NYT Pips Hint, Answer & Solution for January 3, 2026

Jan 3, 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 Saturday, January 3, 2026, the Daily Domino Puzzle arrives right in the heart of the New Year season — a perfect time to reset your mind and sharpen your logic.

Today’s puzzle lineup offers a smooth but satisfying progression across three difficulty levels, guiding solvers from an approachable easy grid into a deeply demanding hard layout.

Each board challenges you to think carefully about domino placement, region sums, equal-value zones, and pip relationships.

This is the kind of puzzle day where slowing down pays off: study the grid, read the constraints closely, and let today’s pips hint guide each decision. Small insights — a forced sum here, an equality there — quickly snowball into a clear solution path.

What makes January 3 especially engaging is the use of distinct puzzle IDs for easy, medium, and hard, inviting solvers to track progress, compare strategies, and revisit alternative solutions.

If you enjoy breaking down grids, counting pips, and refining each move, today’s pips hint today moments feel especially rewarding as patterns begin to emerge.

Edited by Ian Livengood, with puzzles constructed by Ian Livengood (easy) and Rodolfo Kurchan (medium and hard), this New Year puzzle set reflects thoughtful design and logical elegance.

From careful analysis to precise execution, the January 3, 2026 Daily Domino Puzzle is an ideal way to start the year with focus, clarity, and a satisfying final solution.

Written by Mark

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 - So easy

Can you?

💡 Hint #1 - Pips Pairing Fork

Begin by identifying paired equal regions. With only 1s and 5s able to satisfy both equal constraints, treat this as a fork: whichever value goes into Light Blue Equal automatically forces the opposite value into Blue Equal. This pips hint sets up a clean binary choice.

💡 Hint #2 - Zero Scarcity Resolution

Zero pips are limited, so any Equal region demanding 0 becomes decisive. This pips hint uses zero scarcity to lock Yellow Equal immediately, while pushing the remaining high pip into Purple >1 without guessing.

💡 Hint #3 - Chain Reaction from Equal Regions

Once Light Blue Equal is confirmed as 1, every remaining domino with a 1 must resolve surrounding inequalities. This pips hint shows how equal regions trigger a cascade, filling Red >2 and Purple >1 through forced placements.

💡 Hint #4 - Final Equal Balance

With most constraints satisfied, the last equal regions reveal themselves through elimination. This pips hint highlights how fixing Blue Equal at 5 automatically determines Green Equal as 3, completing the grid cleanly.

💡 Hint #1 - Pips Inventory Check

Start by counting high-value pips. There are only three domino halves with 6 pips available, which immediately limits how many Number 10 regions can include a 6. This pips hint helps narrow down all 10-sum regions before any placement.

💡 Hint #2 - Lock Double Values Early

Use scarcity logic: only two dominoes contain a 5, so any 10-sum region that needs 5+5 becomes forced. This pips hint shows why the Yellow 10 region must take both 5s, fixing nearby Purple regions by elimination.

💡 Hint #3 - Forced Fit by Region Shape

When a region demands multiple pips and space is tight, look for the only domino that physically fits. This pips hint highlights how the Light Blue 10 region can only accept 4-4, forcing the neighboring 6 into the adjacent 10 region.

💡 Hint #4 - Split Shared Sums Carefully

Multiple regions targeting similar totals require splitting pips efficiently. This pips hint focuses on distributing 6s, 4s, and 3+2 pairs so each sum region is satisfied without blocking future placements.

💡 Hint #5 - Resolve Remaining High Sums

Once most 6s are committed, remaining 10-sum regions become deterministic. This pips hint explains how confirming the final 6+4 pairing also reveals the exact makeup of the Green 2 region.

💡 Hint #6 - Greater-Than Constraints Finish Gaps

Greater-than regions often act as cleanup tools. This pips hint shows how confirming Purple 10 forces the remaining 6 to pair with 1, automatically satisfying the Red >0 constraint.

💡 Hint #7 - Final Inequality Cleanup

Endgame logic relies on inequality rules. This pips hint demonstrates how the last two dominoes resolve both a >2 region and a Not Equal region, completing the grid with no ambiguity.

🎨 Pips Solver

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

2

Step 2: Green Equal + Blue 5 + Yellow <1 --(Arrows ①②③)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. Need one domino with the same number placed in Green Equal region. The domino halves in Green Equal region must be 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-5 (5 into Blue 5 region), placed horizontally; 3-0 (3 into blank, 0 into Yellow <1 region), placed horizontally.

3

Step 3: Red Equal + Light Blue 7 + Purple >1 --(Arrows ④⑤⑥)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-4, 6-2, 3-1). The domino halves in Red Equal region must be 6. The domino halves in Light Blue 7 region must be 4+3. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 6-2 (2 into Purple >1 region), placed horizontally; 3-1 (1 right into blank), placed horizontally.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [5-3], [5-2], [5-1], [5-0], [4-3], [4-1], [2-1], [1-0]. The domino halves in Light Blue Equal region and Blue Equal must be 1 or 5; If Light Blue Equal = 5, then Blue Equal = 1; if Light Blue Equal = 1, then Blue Equal = 5.

2

Step 2: Purple >1 + Yellow Equal --(Arrows ①②)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. The domino halves in Yellow Equal region must be 0. Only 2 dominoes with 0 pips (5-0, 1-0). The answer is 5-0 (5 into Purple >1 region), placed horizontally; 0-1 (1 into Light Blue Equal region), placed vertically.

3

Step 3: Light Blue Equal + Red >2 + Purple >1 --(Arrows ③④⑤)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 2 and remaining dominoes with 1 pips (5-1, 4-1, 2-1). The domino halves in Light Blue Equal region must be 1. The answer is 1-5 (5 into Blue Equal region), placed vertically; 1-4 (4 into Red >2 region), placed vertically; 1-2 (2 into Purple >1 region), placed vertically.

4

Step 4: Blue Equal + Green Equal --(Arrows ⑥⑦⑧)

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

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-3], [6-2], [6-1], [5-4], [5-0], [4-4], [4-1], [4-0], [3-2], [3-1], [2-1], [1-1], [1-0]. Only 3 domino halves that contain 6 pips for number 10 regions.

2

Step 2: Purple 0 + Yellow 10 + Purple 10 --(Arrows ①②)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. The domino halves in Yellow 10 region must be 5+5. The domino halves in Purple 10 region must be 4+6. Only 2 dominoes with 5 pips (5-4, 5-0). The answer is 0-5 (0 into Purple 0 region), placed horizontally; 5-4 (4 into Purple 10 region), placed vertically.

3

Step 3: Light Blue 10 + Top Right Blue 10 --(Arrows ③④)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes. The domino halves in Top Right Blue 10 region must be 6+4. Need one domino placed in Light Blue 10 region, only [4-4] can put in here. The domino halves in Light Blue 10 region must be 4+4+2. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 2-6 (6 into Top Right Blue 10), placed vertically.

4

Step 4: Bottom Left Blue 10 + Red 5 + Light Blue 5 + Purple 2 --(Arrows ⑤⑥⑦⑧)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes. The domino halves in Bottom Left Blue 10 region must be 6+4. The domino halves in Red 5 and Light Blue 5 regions must be 3+2. The domino halves in Purple 2 region must be 1+1. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 2-3, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically; 1-4, placed horizontally.

5

Step 5: Top Right Blue 10 + Green 2 --(Arrows ⑨⑩)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-1, 4-0, 3-1, 1-1, 1-0). The domino halves in Top Right Blue 10 region must be 6+4 (6s already come from step 3). The domino halves in Green 2 region must be 0+1+1. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically.

6

Step 6: Purple 10 + Red >0 --(Arrows ⑪)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-1, 3-1, 1-0). The domino halves in Purple 10 region must be 6+4 (4s already come from step 2). The answer is 6-1 (1 into Red >0 region), placed horizontally.

7

Step 7: Yellow >2 + Green Not Equal --(Arrows ⑫⑬)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (3-1, 1-0). The answer is 3-1 (3 into Yellow >2 region, 1 into Green Not Equal region), placed vertically; 0-1 (0 into Green Not Equal region, 1 right into blank), placed horizontally.

🎥 Daily Domino Puzzle Solution | January 3, 2026 (Saturday) — Step-by-Step Logic, Pips Hints & Final Grids

This Daily Domino Puzzle solution video is designed to help you see why each move works

💡 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.

🎓 Keep Learning & Improve

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