece at a time | 15 free per puzzle; packs and VIP for more |
| Ads | None | Yes — removed by the $2.99 VIP upgrade |
| Price | Free; $2.99 once for the other 60 levels | Free; optional VIP and hint packs |
| App Store privacy label | Data Not Collected | Data Not Linked to You |
| Leaderboards and sync | None in this version | Game Center; cloud save |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad | iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Mac |
| Best for | A finished, ad-free set of one-answer puzzles | Endless nonograms, big grids and a community |
Nonograms Katana details were checked on 9 October 2026 against its US App Store listing, release notes, in-app purchases and privacy label. Prices, privacy labels and features can change — verify before installing.
Honest verdict — the library and the set
Pick Tare if you want…
- A different one-answer logic puzzle when you want a change from grids
- Hidden values you deduce from picture clues
- 80 finished levels, each machine-checked to have exactly one answer
- No ads, no account and a Data Not Collected label
- 20 levels free, then one $2.99 purchase
Pick Nonograms Katana if you want…
- Nonograms, and lots of them — 1001 free, from 5×5 to 50×50
- Colour puzzles and huge grids for long sessions
- New puzzles from other players, and tools to make your own
- Leaderboards, achievements and cloud save
- RPG-style expansions that reward solving
If nonograms are your puzzle, Katana's library is enormous — keep it. Tare is for when you want a set of puzzles that ends, a different kind of deduction, and nothing on screen but the puzzle.
About Tare
Questions
FAQ
What is a good alternative to Nonograms Katana?
For more nonograms, another nonogram app is the obvious choice. For a different one-answer logic puzzle without ads, Tare is a wordless balance puzzle for iPhone and iPad: hang weights numbered 1 to 9 until every beam on a mobile balances, and deduce hidden weights from picture cards. Each of its 80 handcrafted levels is machine-checked to have exactly one answer; the first 20 are free and one $2.99 purchase unlocks the rest.
Is Tare a nonogram game?
No. There is no grid and there are no run-length clues. Tare's levels are hanging mobiles: a beam balances when weight times distance is equal on both sides of its pivot, and a nested beam pulls with its whole load at the hook it hangs from. What it shares with nonograms is the promise that the answer can always be reasoned out — no guessing required.
Does Nonograms Katana have ads?
Yes. All 1001 puzzles are free and the free version shows ads; its release notes describe View Answer in exchange for a rewarded ad. The $2.99 VIP upgrade removes ads and adds View Answer and five extra hints per puzzle, and hint packs cost $0.99 and $1.99. Tare has no ads in any form: Chapter I is free forever, and one $2.99 purchase unlocks the other 60 levels.
Do both games guarantee one solution?
Nonograms Katana says its puzzles are tested by a computer program and have a unique solution. Tare checks every level by machine before it ships: it must have exactly one balanced arrangement, every hidden weight must be determined by its picture cards alone, and any decoy weight must fit no balanced arrangement at all.
Which has more puzzles?
Nonograms Katana, by a long way: 1001 nonograms plus puzzles sent in by other players. Tare has 80 handcrafted levels in four chapters of 20. If you want a puzzle library you will never finish, Katana wins; Tare is a finished set with a beginning and an end.
Do Nonograms Katana and Tare collect any data?
Tare is labelled Data Not Collected and has no networking code, so it plays fully offline — its privacy policy has the detail. Nonograms Katana's label is Data Not Linked to You and lists contact info, user content and identifiers, used for analytics, product personalisation and app functionality. Labels are self-reported and can change.
Try it
Open Tare
Eighty hanging mobiles, one answer each. Twenty levels free, no ads, nothing collected.