NYT Pips Hints & Answers for June 29, 2026

This easy NYT Pips from Ian Livengood feels like a gentle on‑ramp. You’ll spot the equals pair right away — two cells that must match, and only the [0,0] domino can satisfy it, giving you an instant placement. From there, a single‑cell sum‑2 pins a 2 in the lower left, while the tempting sum‑15 column asks how to make 15 with three tiles. The domino bag hands you a pair of 5s plus an extra 5 from a 6‑5 tile, so the solution clicks into place with a satisfying symmetry. A greater‑2 region (sum >2) across three cells then resolves the final two dominos: a [1,1] and a strategically oriented [0,3].

Rodolfo Kurchan’s medium puzzle replaces easy giveaways with a web of single‑cell “greater” constraints. As you scan, you’ll notice that almost every row‑2 cell has a minimum value: [2,0] >2, [2,1] >3, [2,2] >4. These force a tight ladder of pips. The real spark comes from the sum‑7 region: a 1 in one of its cells forces a 6 next door, which then cascades into a chain reaction that fills the right side. Kurchan keeps the dominoes lean — every tile has a zero on one end except [1,1] and [5,1] — so you’re constantly trading off which zero goes where.

The hard puzzle, also by Kurchan, is a masterclass in constraint weaving. A solo sum‑6 cell at the bottom left immediately hands you a 6 and a 1, which triggers a sum‑3 pair and feeds a sum‑16 column. That column demands a 6‑5 pairing that ripples upward. Meanwhile, a four‑cell equals region all the way along row 3 must be identical — and once you deduce that the far‑right cell is a 4 (from a sum‑16 row above), the entire strip locks into 4s. The board becomes a domino‑by‑domino proof, with two more sum‑16 regions, a sum‑3 trio, and a greater‑9 pair all falling into place as you tick off each forced move.

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