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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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Want hints instead? Scroll down for progressive clues that won't spoil the fun.
🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview
Ian Livengood's NYT Pips easy is an eight-cell ring — a 3x3 square with the middle cell punched out — carrying four two-cell regions. The deduction graph opens with a conservation step rather than a placement: the tray's 29 pips minus the three printed targets (9, 7 and 9) leave 4 to be divided evenly, so the equals pair is pinned before a single tile moves. From there the chain is almost linear: the double splits between the equals pair and the sum 7 column, and each remaining sum region inherits one half of a mixed tile.
Rodolfo Kurchan's medium stretches to a 14-cell, five-row frame with nine regions and a far wider deduction graph. Its load-bearing node is the four-cell equals block in the centre of the board: one tile covers two of those cells, so the block's constant is inherited rather than deduced, and that single broadcast closes three separate branches at once. The singletons around the edge — a sum 1, a greater 3 and a less 3 — behave like terminal leaves, each pinned by whichever half of a mixed tile is left over once the block is filled.
Kurchan's hard is the fullest board of the day: 28 cells, eighteen regions, and a graph anchored by two three-cell equals columns, one down the left edge and one down the right. Each column is seeded by a double, which fixes its constant instantly, and both then push outward into the sharpest singletons on the board — a greater 5 that can only take a 6, a sum 0 that can only take a 0, and a pair of less 2 cells that can only take a 0 or a 1. The rest resolves as leftover chains feeding the top-left sum 3 pair and the green sum 2 square.
💡 Progressive Hints
Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!
💡 Start with the matching region
Begin with the region type that ties cells together instead of adding them up. An equals region is the most restrictive clue on any Pips board, and today's is small enough that one stroke of arithmetic over the whole tray will pin its value down before you place anything.
💡 The equals pair and the tray budget
The equals region is the purple horizontal pair in the very top-left corner of the board. Add the tray: the four tiles bring 29 pips to the grid. The pink sum 9 column at the top-right, the teal sum 7 column down the left side and the orange sum 9 pair at the bottom-right claim 25 of those, so the leftover must be split evenly between the pair's two matching cells.
💡 Full solution — all four regions
The purple equals pair in the top-left corner holds 2 and 2. The 2/2 double stands vertically: 2 as the upper half in the left cell of that pair, 2 as the lower half in the upper cell of the teal sum 7 column down the left side. The 4/2 tile lies flat across the top, 2 as the left half in the right cell of the equals pair, 4 as the right half in the upper cell of the pink sum 9 column at the top-right. The 5/6 tile lies flat at the bottom-left, 5 as the left half in the lower cell of the teal sum 7 column, 6 as the right half in the left cell of the orange sum 9 pair at the bottom-right. The 3/5 tile stands vertically up the right side, 3 as the lower half in the right cell of the orange sum 9 pair, 5 as the upper half in the lower cell of the pink sum 9 column. The checks land: 2+5=7, 4+5=9, 6+3=9.
💡 Find the region that forces agreement
Today's medium hides its spine inside the region that forces four separate cells to agree. Look for the largest equals area on the board — every cell in it must hold the same pip — then ask which tile in the tray is the only one built to drop two identical pips into that area at once.
💡 The orange equals block broadcasts one value
The four-cell equals block is the orange area in the centre of the board. The 5/5 double is the tile that has to sit inside it, covering two of the four cells and settling the block's single value for the other two. Once it is anchored, look outward: the teal greater-3 cell on the left and the blue sum-1 cell at the bottom-left take the matching halves of the 6/5 and 5/1 tiles, the pink unequal run along the top stays all-different, and the purple less-3 cell at the top-right only accepts a small pip.
💡 Full solution — the completed 5x4 board
The orange equals block in the centre reads 5 everywhere: the 5/5 double lies flat across its two right-hand cells, the 6/5 tile lies flat from the teal greater-3 cell on the left into the block's top-left cell (6 outside, 5 inside), and the 5/1 tile lies flat from the blue sum-1 cell at the bottom-left into the block's bottom-left cell (1 outside, 5 inside). The pink unequal run across the top holds 3, 5 and 4 — the 5/3 tile lies flat across the first two of those, and the 4/2 tile stands vertically with 4 as the lower half in the run's right cell and 2 as the upper half in the purple less-3 cell at the top-right. At the bottom, the 1/3 tile stands vertically with 1 as the lower half in the purple sum-1 cell on the far right and 3 as the upper half in the uncoloured square above it; the 2/3 tile stands vertically with 2 as the lower half in the green sum-2 cell and 3 as the upper half in the uncoloured square above that.
💡 Begin with the long matching columns
Start with the two long equals regions — the vertical columns of three on the far left and the far right of the board. Each one forces three separate cells to agree, and each breaks faster than it looks: ask which single tile could plant two identical pips inside the same column at the same time.
💡 The blue equals column is seeded by a double
The blue equals column down the left edge gives way first. The 4/4 double takes its middle and bottom cells and settles the value for all three cells of the column; the top cell then has exactly one tile left in the tray that can reach it, and that same tile stretches up out of the column into the purple sum-3 pair in the top-left corner.
💡 The 3/4 tile opens the top-left corner
That top cell is filled by the 3/4 tile standing vertically: 3 as the upper half in the left cell of the purple sum-3 pair, 4 as the lower half in the blue column's top cell. The pair now needs a 0 in its right cell, and the only 0 that can reach it from an adjacent square is on the 2/0 tile — which also drops its 2 straight down into the green sum-2 square just below.
💡 The right-hand column and the sharp singletons
The teal equals column down the right side works the same way: the 2/2 double holds its upper and middle cells, and its bottom cell is the upper half of the 4/2 tile, whose 4 falls as the lower half into the uncoloured square in the bottom-right corner. The single-cell clues then close the board: the purple sum-0 cell takes the 0 from the 0/5 tile, the blue greater-5 cell takes the only 6 in the tray (from the 6/3 tile, whose 3 sits in the uncoloured square above it), and the two less-2 cells each take a 1, from the 1/0 tile at the top and the 5/1 tile in the middle.
💡 Full solution — the complete 6x6 grid
Top-left corner: the 3/4 tile stands vertically, 3 as the upper half in the left cell of the purple sum-3 pair and 4 below it in the blue equals column; beside it the 2/0 tile stands vertically, 0 as the upper half in the pair's right cell and 2 below it in the green sum-2 square. The 5/3 tile stands vertically at the top, 5 as the upper half and 3 as the lower half, filling the pink sum-8 pair. The 1/0 tile lies flat to its right, 1 as the left half in the teal less-2 cell and 0 as the right half in the left cell of the orange sum-3 pair; the 2/3 tile stands vertically, 3 as the upper half completing that orange pair and 2 below it in the pink sum-2 cell. Middle band: the 4/4 double stands vertically through the blue column's middle and bottom cells, the 4/5 tile lies flat with 5 as the left half and 4 as the right half in the purple unequal pair, and the 2/2 double stands vertically through the teal column's upper and middle cells. Finishing the bottom: the 5/1 tile stands vertically, 1 as the upper half in the orange less-2 cell and 5 as the lower half in the green unequal pair; the 1/3 tile stands vertically, 1 as the upper half in that green pair and 3 as the lower half in the teal sum-3 cell; the 6/3 tile stands vertically, 3 as the upper half in the uncoloured square and 6 as the lower half in the blue greater-5 cell; the 0/5 tile stands vertically, 0 as the upper half in the purple sum-0 cell and 5 as the lower half in the uncoloured square below it; the 4/2 tile stands vertically, 2 as the upper half at the foot of the teal column and 4 as the lower half in the uncoloured square in the bottom-right corner; and the 0/3 tile lies flat at the bottom-left, 0 as the left half and 3 as the right half, completing the pink sum-3 pair.
🎨 Pips Solver
Oct 4, 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: Count the entire tray first
Before touching the grid, add the pips: 4+2, 2+2, 5+6 and 3+5 come to 29. Three regions print a target — the pink sum 9 column at the top-right, the teal sum 7 column down the left side and the orange sum 9 pair at the bottom-right — and together they claim 25 of those pips. The 4 that is left belongs to the purple equals pair in the top-left corner, divided evenly, so both of its cells read 2.
2
Step 2: The double runs vertically, the 4/2 lies flat
The tray holds three 2s — one on the 4/2 tile and two on the 2/2 double — so the purple pair takes its two 2s from two different tiles. That rules out laying the double flat across the pair: the remaining six cells would then form a single path whose only perfect matching hands one whole tile to each sum region, and no tile totals 9 or 7. So the 2/2 double stands vertically, 2 as the upper half in the left cell of the purple pair and 2 as the lower half in the upper cell of the teal sum 7 column beneath it. The 4/2 tile then completes the pair lying flat across the top, 2 as the left half in the pair's right cell and 4 as the right half in the upper cell of the pink sum 9 column.
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Step 3: The left column and the bottom row fall in line
The teal sum 7 column already has its 2, so its lower cell needs a 5, and the only tiles carrying a 5 are the 5/6 and the 3/5. The 5/6 lies flat at the bottom-left with 5 as the left half in the teal column's lower cell and 6 as the right half in the left cell of the orange sum 9 pair. Orange now needs a 3, and that 3 is the lower half of the 3/5 tile, which stands vertically up the right side and places its 5 as the upper half in the lower cell of the pink sum 9 column.
4
Step 4: Read back every region
Check the finished ring: the purple equals pair reads 2 and 2; the pink sum 9 column at the top-right reads 4 over 5; the teal sum 7 column on the left reads 2 over 5; the orange sum 9 pair at the bottom-right reads 6 and 3. All four tiles are used exactly once, and no cell is left empty.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level
1
Step 1: The equals block inherits its value
The orange equals block in the centre of the board covers four cells, and any single tile landing inside it must contribute the same pip twice — so only the 5/5 double can start it. Placing the double flat across the block's top-right and top-centre cells settles the block's value for every cell in it, giving all four orange cells the same pip.
2
Step 2: The block's neighbours are settled at once
Because the block's top-left cell now holds that same value, the 6/5 tile lies flat just to its left: 6 as the left half in the teal greater-3 cell on the left edge (comfortably above 3) and 5 as the right half in the block. Likewise the block's bottom-left cell is reached by the 5/1 tile lying flat from the bottom-left corner: 1 as the left half in the blue sum-1 cell (the only pip that can make a single-cell sum 1) and 5 as the right half in the block.
3
Step 3: The right-hand singletons resolve
Down the right side, the purple sum-1 cell takes the 1 of the 1/3 tile standing vertically, which puts its 3 as the upper half in the uncoloured square just above it. Beside that, the green sum-2 cell takes the 2 of the 2/3 tile, which puts its 3 as the upper half in the other uncoloured square above. Only the 4/2 and 5/3 tiles are left in hand.
4
Step 4: The purple less-3 cell and the top run
The purple less-3 cell at the top-right cannot take a 5, so it takes the 2 of the 4/2 tile, which stands vertically there and drops its 4 as the lower half into the rightmost cell of the pink unequal run. The 5/3 tile then lies flat across the other two cells of that run, 3 as the left half and 5 as the right half, so the three-cell run holds three different pips as its constraint demands.
5
Step 5: Full board check
Reading the finished grid: the pink run across the top reads 3, 5, 4; the purple less-3 cell above it reads 2; the orange equals block reads the same pip in all four cells, fed by the 6/5, 5/5 and 5/1 tiles; the teal greater-3 cell reads 6; the blue sum-1 cell reads 1; the green sum-2 cell reads 2; the purple sum-1 cell reads 1; and the two uncoloured squares both read 3.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level
1
Step 1: Seed both equals columns
The blue equals column down the left edge and the teal equals column down the right edge each force three cells to agree, and each is opened by the only tile that can place two equal pips inside it. The 4/4 double stands vertically through the blue column's middle and bottom cells, fixing its constant. The 2/2 double stands vertically through the teal column's upper and middle cells, fixing that constant too.
2
Step 2: The blue column reaches into the top-left corner
The blue column's top cell still needs the same pip as the rest of the column, and the 3/4 tile is the one that fits: 4 as the lower half in that top cell and 3 as the upper half in the left cell of the purple sum-3 pair in the top-left corner. The pair therefore needs a 0 beside it, and the only 0 that can reach that cell is on the 2/0 tile standing vertically — 0 as the upper half in the pair's right cell and 2 as the lower half in the green sum-2 square directly below.
3
Step 3: The teal column completes on the right
With two of its cells seeded, the teal equals column's bottom cell must take the 2 of the 4/2 tile standing vertically at the right edge, and its 4 falls as the lower half into the uncoloured square in the bottom-right corner.
4
Step 4: The single-cell clues close the middle and the bottom
Four one-cell regions do most of the remaining work. The purple sum-0 cell can only hold a 0, so the 0/5 tile stands there with 0 as the upper half and 5 as the lower half in the uncoloured square below it. The blue greater-5 cell needs the only 6 in the tray, so the 6/3 tile stands vertically with 3 as the upper half in the uncoloured square to its left and 6 as the lower half in that cell. The orange less-2 cell takes the 1 of the 5/1 tile, whose 5 falls as the lower half into the green unequal pair. The teal less-2 cell at the top takes the 1 of the 1/0 tile lying flat, whose 0 sits beside it in the left cell of the orange sum-3 pair.
5
Step 5: Mop up the leftover chains
The pink sum-8 pair is filled by the 5/3 tile standing vertically, 5 as the upper half and 3 as the lower half. The orange sum-3 pair's remaining cell takes the 3 of the 2/3 tile standing vertically, whose 2 drops into the pink sum-2 cell. The purple unequal pair is the 4/5 tile lying flat, 5 as the left half and 4 as the right half so the two pips differ. The green unequal pair gets 1 as its left half from the 1/3 tile standing vertically, whose 3 falls into the teal sum-3 cell. The pink sum-3 pair at the bottom-left is the 0/3 tile lying flat, 0 as the left half and 3 as the right half.
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Step 6: Verify the whole grid
Run the totals: 3+0 in the purple sum-3 pair, 5+3 in the pink sum-8 column, 0+3 in the orange sum-3 pair, fours all the way down the blue column, 2 in the green square, 5 and 4 in the purple unequal pair, 2 in the pink sum-2 cell, twos all the way down the teal column, 0+3 in the pink sum-3 pair, 3 in the teal sum-3 cell, 0 in the purple sum-0 cell, 1 and 5 in the green unequal pair, and the three uncoloured squares holding 3, 5 and 4. Every tile is used once.
💡 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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