🚨 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
Today's NYT Pips easy, by Ian Livengood, opens on two independent footholds and never really branches: a less-2 single cell in the top-right corner and a less-3 cell on the left edge cap their pip before a single domino is placed, while an equals pair in the centre and an equals three-cell block at the bottom hand over the arithmetic. The chain runs corner-first — the capped cell fixes the tile crossing it, that tile's other half fixes the neighbouring sum, and the two equals regions then close by matching rather than by adding.
Rodolfo Kurchan's medium board swaps caps for arithmetic: seven dominoes over a fourteen-cell layout, with three single-cell sums doing the pinning. The deduction graph is close to a straight line — a single-cell sum names a pip outright, that pip's partner lands in an adjacent region, and the adjacent region's constraint passes the value along. The equals block at the bottom and the three-cell sum through the centre are the two points where the chain has to carry two branches at once.
Kurchan's hard spreads twenty-one regions over a nine-by-nine board, and its deduction graph is a handful of short, steep chains rather than one long one. Single-cell sums and greater/less caps seed the corners and edges; a triple-cell equals column and a triple-cell sum column supply the mid-game arithmetic; and the bottom row is essentially a run of single-cell sums waiting on whatever is left in the tray.
💡 Progressive Hints
Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!
💡 Look for the caps
The constraint type to hunt for first is 'less than'. Two single-cell caps sit on this board, one in the top-right corner and one on the left edge, and a cell capped below a small number can only accept one or two pip values. That instantly limits which tile may legally cross its edge.
💡 The purple corner decides everything
The purple less-2 cell in the top-right corner is the anchor. Its only neighbour is the right-hand cell of the pink sum-7 pair, so one vertical tile supplies both values, and the purple pip can only be 0 or 1. Put a 1 there and the pink pair needs a 6 next door — the tray holds no 6 at all — so the purple cell takes the 0 and the pink pair receives the 3.
💡 Full solution
The purple less-2 cell in the top-right corner holds 0, the upper half of the 0/3 tile standing vertically, with 3 dropping into the right-hand cell of the pink sum-7 pair. That leaves 4 for the pink pair's left cell — the upper half of the 3/4 tile, whose 3 sits below in the right-hand cell of the orange equals pair. The equals pair must match, so its left cell also takes 3, from the 3/1 tile lying flat, and that tile's 1 lands in the teal less-3 cell on the left edge. The blue equals block at the bottom is finished by the 1/1 double lying flat across its two top cells plus a third 1 in its lower-right cell, the left half of the 4/1 tile; that tile's 4 finishes in the uncoloured free square at the bottom-right corner.
💡 Single-cell sums first
The constraint type that names a value instead of bounding it is the sum, and single-cell sums are the sharpest tools here. One of them is absolute — a sum-0 cell can hold nothing but 0 — and any other single-cell sum target is simply the pip you must place in that square, no arithmetic required.
💡 The pink six is a gift
The pink sum-6 cell near the top-left is one of those outright givens, and the tray carries exactly one 6, on the 2/6 tile. Its 2 has to go somewhere adjacent that can accept it — the top of the purple sum-5 column on the left is the one that works — and that in turn forces the column's lower cell to 3, which pulls the 1/3 tile into play.
💡 Full solution
The pink sum-6 cell takes the 6 of the 2/6 tile lying flat, with 2 on its left at the top of the purple sum-5 column; that column's lower cell must then be 3, the left half of the 1/3 tile, whose 1 lies to the right in the top-left cell of the orange sum-7 block. The teal sum-0 cell takes 0, with the 2/0 tile's 2 out in the free square on its right. The blue sum-3 cell on the left edge takes 3 from the 0/3 tile, dropping 0 into the top-left cell of the green equals block, so the 0/0 double lies flat across the block's two bottom cells. Orange's sum-7 block finishes with 1, 3 and 3: the 4/3 tile puts 3 in its top-right cell and 4 out in the free square beside it, while the 3/5 tile puts 3 in its bottom-right cell and 5 in the purple greater-4 cell on the right.
💡 Map the constraint types
Before touching a tile, sort the board by constraint type. Single-cell sums and single-cell greater/less caps are the only absolute footholds on a grid this wide; the multi-cell equals and sum columns are where those footholds get spent. Start in the top-left corner, where two capped cells sit stacked on top of each other.
💡 The stacked pair and the pink zero
The orange sum-5 cell at the top-left names 5 outright, and the natural partner is the purple sum-3 cell directly above it — one vertical tile, 3 up and 5 down. A little lower and to the right, the pink sum-0 cell can only be 0, and the tile that fills it lays a 4 into the top cell of the purple sum-8 pair immediately to its left.
💡 The equals column wants one number three times
The blue equals column in the upper half of the board runs three cells deep, so whatever enters its top cell must repeat twice more. Above it sits the teal greater-4 cell, filled by the 6/5 tile: take the 6 in the teal cell and drop 5 into the column, because three matching 6s would need more 6s than the tray owns. The 5/5 double then covers the two lower cells of the column.
💡 The bottom-right arithmetic
Down at the bottom-right, the blue sum-0 cell holds 0 and its tile sends a 3 up into the lowest cell of the blue sum-10 column. The 2/5 tile then stands vertically on top of that 3 — 5 in the column's upper cell, 2 in the middle cell — bringing the column to exactly 10. Along the bottom edge the 3/4 tile lies flat, 4 on the left in the teal sum-4 cell and 3 on the right in the orange sum-3 cell, and the green sum-5 pair in the bottom-right corner takes the flat 2/3 tile, 2 on the left and 3 on the right.
💡 Full solution
Purple sum-3 at the very top-left corner holds 3 with orange sum-5 just below holding 5 (5/3 tile, vertical). The purple sum-8 pair takes 4 and 4 — the upper 4 from the 0/4 tile whose 0 fills the pink sum-0 cell to its right, the lower 4 from the 4/1 tile whose 1 falls into the free square on the left edge below. The teal greater-4 cell holds 6 and the blue equals column reads 5, 5, 5. Over on the right, the green greater-2 cell holds 6 with 2 in the free square above it at the top-right corner, and the teal equals block is all 1s: two from the 1/1 double standing vertically, one from the 1/0 tile, whose 0 sits in the free square at the centre of the board. Bottom-right: blue sum-0 holds 0, the sum-10 column reads 5, 2, 3 top to bottom, and the green sum-5 pair takes the 2/3 tile, 2 left and 3 right. Bottom-left: orange greater-1 holds 2 with 1 in the green less-2 cell below, purple sum-3 holds 3, pink greater-2 also holds 3 (3/3 double, vertical), teal sum-4 holds 4 and orange sum-3 holds 3 (3/4 tile, flat, 4 left and 3 right). Finally the pink greater-8 pair along the top takes the 4/5 tile, 4 on the left and 5 on the right.
🎨 Pips Solver
Oct 20, 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 corner cell capped at 2
The purple less-2 cell sits alone in the top-right corner, and its only neighbour is the right-hand cell of the pink sum-7 pair, so one vertical tile has to serve both. The capped cell accepts 0 or 1 — but a 1 there would leave the pink pair needing a 6 to reach 7, and no domino in the tray carries a 6. So the 0/3 tile goes in standing vertically: 0 in the upper half inside the purple cell, 3 in the lower half inside the pink pair.
2
Step 2: The pink sum reaches 7
With 3 already in the pink pair's right-hand cell, the left-hand cell must be 4. The 3/4 tile stands vertically to supply it — 4 in the upper half inside the pink region, 3 in the lower half, which lands in the right-hand cell of the orange equals pair. The top-right corner is now fully accounted for.
3
Step 3: The equals pair and the left edge
Orange's equals pair already holds 3 on the right, so its left cell must also be 3. The 3/1 tile lies flat to do it: 3 on the right inside the orange pair, 1 on the left in the teal less-3 cell on the left edge, comfortably under its cap. One domino fixes both the centre of the board and the far left side.
4
Step 4: The blue block closes on the free square
Blue's equals block is three cells in an L along the bottom. The 1/1 double lies flat across its two top cells, so the third cell — the lower-right one — must also read 1. Only the 4/1 tile is left in the tray, so its 1 goes into that cell and its 4 into the uncoloured free square at the bottom-right corner. Nothing is left over and no cap is broken, which is the check that the block is right.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level
1
Step 1: The pink six is given
A single-cell sum has nowhere to hide: the pink sum-6 cell must hold 6. The tray contains exactly one 6, on the 2/6 tile, so that tile lies flat across the top row — 6 on the right inside the pink cell, 2 on the left at the top of the purple sum-5 column.
2
Step 2: The purple column takes the leftovers
The purple sum-5 column now has 2 in its upper cell, so its lower cell is worth 3. The 1/3 tile lies flat to supply it: 3 on the left inside the purple column, 1 on the right in the top-left cell of the orange sum-7 block. Two separate regions get their first number from one domino.
3
Step 3: The zero at the top
The teal sum-0 cell can only be 0, so the 2/0 tile lies flat in the top row — 0 on the left inside the teal cell, 2 on the right in the free square at the top-right. That also pins the top row completely: three of its four cells are settled and none of them interferes with the capped cells below.
4
Step 4: The blue cell sets the green block
The blue sum-3 cell on the left edge names 3, and the 0/3 tile lies flat to place it — 3 on the left inside the blue cell, 0 on the right in the top-left cell of the green equals block. Because the block must match, all three of its cells read 0, and the 0/0 double lies flat across the two bottom cells to complete it.
5
Step 5: The centre block reaches seven
Orange's sum-7 block already carries 1 in its top-left cell, so the other two cells owe 6 between them. The 3/5 tile fits with 3 in the block's bottom-right cell and 5 out to the right in the purple greater-4 cell, which that cap allows. That leaves 3 for the block's top-right cell, supplied by the 4/3 tile with its 4 going out to the second free square. Total: 1 + 3 + 3 = 7, and every domino is used.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level
1
Step 1: The stacked corner cells
The orange sum-5 cell on the left, one row down from the top edge, is a single-cell sum, so it holds 5. Its natural partner is the purple sum-3 cell directly above it, and the 5/3 tile fits the pair exactly: 5 in the lower half inside the orange cell, 3 in the upper half inside the purple cell. The corner is settled before any equals region is touched.
2
Step 2: The pink zero feeds the purple column
The pink sum-0 single cell can only hold 0. The 0/4 tile lies flat in that row — 0 on the right inside the pink cell, 4 on the left in the top cell of the purple sum-8 pair — so the pair's lower cell must also be 4. The 4/1 tile stands vertically to provide it: 4 in the upper half inside the column, 1 in the lower half in the free square on the left edge.
3
Step 3: The equals column fills with fives
The teal greater-4 cell sits directly above the top of the three-cell blue equals column, so a single vertical tile spans them. Put the 6/5 in with 6 up inside the teal cell and 5 down in the column's upper cell: taking the 5 upward instead would demand three matching 6s, and the tray does not own that many. The column's remaining two cells must be 5 as well, and the 5/5 double stands vertically to fill them.
4
Step 4: The right-hand column and the equals block
The green greater-2 cell in the right-hand column takes the last 6 in the tray, from the 6/2 tile, with 2 sent up into the free square at the top-right corner. Lower down that same side, the teal equals block is three cells in an L and fills entirely with 1s: the 1/1 double stands vertically across its two right-hand cells, and the 1/0 tile lies flat to put 1 in the left arm and 0 in the free square at the centre of the board.
5
Step 5: Ten in the bottom-right column
The blue sum-0 cell at the bottom of the right-hand side can only be 0, so the 0/3 tile stands vertically — 0 in the lower half inside that cell, 3 in the upper half in the lowest cell of the blue sum-10 column. That column still needs 7 across two cells; the 2/5 tile stands vertically to give 5 in the upper cell and 2 in the middle one, and 5 + 2 + 3 lands exactly on 10.
6
Step 6: The bottom rows and the top pair
The rest falls to elimination. The 2/1 tile stands vertically: 2 up in the orange greater-1 cell, 1 down in the green less-2 cell. The 3/3 double stands vertically with 3 up in the purple sum-3 cell and 3 down in the pink greater-2 cell. The 3/4 tile lies flat along the bottom, 4 on the left in the teal sum-4 cell and 3 on the right in the orange sum-3 cell. The 2/3 tile lies flat in the green sum-5 pair at the bottom-right corner, 2 on the left and 3 on the right. Finally the 4/5 tile lies flat along the top in the pink greater-8 pair, 4 on the left and 5 on the right.
💡 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