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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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🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview
Ian Livengood's easy grid is a five-tile chain that opens on two independent footholds. The orange sum-2 pair in the bottom-right corner is the sharper of them: with only one zero in the tray and only one live 2 outside the double, the pair's composition collapses at once, and the 3 that rides along with that 2 has a single reachable cell. The pink equals column on the right edge then inherits the 0/6 tile's six and demands a matching six at its head, which in turn pins the purple sum-7 pair at the top. What remains is bookkeeping — the 5/4 tile closes the top row and the 2/2 double drops into the teal sum-4 pair on the left.
Rodolfo Kurchan's medium build shifts the pressure to the bottom half and makes the zero column the pivot. The green sum-0 pair is the only region whose values are named by its own target, and because the purple equals pair in the bottom-right corner would need two zeros of its own to compete, the tray's third zero is squeezed straight into the pink unequal block above. From that leak the deduction graph runs outward and leftward: blue sum-6 forces a second 3, that tile's 6 is the only way the teal greater-than-9 column clears its threshold, and the 4/1 tile links the teal column back to the top-left sum-6 pair.
Kurchan's hard board drops multi-cell regions altogether: 32 single-cell constraints, one greater-than cell and two uncoloured squares. Read structurally, the solve is an inventory problem — tally the pips by value across the tray and match them against the targets. The zeros do most of the early work, and the two free squares act as overflow: the lone 6 has no numbered cell that can hold it, and the fifth zero has no target of its own, so both land outside the constraint net. Today's NYT Pips hard then resolves as a long sequence of adjacency checks, each open target pulling its partner pip out of a neighbouring square.
💡 Progressive Hints
Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!
💡 Begin with the tightest arithmetic
Hunt for a two-cell region with a very small total. There is not a single 1 anywhere in this tray, so a tiny sum can only be built one way — find that region first and the tiles carrying its pips will start pointing at each other.
💡 The corner pair hands you the zero
The orange sum-2 pair in the bottom-right corner is the entry point. The tray holds exactly one 0, so it must occupy one of those two cells, and its partner 6 has to climb into the pink equals column on the right edge above. The 3 travelling with the tray's other 2 can only reach the uncoloured free square immediately to its left.
💡 Full easy solution
The only 0 in the tray sits on the 0/6 tile, so the orange sum-2 pair is 2 + 0. The 3/2 lies flat along the bottom row: 3 on the left in the uncoloured free square, 2 on the right in the orange pair's left cell. The 0/6 stands vertically with 0 in orange's right cell and 6 rising into the pink equals column, so the cell above must also be 6 — the 6/3 goes there vertically, 6 low in pink and 3 high in the purple sum 7. The 5/4 then lies flat across the top, 4 in the purple sum 7 and 5 on the top uncoloured square, and the 2/2 double fills the teal sum 4 on the left, one 2 per cell.
💡 Two regions rule the early game
Both live in the lower half: a pair whose target is the smallest total the game allows, and a pair of cells that must end up matching. Start with the one whose target names its own values — no arithmetic needed, no candidates to test.
💡 The third zero has to escape
The green sum-0 column at the bottom needs 0 in both its cells, and the tray carries exactly three zero pips — two on the 0/0 double, one on the 3/0. The purple equals pair in the bottom-right corner can't absorb a single zero, because it needs two matching values, so that extra zero ends up in the pink unequal block directly above green.
💡 Full medium solution
The 0/0 double stands vertically across the green/pink boundary: 0 up in the bottom-left cell of the pink unequal block, 0 down in the top of the green sum-0 pair. The 3/0 lies flat along the bottom row with 3 on the left in the lower cell of the blue sum-6 pair and 0 on the right in green's lower cell. The 5/3 lies flat across the top of pink, 3 on the left and 5 on the right. Blue's upper cell then needs 3, so the 3/6 lies flat with 3 on the right in blue and 6 on the left in the teal greater-9 column; teal must top 9, so the 4/1 stands vertically with 4 low in teal and 1 high in the left cell of the purple sum-6 pair. The 5/5 stands vertically to complete that pair — upper 5 in purple sum 6, lower 5 on the orange greater-4 cell — and the 2/2 double drops into the purple equals pair at the bottom-right, 2 in each cell.
💡 Read the constraint type, not the shape
Every region on this board is a single cell, so each constraint is just a pip value. Start with the cells whose target is a sum of zero — they are the only ones whose value is fixed without any arithmetic. Keep the two uncoloured free squares in reserve; they are where the leftovers go.
💡 Count the zeros, count the six
Five tiles in the tray carry a 0, but only four cells ask for a sum of 0. That spare zero needs a home, and so does the tray's lone 6 on the 3/6 — no numbered cell can hold it, since every other target tops out at 5. Both of them have to land on the two uncoloured squares.
💡 Name the four zero cells
They are the pink sum 0 at the top, the orange sum 0 and the blue sum 0 sitting side by side near the bottom-left, and the pink sum 0 at the bottom-right. The free squares are the one in the second row on the left and the one in the centre of the board. The 6 goes on the left-hand free square; the spare 0 goes on the central one.
💡 Free squares unlock the top row
With 6 in the left-hand free square, the only neighbour asking for a 3 is the green sum 3 immediately to its right, so the 3/6 lies flat there. The central 0 feeds the green sum 2 directly below it, so the 0/2 stands vertically. The top row then resolves: the 0/4 lies flat with 4 on the left in the purple sum 4 and 0 on the right in the pink sum 0, and the pink sum 0 near the bottom-left takes the 0/1, its 1 dropping into the teal sum 1 beneath.
💡 Full hard solution
The 3/6 lies flat across the top-left: 6 on the left in the uncoloured square, 3 on the right in the green sum 3. The 0/2 stands vertically in the centre: 0 in the uncoloured centre square, 2 below in the green sum 2. The 0/4 lies flat along the top: 4 on the left in the purple sum 4, 0 on the right in the pink sum 0. Along the bottom, the 0/1 stands vertically with 0 up in the orange sum 0 and 1 down in the teal sum 1; the 0/5 likewise, 0 up in the blue sum 0 and 5 down in the orange sum 5; and at the bottom-right the 0/3 has 3 up in the pink sum 3 and 0 down in the pink sum 0. The four remaining 1-tiles all stand vertically: 1/5 with 1 up in the teal sum 1 and 5 below in the purple sum 5; 1/2 with 2 up in the blue sum 2 and 1 down in the orange sum 1; 1/3 with 1 up in the teal sum 1 and 3 down in the teal sum 3; 1/4 with 4 up in the green sum 4 and 1 down in the blue greater 0. Finish with 2/3 (3 up in the orange sum 3, 2 down in the pink sum 2), 2/4 (4 up in the blue sum 4, 2 down in the orange sum 2), 2/5 flat (2 on the left in the green sum 2, 5 on the right in the purple sum 5), 3/4 (3 up in the teal sum 3, 4 down in the pink sum 4), 3/5 (3 up in the purple sum 3, 5 down in the purple sum 5) and 4/5 flat (4 on the left in the blue sum 4, 5 on the right in the green sum 5).
🎨 Pips Solver
Oct 24, 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 smallest target names its own values
The orange sum-2 pair in the bottom-right corner is the tightest thing on the board. Two cells totalling 2 can only be 2 + 0 or 1 + 1, and this tray contains no 1s at all, so the pair must be a 2 and a 0. The only zero in the whole tray rides on the 0/6 tile, and the 2 has to come from the 3/2 — the 2/2 double would push the total to 4.
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Step 2: Drop the two bottom tiles
The 3/2 lies flat along the bottom row: 3 on the left in the uncoloured free square, 2 on the right in the left cell of the orange pair. Now the 0/6 stands vertically, its 0 filling orange's right cell and its 6 rising into the lower cell of the pink equals column on the right edge.
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Step 3: The equals column takes its second six
The pink equals pair already has a 6 at its foot, so the cell above must also read 6. Only one six is left in the tray, on the 6/3 tile, and it stands vertically — 6 in the upper pink cell, 3 poking up into the right-hand cell of the purple sum-7 pair at the top.
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Step 4: Close the top row and the left pair
Purple's sum-7 pair needs 4 more, which is exactly the 4 on the 5/4 tile; lay it flat so the 4 sits in the left purple cell and the 5 lands on the top uncoloured square beside it. The last tile in the tray, the 2/2 double, lies flat across the teal sum-4 pair on the left, one 2 in each cell — the grid is full.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level
1
Step 1: The zero column names itself
The green sum-0 pair at the bottom of the board is the only region whose values are fixed by its target alone: both cells must be 0. The tray carries three zero pips in total — two on the 0/0 double and one on the 3/0 — and the purple equals pair in the bottom-right corner cannot absorb a stray zero on its own, since it needs two matching values. So the odd zero is destined for the pink unequal block just above green.
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Step 2: Split the zeros across the boundary
The 0/0 double stands vertically astride the green/pink border: its upper 0 in the bottom-left cell of the pink unequal block, its lower 0 in the top cell of the green pair. The 3/0 then lies flat along the bottom row — 0 on the right into green's lower cell, 3 on the left into the lower cell of the blue sum-6 pair.
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Step 3: Pink takes three different values
With a 0 already inside the pink block, the two remaining cells must differ from it and from each other. The 5/3 tile lies flat across the top of the block, 3 on the left and 5 on the right in the top-right corner, which satisfies the unequal rule and empties pink completely.
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Step 4: Blue forces a three, teal forces the six
Blue's lower cell already holds 3, so its upper cell must also be 3 to reach the sum-6 target. The 3/6 lies flat with 3 on the right in blue and 6 on the left, dropping into the lower cell of the teal greater-9 column. Teal now shows 6 and needs more than 9 overall, so its upper cell must be at least 4 — the 4/1 stands vertically, 4 low in teal and 1 high in the left cell of the purple sum-6 pair at the top.
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Step 5: Two doubles finish the grid
Purple's sum-6 pair holds a 1, so its right cell needs 5. The 5/5 stands vertically to supply it — upper 5 completing purple's pair, lower 5 satisfying the orange greater-4 cell directly beneath. The only tile left, the 2/2 double, stands vertically in the purple equals pair at the bottom-right, one 2 per cell.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level
1
Step 1: Count the tray before you place anything
Every region here is a single cell, so each constraint is simply a pip value. Tally the tray: five tiles carry a 0, yet only four cells ask for a sum of 0. Meanwhile the 3/6 holds the board's only 6, and no numbered cell can hold above 5. Two pips are therefore homeless — and the board offers exactly two uncoloured free squares.
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Step 2: Send the six to a free square
The 6 belongs on the uncoloured square in the second row on the left, because the 3 travelling with it needs a sum-3 cell and the only such neighbour is the green sum 3 immediately to its right. The spare zero takes the other free square, the one in the centre of the board, with its partner feeding the green sum 2 directly below.
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Step 3: Two flat tiles settle the top
The 3/6 lies flat across the top-left: 6 on the left in the uncoloured square, 3 on the right in the green sum 3. The 0/2 stands vertically in the centre: 0 in the uncoloured centre square, 2 below in the green sum 2. The pink sum 0 at the top still needs its zero, and the 0/4 supplies it flat — 4 on the left in the purple sum 4, 0 on the right in the pink sum 0.
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Step 4: The remaining zeros pair off downward
Each zero now sits in a zero-target cell with its partner dropping into the cell beneath. The 0/1 stands vertically with 0 up in the orange sum 0 near the bottom-left and 1 down in the teal sum 1; the 0/5 stands vertically with 0 up in the blue sum 0 on the bottom row and 5 down in the orange sum 5; and at the bottom-right the 0/3 puts 3 up in the pink sum 3 and 0 down in the pink sum 0.
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Step 5: Ones spread across the board
Four 1-tiles remain, and each stands vertically. The 1/5 sets 1 up in the teal sum 1 along the top and 5 below in the purple sum 5. The 1/2 puts 2 up in the blue sum 2 at the top-left and 1 down in the orange sum 1. The 1/3 places 1 up in the teal sum 1 on the left edge and 3 down in the teal sum 3. The 1/4 sends 4 up into the green sum 4 in the centre and 1 down into the blue greater 0.
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Step 6: Sweep the leftover sums
What is left sorts itself by target. The 2/3 stands vertically with 3 up in the orange sum 3 and 2 down in the pink sum 2; the 2/4 with 4 up in the blue sum 4 and 2 down in the orange sum 2; the 2/5 lies flat with 2 on the left in the green sum 2 and 5 on the right in the purple sum 5; the 3/4 with 3 up in the teal sum 3 and 4 down in the pink sum 4; the 3/5 with 3 up in the purple sum 3 and 5 down in the purple sum 5; and the 4/5 lies flat along the bottom with 4 on the left in the blue sum 4 and 5 on the right in the green sum 5.
💡 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.
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