NYT Pips Hint, Answer & Solution for January 22, 2026

Jan 22, 2026

🚨 SPOILER WARNING

This page contains the final **answer** and the complete **solution** to today's NYT Pips puzzle. If you haven't attempted the puzzle yet and want to try solving it yourself first, now's your chance!

Click here to play today's official NYT Pips game first.

Want hints instead? Scroll down for progressive clues that won't spoil the fun.

🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview

Thursday, January 22, 2026 brings a fresh daily domino puzzle for our growing community — a perfect way to add a little logic and fun to your Thursday.

If you’re looking for a midweek brain boost, today’s NYT Pips challenge delivers with three thoughtfully designed grids: easy puzzle ID 518, medium puzzle ID 542, and hard puzzle ID 563.

Each grid offers its own twist of logic, from clean equals regions to clever constraints that reward careful pip counting.

A quick pips hint today: watch how equal regions interact with low-pip dominoes early on — a small insight that can unlock big progress.

Edited by Ian Livengood, with puzzles crafted by Ian Livengood and Rodolfo Kurchan, this set is perfect for sharing hints, swapping strategies, and celebrating every satisfying solution together.

Whether you’re here for a quick solve or a deeper logic dive, there’s something rewarding in every grid.

Jump into the puzzle, explore the dominoes, and don’t forget to post your progress with the community.

Your next elegant solution might inspire someone else’s breakthrough today.

Written by Lucas

Puzzle Analyst – Nikki

💡 Progressive Hints

Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!

💡 Hint #1 - So easy

Just do it

💡 Hint #1 - Identify forced high pips

Start by locating regions with strict lower bounds. Yellow >3 immediately requires a high pip, and only the 6s can satisfy it, reserving a 6 for that region from the outset.

💡 Hint #2 - Resolve all equals together

Lock all equal regions at once. The only available double is 2-2 for Light Blue Equal, which then forces Red Equal to be 1s and Purple Equal to be 0s. These constraints cascade into placing 2-2, 2-1, 1-3, 1-0, and 0-6.

💡 Hint #3 - Spend the last high domino

With all equal regions fixed and one 6 already allocated, Yellow >3 must take the remaining double 6-6, cleanly completing the puzzle.

💡 Hint #1 - Spot missing sums and rare doubles

Start by checking impossible totals and unique pieces. No domino sums to 10, and only two doubles exist (6-6, 4-4). This immediately restricts where equals regions can go and shows Red >4 must contain a 5 or 6.

💡 Hint #2 - Force the only low-pip region

Use Purple <2 to place both zeros. Only 4-0 and 3-0 contain 0 pips, so both must feed this region, fixing their orientations and pushing 4 into Light Blue 10 and 3 into Red 9.

💡 Hint #3 - Reserve the right double for equals

With multiple regions demanding high pips, Purple Equal must take the remaining safe double. Since 6s are needed elsewhere, 4-4 is forced into Purple Equal.

💡 Hint #4 - Lock equals by leftover counts

After fixing Purple Equal, Yellow Equal can only be 3s. This forces placements that also feed Blue Equal and Green >16, chaining multiple constraints at once.

💡 Hint #5 - Complete equals and exact sums together

Blue Equal must now be all 5s, and Red 9 must be 3+6. These two constraints intersect on the same domino, forcing 5-6 into place.

💡 Hint #6 - Max out the big-sum region

Green >16 needs as many high pips as possible. With one 6 already placed there, only 6-6 can complete the region, making it a forced move.

💡 Hint #7 - Finish with the last exact targets

Use the remaining dominoes to satisfy Light Blue 10 and Red >4. Only 6-2 can make 10 with the existing 4, and only 5-4 can complete Red >4, cleanly closing the puzzle.

🎨 Pips Solver

Jan 22, 2026

Click a domino to place it on the board. You can also click the board, and the correct domino will appear.

✅ Final Answer & Complete Solution For Hard Level

The key to solving today's hard puzzle was identifying the placement for the critical dominoes highlighted in the starting grid. Once those were in place, the rest of the puzzle could be solved logically. See the final grid below to compare your solution.

Starting Position & Key First Steps

Pips hint for January 22, 2026 – hard level puzzle grid with critical first placements and strategy

This image shows the initial puzzle grid for the hard level, with a few critical first placements highlighted.

Final Answer: The Solved Grid for Hard Mode

NYT Pips January 22, 2026 hard puzzle full solution grid showing final answer with hints

Compare this final grid with your own solution to see the correct placement of all dominoes.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Easy Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-2], [6-1], [4-2], [1-1].

2

Step 2: Red Equal + Purple Equal --(Arrows ①②③)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. The domino halves in Red Equal region must be 1. The domino halves in Purple Equal region must be 6. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 6-2 (2 right into blank), placed horizontally; 1-1, placed horizontally.

3

Step 3: Light Blue <3 --(Arrows ④)

The answer is 4-2 (2 into Light Blue <3 region), placed horizontally.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-6], [6-0], [3-1], [2-2], [2-1], [1-0]. The domino half in Yellow >3 region must be 6.

2

Step 2: Light Blue Equal + Red Equal + Purple Equal --(Arrows ①②③④⑤)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. Need one domino with the same number placed in Light Blue Equal region. The domino halves in Light Blue Equal region must be 2. The domino halves in Red Equal region must be 1. The domino halves in Purple Equal region must be 0. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally; 1-3 (3 down into blank), placed vertically; 1-0, placed vertically; 0-6 (6 up into blank), placed vertically.

3

Step 3: Yellow >3 --(Arrows ⑥)

The answer is 6-6 (one 6s into Yellow >3 region), placed horizontally.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-6], [6-5], [6-3], [6-2], [5-4], [5-3], [4-4], [4-3], [4-0], [3-0]. No domino sum to be 10. Only 2 dominoes with the same number (6-6 or 4-4). The domino half in Red >4 region must be 5 or 6.

2

Step 2: Purple <2 --(Arrows ①②)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. The domino halves in Purple <2 region must be 0+0, only 2 dominoes with 0 pips (4-0, 3-0). The answer is 0-4 (4 into Light Blue 10 region), placed vertically; 0-3 (3 into Red 9 region), placed horizontally.

3

Step 3: Purple Equal --(Arrows ③)

Confirmed by all left regions and step 2 and remaining dominoes. Only 4 dominoes left that contain 6 pips (6-6, 6-5, 6-3, 6-2), need one for Light Blue 10 region, need one for Red 9 region and at least one is required for Green >16 region. Need one domino with the same number placed in Purple Equal region. Therefore, the domino halves in Purple Equal region must be 4. The answer is 4-4 (whole domino), placed horizontally.

4

Step 4: Yellow Equal --(Arrows ④⑤⑥)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 3 and remaining dominoes (6-6, 6-5, 6-3, 6-2, 5-4, 5-3, 4-3). The domino halves in Yellow Equal must be 3. The answer is 4-3 (4 into Purple Equal region), placed vertically; 3-5 (5 into Blue Equal region), placed vertically; 3-6 (6 into Green >16 region), placed vertically.

5

Step 5: Blue Equal + Red 9 --(Arrows ⑦)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 4 and remaining dominoes (6-6, 6-5, 6-2, 5-4). The domino halves in Blue Equal must be 5 (one 5s already come from Arrows ⑤). The domino halves in Red 9 must be 3+6 (3s already come from Arrows ②). The answer is 5-6 (5 into Blue Equal region, 6 into Red 9 region), placed vertically.

6

Step 6: Green >16 --(Arrows ⑧)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-6, 6-2, 5-4). The domino halves in this region must be 6+6+6 (one 6s already come from Arrows ⑥). The answer is 6-6 (whole domino), placed horizontally.

7

Step 7: Light Blue 10 + Red >4 --(Arrows ⑨⑩)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-2, 5-4). The domino halves in Light Blue 10 region must be 4+6 (4s already come from Arrows ①). The answer is 6-2 (6 into Light Blue 10 region, 2 up into blank), placed vertically; 5-4 (5 into Red >4 region, 4 into balnk), placed horizontally.

🎥 NYT Pips Puzzle Solution – January 22, 2026 (Easy 518 · Medium 542 · Hard 563) | Smart Domino Logic Walkthrough

If this helped you crack today’s grid, don’t forget to share the video and compare solutions with the community.

💡 Pro Tips for Similar Puzzles

Start with Constraints

Always begin with the most constrained regions - sum regions with small numbers or tight spaces.

Use Equal Regions

Use "equal" regions as anchors - they eliminate many possibilities quickly.

Work Systematically

Let the rules guide your placement rather than guessing randomly.

Double-Check

Verify each region's rules are satisfied before moving to the next.

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