This type of puzzle is called a “Nonogram”, and is known by many other names. They are often printed in puzzle magazines and books, and there are many computer

This type of puzzle is called a “Nonogram”, and is known by many other names. They are often printed in puzzle magazines and books, and there are many computer implementations. I used to visit griddlers.net all of the time. Nintendo made the “Picross” series, including a 3D version for the DS. Also, solving them is an NP-complete problem.