5-15 min
Color by Number

Color by Number

Creative

Eight numbered pixel pictures to fill in — pick a colour, tap its squares, and watch the image appear a shade at a time.

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Home / Creative / Color by Number

Color by Number is a free online colouring game with the calm, tidy loop of a paper colour-by-numbers book. Every square carries a number, every number has a colour, and you fill them in one colour at a time. Tapping a square with the wrong colour selected does not stain the picture — it simply does not fill, and counts as a mistake, so the image you end up with is always the right one. Each colour shows how many squares it has left and the game moves you on automatically when one runs out, which keeps the whole thing to a single tap per square. The eight pictures grow from a 12x12 sailing boat up to an 18x18 toadstool garden, and each is scored out of three stars on how few squares you mis-tap.

How to play Color by Number

  1. Choose a colour from the palette at the bottom. The badge on each swatch shows how many squares that colour still has.
  2. Tap any square showing the matching number to fill it in. Squares of the colour you have selected are outlined, so you can see your next targets at a glance.
  3. Tapping a square whose number does not match the selected colour will not fill it. It counts as a mistake and nothing else — the picture stays correct.
  4. When a colour runs out, the game selects the next unfinished colour for you automatically.
  5. Pale background squares are already done and cannot be tapped; they are the sky, water or backdrop of the picture.
  6. Fill every numbered square to finish the picture. No mistakes earns three stars, up to four earns two, and more than that earns one.

Tips

  • Work one colour to completion rather than jumping around. The outline on matching squares makes a single colour very quick to sweep through.
  • On the bigger pictures, start with the colour that has fewest squares left — it clears a number off the palette and makes the rest easier to scan.
  • The numbers are the only guide, so on the 18x18 pictures it helps to work row by row rather than by shape.
  • Mistakes cost you nothing but the star rating, so there is no penalty for exploring — but if you want three stars, read the number before you tap.
  • Pictures unlock in order, and you can go back to any you have already finished from the picture selector to improve a star rating.

FAQ

Is Color by Number free?

Yes. It runs in your browser with no download, no account and no purchases. Which pictures you have unlocked and your best star rating for each are saved on your own device.

What happens if I tap the wrong square?

Nothing is coloured in. The square flashes, a mistake is counted against your star rating, and the square stays blank for the right colour. You can never end up with a wrong-coloured picture, so there is no undo to hunt for.

Is this good for relaxing or for children?

It is a slow, no-timer game with no fail state — you cannot lose, only take longer. The numbers go up to five or six per picture, so it suits anyone comfortable matching numbers, children included.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. The grid scales to your screen and the whole game is single taps, which suits touch better than a mouse. The picture area is drawn tall rather than wide so it fills a phone screen.

How many pictures are there?

Eight, ranging from 12x12 up to 18x18 squares — a sailing boat, a mushroom, a house, a cat, a hot air balloon, a butterfly, a rocket and a toadstool garden.