NYT Pips Hint, Answer & Solution for January 29, 2026

Jan 29, 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

On Thursday, January 29, 2026, the NYT Pips puzzle lands right in the heart of winter, bringing a cozy but sharp dose of logic for puzzle lovers who enjoy slowing down, thinking deeply, and sharing ideas with others.

Start your day with the easy puzzle (ID 506) by Ian Livengood.

This compact grid is ideal for warming up your brain and spotting early patterns. It’s the kind of puzzle where a single clean observation can unlock the whole board, making it perfect for exchanging your first Pips Hint or comparing a quick pips hint today with friends.

Step up to the medium puzzle (ID 508) by Rodolfo Kurchan, where efficiency really matters.

Every domino placement counts, and logical chains start to feel deliberate and rewarding. This is where many solvers pause, re-evaluate assumptions, and refine their strategy—an excellent balance between challenge and clarity that invites thoughtful discussion around hints and partial solutions.

Then settle in for the hard puzzle (ID 532), also crafted by Rodolfo Kurchan.

Dense equal regions, layered constraints, and long-term planning define this grid. Breakthrough moments here feel earned, not given, making the final solution especially satisfying. It’s a puzzle that rewards patience, deep analysis, and careful tracking of remaining dominoes.

As always, the NYT Pips experience shines brightest when shared.

Trade pips hints, compare solution paths, and see how different minds approach the same logic. Whether you’re chasing a clean solve, documenting today’s solution, or just enjoying the conversation, this Thursday’s puzzle proves that NYT Pips is as much about community as it is about clever reasoning.

Stay warm, think sharp, and enjoy solving together.

Written by Joe

Puzzle Analyst – Sophia

💡 Progressive Hints

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

💡 Hint #1 - Nice and easy

Just do it

💡 Hint #1 - Scan Sum Targets and Locked Equals

Begin by listing all possible combinations that can satisfy the target sum (like 8). At the same time, identify equal regions that are already forced by elimination. Fixing an equal region early (such as a forced 0) sharply limits later sum options.

💡 Hint #2 - Anchor One Sum Region First

Choose a sum region whose position and neighbors eliminate most alternatives. Locking in a single valid pair creates a stable anchor that propagates constraints into adjacent regions.

💡 Hint #3 - Chain Remaining Sums Systematically

With one anchor placed, resolve the remaining sum regions by exclusion. Match identical totals across different colors, use equal regions as fixed values, and let leftover domino structures dictate the only consistent layout.

💡 Hint #1 - Count Scarce Numbers First

Start by inventorying rare pip values. When a specific number (like 3 or 5) appears only a few times across all domino halves, lock in which regions must receive them. Scarcity analysis narrows options early and prevents wasted branching.

💡 Hint #2 - Force Sums with Elimination

Use sum regions together with limited pip combinations to force exact values. If only one pair can reach a target total, commit to it. Combine this with equal regions to cascade constraints across multiple areas at once.

💡 Hint #3 - Place Extremes into Blanks

When a high or unique pip (like a lone 6) has no compatible sum or equal region left, blanks become the natural destination. Assigning extremes early often resolves equal regions automatically.

💡 Hint #4 - Resolve Equal Regions by Exclusion

For equal regions, don’t guess—exclude. Remove impossible values based on neighboring sums and remaining dominoes until only one number fits everywhere. Equal regions become anchors once their value is fixed.

💡 Hint #5 - Finish with Deterministic Cleanup

In the endgame, leftover dominoes usually fit in only one way. Match remaining equal regions first, then let orientation and adjacency rules finish the grid cleanly without trial and error.

🎨 Pips Solver

Jan 29, 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 29, 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 29, 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: [6-0], [5-0], [4-2], [3-3], [1-1].

2

Step 2: Light Blue >5 + Red 8 + Yellow 2 --(Arrows ①②③④)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. Only one domino with 6 pips (6-0). The domino halves in Red 8 region must be 0+3+5. The domino halves in Yellow 2 region must be 0+1+1. The answer is 6-0 (6 into Light Blue >5 region), placed horizontally; 3-3 (one 3s left into blank), placed horizontally; 5-0, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically.

3

Step 3: Purple >3 --(Arrows ⑤)

The answer is 4-2 (4 into Purple >3 region, 2 right into blank), placed horizontally.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-3], [6-2], [6-1], [5-4], [4-1], [4-0], [2-0]. The domino halves in Number 8 region must be 6+2 or 5+3 or 4+4. The domino halves in Green Equal must be 0.

2

Step 2: Purple 8 --(Arrows ①)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. Need one domino sum to be 8 placed in this region. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.

3

Step 3: Yellow 8 + Blue 8 + Green Equal + Light Blue 8 + Red 8 --(Arrows ②③④⑤⑥⑦)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and remaining dominoes (6-3, 6-1, 5-4, 4-1, 4-0, 2-0). The domino halves in Yellow 8 region must be 6+1+1. The domino halves in Blue 8 region must be 4+4. The domino halves in Green Equal region must be 0. The domino halves in Light Blue 8 region must be 2+6. The domino halves in Light Red 8 region must be 3+5. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 1-4, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally; 5-4 (4 down into blank), placed vertically.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-5], [6-2], [5-5], [5-4], [5-3], [5-0], [4-4], [4-3], [4-1], [4-0], [3-2], [2-2], [2-1], [1-1], [1-0], [0-0]. Only 3 domino halves that contain 3 pips (5-3, 4-3, 3-2) for Number 3 regions. Only 6 domino halves that contain 5 pips, need one for Purple 5 region, need one for Yellow 5 region.

2

Step 2: Light Blue 1 + Blue 10 + Light Blue Equal + Right Top Green Equal --(Arrows ①②③④⑤⑥)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. Only 4 dominoes with 1 pips (4-1, 2-1, 1-1, 1-0), therefore, the domino halves in Blue 10 region must be 4+6. Only 2 dominoes with 6 pips (6-5, 6-2), no domino with the number 5-2 or 5-1, only one domino with the number 2-1; therefore, the domino halves in Light Blue Equal region must be 2, the domino halves in Right Top Green Equal region must be 1. The answer is 1-4 (1 into Light Blue 1 region), placed vertically; 6-2, placed vertically; 2-2, placed vertically; 2-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically; 1-0 (0 up into blank), placed vertically.

3

Step 3: Yellow Equal +Bottom Red 3 --(Arrows ⑦⑧⑨)

Confirmed by all left regions and step 1 and remaining dominoes. Only one domino left that contain 6 pips (6-5), 6 pips must placed in blank. Therefroe, the domino halves in Yellow Equal region must be 5. The answer is 6-5 (6 into blank), placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-3 (3 into Bottom Red 3 region), placed vertically.

4

Step 4: Purple 3 +Top Red 3 + Purple Equal--(Arrows ⑩⑪⑫)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (5-4, 5-0, 4-4, 4-3, 4-0, 3-2, 0-0). The domino halves in Purple Equal region must be 4. The answer is 3-2 (2 down into blank), placed vertically; 3-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.

5

Step 5: Yellow 5 +Blue Equal + Bottom Green Equal + Purple 5 --(Arrows ⑬⑭⑮⑯)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (5-4, 5-0, 4-0, 0-0). The domino halves in Blue Equal region must be 0. The domino halves in Bottom Green Equal region must be 4. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed vertically; 0-0, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically.

🎥 NYT Pips January 29, 2026 Solution Walkthrough｜Easy 506 to Hard 532 Full Logic & Pips Hints

Share your own strategies, alternate solutions, or questions in the comments.

💡 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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