🚨 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!
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Want hints instead? Scroll down for progressive clues that won't spoil the fun.
🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview
The easy board in today's NYT Pips is a ten-cell skeleton with only five dominoes to place, and its deduction graph opens on two independent footholds. The orange less-1 square in the bottom-left corner behaves like an equals sign — a single pip value satisfies it — while the pink equals column on the left demands a matched pair from a tray that contains no double at all, so two separate tiles must carry the same digit into that column. That second fact is the real lever: because the match has to come from two different dominoes, the shared value is restricted to a digit that appears on more than one tile, and the purple sum-3 triangle then absorbs whatever leftovers the high tiles can spare.
The medium, also Livengood, packs eight regions into a five-by-four board, so nearly every tile is pinned from two directions at once. The chain begins at the purple greater-4 square in the top-left corner, whose only companions are high pips, and rolls straight through the green sum-10 pair on the top row and the blue equals pair sitting just below its right end. At the far side, the teal greater-10 pair at the bottom and the purple sum-6 pair beside it compete for the same scarce high pips, while the pink less-4 block in the top-left and its single-cell less-6 cousin at the top-right mop up the small values.
Rodolfo Kurchan's hard spreads thirty-two live cells over an eight-by-nine board, which makes the deduction graph wide rather than deep — most regions touch only one or two neighbours. Three separate purple sum-3 singles, one in the top-left corner, one at the top-right and one on the left edge, each need a different tile, and the four-cell equals block on the right is the heaviest single constraint on the board: one value repeated four times, drawn from separate dominoes. A zero-sum square in the bottom-left and a greater-than pair on the far right act as the two ends of the chain.
💡 Progressive Hints
Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!
💡 Start with the stingiest constraint
Some regions tell you almost nothing; others pin a cell before you have placed a single tile. Look for a 'less' square whose target is so low that only one pip on the whole tray can satisfy it. That is your entry point, and the rest of this small board follows from it within a placement or two.
💡 The bottom-left corner and the pink column
The orange less-1 square in the bottom-left corner leaves exactly one possibility, and the tile that supplies it must hand its other half to the uncoloured free square directly above. Meanwhile the pink equals column on the left needs matching pips in both its cells — and there is no double anywhere in this five-tile tray, so two different dominoes have to carry the same digit into the column.
💡 The complete easy layout
The 1/0 stands vertically on the left, 0 down in the orange less-1 corner, 1 up in the free square above it. The pink equals column resolves to two 6s: the 6/1 lies flat with 6 in the column's lower cell and 1 in the purple sum-3 block's bottom-left cell, while the 5/6 stands vertically with 6 in the column's upper cell and 5 up in the free square at the top-left. The purple sum-3 block is claimed entirely by 1s — the 6/1's 1, the 4/1's 1 (standing vertically, 4 up in the free square at the top, 1 down in the block's top-left cell) and the 1/3's 1 (1 up in the block's bottom-right cell, 3 down in the teal less-4 square). The 3 in the teal square is the last pip on the board.
💡 Which constraint bites first?
Two single-cell regions dominate the opening: a square that must exceed a middling target, and a pair on the top row whose two pips must add to a round total. Start with the corner square — it can only be filled by a high pip, and that high pip immediately tells you which domino has to do the work there.
💡 The top-left corner couples to the green pair
The purple greater-4 square in the top-left corner needs a 5 or a 6, and whichever tile lands there pushes its partner pip into the left cell of the green sum-10 pair. That coupling is the deduction: green's second cell can never exceed 6, so the partner cannot be small. Working it through leaves the 6/5 lying flat — 6 in the corner, 5 in green — and green's right cell then has to be another 5, supplied by the 5/2 standing vertically.
💡 The complete medium layout
The 6/5 lies flat in the top-left, 6 in the purple greater-4 corner and 5 in the left cell of the green sum-10 pair; the 5/2 stands vertically on green's right cell, dropping 2 down into the left cell of the blue equals pair. Blue needs a second 2, so the 2/4 stands vertically — 2 in blue's right cell, 4 up in the pink less-6 square at the top-right. Along the bottom, the 6/4 lies flat with 6 in the upper cell of the teal greater-10 pair and 4 to its right in the orange less-5 square; the 0/5 runs along the row beneath it, 5 up in teal's lower cell to make 11, 0 in the lower cell of the purple sum-6 pair. That pair needs a 6 above, so the 6/1 stands vertically — 6 below, 1 above in the bottom-right cell of the pink less-4 block — and the 1/1 double fills that block's remaining two cells.
💡 Read the constraint types before the numbers
This board is wide rather than deep: three isolated single-cell sum regions, one four-cell equals block, and a scatter of greater-than pairs. Start with the equals block and the zero-sum square — those two collapse fastest, and the whole top half unravelled from them.
💡 The equals block and the bottom-left zero
The blue equals block on the right needs four cells holding one identical pip, drawn from separate tiles — count how many tiles carry each digit and only one value has the spare copies. At the far end of the board the orange sum-0 square in the bottom-left is a plain zero, and the cell beneath it sits in a less-3 region, so its partner pip has to stay small.
💡 Three purple 3s, three different tiles
The three purple sum-3 singles — top-left corner, top-right, and left edge — each need a 3, and no tile can serve two of them. The 3/3 standing vertically at the far top-right puts one 3 in the purple square there and one in the orange greater-4 pair above it; the 3/4 puts a 3 in the top-left corner; the 1/3 puts a 3 on the left edge.
💡 The top-right corner chains together
Teal's sum-7 pair at the top-right takes its lower cell from the 0/3 tile's 3, so its upper cell must be a 4 — the 4/2 lies flat along the top row, 4 on the left in teal, 2 on the right in the left cell of the orange greater-4 pair. Orange then totals 2+3 = 5 once the 3/3 drops its upper half in, clearing the target with a point to spare.
💡 The complete hard layout
Bottom-left: the 2/0 stands vertically, 0 in the orange sum-0 square, 2 below in the blue less-3. The blue equals block on the right is four 0s — the 0/0 double fills its two lower cells, the 0/3 puts 0 in the top-left cell (3 rising into teal's sum-7 lower cell), the 0/5 puts 0 in the top-right cell (5 sliding right into the green greater-4 square). Top-right: the 4/2 lies flat, 4 in teal's upper cell, 2 in orange's left cell; the 3/3 stands vertically, 3 up in orange's right cell, 3 down in the purple sum-3. Top-left: the 3/4 stands vertically, 3 in the corner purple square, 4 below in the blue greater-3; the 1/3 stands vertically on the left edge, 1 up in the green greater-6 block, 3 down in the purple sum-3; the 5/1 completes green's block, 1 in its upper cell, 5 directly below. Pairs: the 2/3 stands vertically in the pink sum-5 (2 up, 3 down), the 2/6 in the pink greater-7 (2 up, 6 down), the 2/5 in the teal greater-6 on the right (2 up, 5 down), and the 4/4 double fills the green equals pair at the bottom. Singles: the 1/6 lies flat on the bottom-left, 6 on the right in the purple sum-6 square, 1 on the left in the free square; the 4/0 stands vertically with 0 up in the free square near the top centre, 4 down in the teal greater-1; the 1/2 stands vertically with 2 up in the orange greater-1, 1 down in the pink greater-0 at the centre of the board.
🎨 Pips Solver
Nov 16, 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
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
Compare this final grid with your own solution to see the correct placement of all dominoes.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Easy Level
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Step 1: The orange less-1 square pins a zero
The orange square in the bottom-left corner must hold a pip smaller than 1, and 0 is the only value in range. The only tile carrying a 0 is the 1/0, and the cell directly above the orange square is the uncoloured free square on the left edge, so the tile stands vertically: 0 down in orange, 1 up in the free square.
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Step 2: The purple sum-3 admits only one combination
Three different dominoes have to reach into the purple sum-3 block, because no single tile covers two of its cells. The tiles that can reach it are the 6/1, the 4/1 and the 1/3, and each contributes exactly one pip. Nothing above 2 can be part of the total without overshooting 3, so the 6 and the 4 are both ruled out and the 6/1 and 4/1 must each give their 1 — after which the 1/3 has to give its 1 too, completing 1+1+1.
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Step 3: Those 1s decide three tiles at once
With the purple block taking a 1 from each neighbour, the other half of each tile lands automatically. The 6/1 lies flat, its 6 sliding left into the lower cell of the pink equals column. The 1/3 stands vertically with its 3 dropping into the teal less-4 square at the bottom-right, which is legal because 3 is under the target. The 4/1 stands vertically with its 4 going up into the uncoloured free square at the top of the board.
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Step 4: The pink column takes its second 6
The pink equals column already holds a 6 in its lower cell, so the upper cell needs a 6 as well. The only tile left carrying one is the 5/6, which stands vertically: 6 down into the column's upper cell, 5 up into the uncoloured free square in the top-left corner. That empties the tray, and every region sits exactly on its target.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level
1
Step 1: The corner square takes a high pip
The purple greater-4 square in the top-left corner admits only a 5 or a 6. Its neighbours squeeze the choice: the cell below belongs to the pink less-4 block, and the cell to the right opens the green sum-10 pair. Because green's second cell caps at 6, a small partner pip would leave green unsatisfiable — so the 6/5 lies flat, 6 in the corner, 5 in green's left cell.
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Step 2: The 5s cascade through green and blue
Green's left cell holds 5, so its right cell must hold another 5. The 5/2 stands vertically there, dropping 2 down into the left cell of the blue equals pair. Blue's two cells must match, so the second 2 comes from the 2/4 standing vertically — 2 in blue's right cell, 4 rising into the pink less-6 square at the top-right corner, comfortably under the cap.
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Step 3: The bottom row's heavy hitters
The teal greater-10 pair at the bottom needs its two pips to total more than 10, so it wants a 6 plus something large. The 6/4 lies flat, 6 in teal's upper cell, 4 sliding right into the orange less-5 square. Then the 0/5 runs along the bottom row underneath it: 5 up in teal's lower cell to complete 11, 0 in the lower cell of the purple sum-6 pair.
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Step 4: Purple's sum and the small-value block
The purple sum-6 pair on the left already holds 0 in its lower cell, so its upper cell must be a 6. The 6/1 stands vertically — 6 below in the purple pair, 1 above in the bottom-right cell of the pink less-4 block. That leaves only the two top cells of the pink block open, and the 1/1 double slots straight into them.
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Step 5: Inventory check
All seven tiles are down: 6/5, 5/2, 2/4, 6/4, 0/5, 6/1 and the 1/1 double. Run the totals — green 5+5, blue 2+2, teal 6+5 past 10, purple 6+0, the orange square 4 under 5, the corner 6 over 4, the top-right 4 under 6, and the pink block 1+1+1 under 4. Everything lands.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level
1
Step 1: The zero-sum anchor
The orange sum-0 square in the bottom-left can only hold a 0. The cell directly below it belongs to the blue less-3 region, so the partner pip has to stay under 3, and the double-zero is needed elsewhere on the board. The 2/0 stands vertically: 0 up in orange, 2 down in blue.
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Step 2: Four zeros in the equals block
The blue equals block on the right has four cells that must all match, and only one pip exists in enough separate copies to fill them. The 0/0 double covers the two lower cells vertically, the 0/3 supplies the top-left cell, the 0/5 the top-right. That single decision reaches outward at once: 0/3's remaining 3 rises into the lower cell of the teal sum-7 pair, and 0/5's remaining 5 slides right into the green greater-4 square.
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Step 3: The top-right corner falls into place
Teal's sum-7 pair already holds 3 at the bottom, so its upper cell must be 4. The 4/2 lies flat along the top row: 4 in teal's upper cell, 2 to its right in the left cell of the orange greater-4 pair. Orange needs more than 4 across two cells and the purple sum-3 square sits directly beneath its right cell, so the 3/3 stands vertically — 3 up in orange, 3 down in purple — giving orange 5.
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Step 4: Green's block resolves the top-left
The purple sum-3 square in the top-left corner needs a 3, and the cell beneath it is the blue greater-3. The 3/4 stands vertically: 3 in the corner, 4 below, clearing the greater-3 easily. Beside it the green greater-6 block needs its three cells to beat 6; the 1/3 gives it a 1 in the bottom-left cell (its 3 dropping into the purple sum-3 on the left edge), and the 5/1 gives a second 1 in the upper cell plus a 5 in the bottom-right — total 7.
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Step 5: The remaining pair regions
Four paired regions are now pinned by elimination. The pink sum-5 pair on the left takes the 2/3 vertically, 2 up and 3 down. The pink greater-7 pair at the top takes the 2/6 vertically, 2 up and 6 down for a total of 8. The teal greater-6 pair on the right takes the 2/5 vertically, 2 up and 5 down for 7. The green equals pair at the bottom takes the 4/4 double, both cells reading 4.
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Step 6: Singles and free squares finish it
The purple sum-6 square at the bottom takes the 1/6 lying flat, 6 on the right in the purple square and 1 on the left in the free square. The teal greater-1 square near the top centre takes the 4/0 standing vertically — 4 down in teal, 0 up in the free square above it. The orange greater-1 square then takes the 1/2 standing vertically, 2 up in orange and 1 down in the pink greater-0 square at the centre of the board. All sixteen tiles are placed.
💡 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.
💬 Community Discussion
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