🚨 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
Easy is a confidence-builder from Ian Livengood: five tiles, one greater-than cell and one less-than cell to break the ice, and two equals runs to carry the rest of the work. There is no fork in the road — once you spot which tile can hold a pip above 4, today's NYT Pips easy unfolds in four clean moves. Expect two or three minutes and zero backtracking.
The medium, also Livengood's, adds three sum regions, an equals pair and two bare free squares across seven tiles. The bottleneck is the left side: the two less-than-2 squares and the greater-7 pair at the bottom-right decide where the tiny pips and both 5s have to go. Nail those and the arithmetic pairs (sum 4, sum 6, sum 2) read straight off. Roughly ten minutes, with one genuine hesitation point.
The hard, by Rodolfo Kurchan, is the real test: fourteen tiles, twenty regions and four doubles in the tray. Almost every region is a single cell — a sum, a greater-than or an empty — so the board looks generous until you notice two greater-than cells stacked directly on top of each other, where only one tile in the whole tray can possibly fit. The other bottleneck is the equals column of three down the bottom middle. Budget twenty minutes or more, and resist guessing that column early.
💡 Progressive Hints
Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!
💡 Where to start
Begin at the extremes: a greater-than cell that will only accept the biggest pip in play, and a less-than cell that wants a tiny one. The two equals runs are the payoff — pin a single cell inside a run and the whole run follows.
💡 The orange cell is the ignition point
The orange greater 4 square on the right edge is where the solve opens. Comb the tray for any tile that can hold a pip above 4, and remember that its partner pip has nowhere to go but the cell touching it — the right-most cell of the teal equals run just to its left.
💡 Complete solution
Only the 6/4 tile carries a 6, so it lies flat at the right edge: 6 as the right half in the orange greater 4 cell, 4 as the left half in the right cell of the teal equals run. Teal now repeats 4, which forces the 2/4 tile to stand vertically with 4 as its lower half in the middle teal cell and 2 as its upper half in the left cell of the purple equals run. Purple therefore repeats 2, and the 2/2 double lies flat across its middle and right cells. That leaves the pink sum 7 pair at bottom-left and the blue less 2 cell: the 3/4 tile lies flat at the top of pink, 3 as the left half in the upper pink cell and 4 as the right half in the left cell of the teal run, and the 4/0 tile lies flat below it with 4 as the left half in the lower pink cell and 0 as the right half in the blue less 2 cell — 3 + 4 makes the 7.
💡 Where to start
Open with the tight stuff: two less-than squares and a greater-than pair. The smallest pips and the largest pips have very few legal homes on this board, and the sum pairs fill in behind them once those are committed.
💡 The top-left corner is decided first
The purple less 2 square in the top-left corner can only take a 0 or a 1, and its domino partner is the cell directly below it — the top cell of the orange sum 4 pair on the left. So whatever tiny pip fills that corner, a second small pip drops straight into orange.
💡 Complete solution
The 1/0 tile stands vertically in the top-left corner: 1 as the upper half in the purple less 2 cell, 0 as the lower half in the top cell of the orange sum 4 pair. Along the top, the 4/2 tile lies flat with 2 as the left half in the upper cell of the pink equals pair and 4 as the right half in the left cell of the teal sum 6 pair; the 2/0 tile lies flat beneath it, 2 as the left half in the pink pair's lower cell and 0 as the right half in the left cell of the blue sum 2 pair, so pink repeats 2 and blue needs a 2 beside its 0 — supplied by the 2/2 double standing vertically, 2 in the right cell of the blue pair and 2 in the right cell of the teal sum 6 pair, completing 4 + 2. Down the left side the 3/4 tile stands vertically: 4 as the upper half in the lower cell of the orange sum 4 pair and 3 as the lower half in the free square at the bottom-left. Along the bottom row the 0/5 tile lies flat, 0 in the green less 2 cell and 5 in the left cell of the purple greater 7 pair, while the 5/1 tile stands vertically at the bottom-right with 5 in the right cell of that purple pair and 1 in the free square on the right. Orange totals 0 + 4, and purple greater 7 gets 5 + 5.
💡 Where to start
Scan for the tight single-cell targets first — sums and greater-thans — then find the one equals strip, three cells that must all show the same pip. Two of those single-cell targets sit right next to each other and both demand something big.
💡 Two stacked cells that both want a big pip
The green greater 4 square and the pink greater 4 square sit stacked in the left-hand columns, one directly above the other. Both cells need a pip larger than 4, so if a single tile covers the pair it must carry two big pips at once — go and count how many tiles in the tray can actually do that.
💡 The double lands between them
Only the 5/5 double carries two pips above 4, so it stands vertically between the two cells: 5 in the green greater 4 square above, 5 in the pink greater 4 square below. That consumes both halves of the double and leaves the tray's other two 5s for the single-cell targets elsewhere on the board.
💡 The top-left corner feeds the blue pair
Now the purple sum 5 corner at the top-left. Its only neighbour is the top cell of the blue sum 6 vertical pair, so the tile filling the corner must drop its other pip into blue. Take the 2/5 tile: 5 up in the purple cell, 2 down into blue's top cell. Blue then needs 4 more, and the 4/4 double delivers it — 4 as the upper half in blue's lower cell and 4 as the lower half in the orange less 5 cell beneath it.
💡 Complete solution
Place the 5/5 double standing vertically, 5 in the green greater 4 cell and 5 in the pink greater 4 cell below it. The 2/5 tile stands vertically in the top-left corner: 5 as the upper half in the purple sum 5 cell, 2 as the lower half in the top cell of the blue sum 6 pair; the 4/4 double stands below that, 4 as the upper half in blue's lower cell and 4 as the lower half in the orange less 5 cell. The blue equals column repeats 0 — the 0/0 double stands vertically in its middle and bottom cells, and the 0/6 tile lies flat at the top of the column, 0 as the right half in the column's top cell and 6 as the left half in the lower cell of the teal sum 10 pair. That pair reads 4 + 6, the 4 coming from the 4/5 tile lying flat with 4 as the left half in teal's upper cell and 5 as the right half in the free square in the middle of the board. Along the top: the 6/1 tile stands vertically with 6 in the pink greater 1 cell and 1 in the free square below it; the 3/1 tile stands vertically with 3 in the teal sum 3 cell and 1 in the free square below it; the 0/4 tile stands vertically at the top-right with 4 as the upper half in the orange sum 4 cell and 0 as the lower half in the top cell of the purple sum 2 pair, whose lower cell takes the 2 from the 2/6 tile — that tile's 6 half lands in the free square to the left. In the bottom rows, the 3/2 tile stands vertically in the pink sum 5 pair with 3 in the upper cell and 2 in the lower; the 4/2 tile stands vertically with 4 in the green sum 4 cell and 2 in the left cell of the teal sum 8 pair, completed by the 6/3 tile, 6 in teal's right cell and 3 in the purple sum 3 cell above it; and the 2/2 double lies flat across the orange equals pair, 2 and 2.
🎨 Pips Solver
Oct 11, 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
1
Step 1: The orange cell claims the 6
The single orange cell at the right edge must show a pip greater than 4, so it wants a 5 or a 6. There is no 5 anywhere in the tray and only one tile carries a 6 — the 6/4 — so 6 goes into the orange cell, and its partner 4 has only one cell touching it: the right-most cell of the teal equals run.
2
Step 2: Teal locks to 4, purple locks to 2
With a 4 planted in its right cell, the teal equals run repeats 4 through all three cells. The middle teal cell belongs to the 2/4 tile standing vertically, so its other half leaves a 2 in the left cell of the purple equals run; purple repeats 2 across its three cells, and the 2/2 double — the only double in the tray — lies flat across purple's middle and right cells.
3
Step 3: The pink pair takes its first pip
The pink sum 7 vertical pair at bottom-left needs two pips adding to 7, and the cell at its top edge touches the teal run. The 3/4 tile lies flat right there: 3 as the left half in the upper pink cell, 4 as the right half in the teal run's left cell. The pink pair's lower cell must therefore hold a 4 to complete the seven.
4
Step 4: Blue takes the 0
The blue less 2 cell at bottom-left must be smaller than 2, and the only pip left for it comes from the 4/0 tile lying flat along the bottom: 4 goes left into the pink pair's lower cell to finish the 7, and 0 goes right into the blue cell. Every region is now satisfied.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level
1
Step 1: Two small squares, one narrow choice
Both the purple less 2 square in the top-left and the green less 2 square near the bottom-left accept only a 0 or a 1. In the tray the 1s live in the 1/0 and 5/1 tiles, while the 0s live in 1/0, 0/5 and 2/0 — so every small pip has a very short list of possible homes.
2
Step 2: The corner pip runs downward
The purple less 2 corner cell is only touched by the pink equals pair to its right and the top of the orange sum 4 pair below. The 1/0 tile stands vertically there: 1 as the upper half in the corner and 0 as the lower half in the orange pair's top cell, so orange already carries a 0 towards its total of 4.
3
Step 3: Pink equals is a pair of 2s
The 4/2 tile lies flat along the top: 2 as the left half in the upper cell of the pink equals pair, 4 as the right half in the left cell of the teal sum 6 pair. The 2/0 tile lies flat directly beneath it, 2 as the left half in the pink pair's lower cell and 0 as the right half in the left cell of the blue sum 2 pair — so pink repeats 2, and blue now needs a 2 next to its 0.
4
Step 4: Blue and teal close together
The 2/2 double stands vertically to supply that 2: it puts 2 in the right cell of the blue sum 2 pair and 2 in the right cell of the teal sum 6 pair. Blue reads 0 + 2, and teal reads 4 + 2 for its total of 6.
5
Step 5: Left column and bottom row finish it
The 3/4 tile stands vertically down the left side: 4 as the upper half in the orange pair's lower cell and 3 as the lower half in the free square at the bottom-left, so orange totals 0 + 4. Along the bottom, the 0/5 tile lies flat with 0 in the green less 2 cell and 5 in the left cell of the purple greater 7 pair, and the 5/1 tile stands vertically at the bottom-right with 5 in the right cell of that pair and 1 in the free square on the right. Purple greater 7 lands on 5 + 5.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level
1
Step 1: Two cells that both demand a big pip
The green greater 4 square and the pink greater 4 square sit in the left-hand columns with one directly above the other. Both cells need a pip above 4, so a tile covering both of them would have to carry two pips above 4 at the same time.
2
Step 2: Only the 5/5 double fits
Scan the tray: every tile with a 6 pairs it with 3 or less, so the 5/5 double is the only tile with two pips above 4. It stands vertically between the two cells — 5 as the upper half in the green greater 4 square, 5 as the lower half in the pink greater 4 square — and both halves of the double are now spent.
3
Step 3: The purple sum 5 corner and the blue pair
The purple sum 5 cell at the top-left has just one neighbour, the top cell of the blue sum 6 vertical pair, so its domino must reach down into it. The 2/5 tile stands vertically: 5 as the upper half in the purple cell, 2 as the lower half in blue's top cell. Blue is short 4, and the 4/4 double supplies it — 4 as the upper half in blue's lower cell and 4 as the lower half in the orange less 5 cell directly beneath, which also satisfies the less-than.
4
Step 4: The equals column repeats 0
The blue equals column of three at the bottom middle must show one repeated pip. The 0/0 double stands vertically in its middle and bottom cells, and the 0/6 tile lies flat at the top of the column, 0 as the right half in the column's top cell and 6 as the left half in the lower cell of the teal sum 10 pair beside it. Teal therefore reads 4 + 6, with the 4 coming from the 4/5 tile lying flat: 4 as the left half in teal's upper cell, 5 as the right half in the free square in the middle of the board.
5
Step 5: The top row's single-cell targets
The pink greater 1 cell in the top row takes the 6 from the 6/1 tile, whose 1 falls into the free square below it. The teal sum 3 cell takes the 3 from the 3/1 tile, whose 1 falls into the free square below that. At the top-right the 0/4 tile stands vertically, 4 as the upper half in the orange sum 4 cell and 0 as the lower half in the top cell of the purple sum 2 pair; the pair's lower cell then takes the 2 from the 2/6 tile, whose 6 half lands in the free square to its left.
6
Step 6: The bottom rows complete the grid
The 3/2 tile stands vertically in the pink sum 5 pair at the bottom-left, 3 in the upper cell and 2 in the lower. The 4/2 tile stands vertically with 4 in the green sum 4 cell and 2 in the left cell of the teal sum 8 pair, which the 6/3 tile completes — 6 in teal's right cell and 3 in the purple sum 3 cell above it. Finally the 2/2 double lies flat across the orange equals pair at the bottom-right, 2 and 2.
💡 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
Leave your comment