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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 reads as a study in negative space. A three-cell sum corridor hugs the top edge, a three-cell equals wedge is tucked into the bottom-left corner, and the rest of the grid is a scatter of single-cell gates that exist only to pin down halves the larger regions cannot reach. Nothing here is decorative: each lonely cell is present because some domino has to cross a border and satisfy two unrelated rules at once, and Livengood has arranged the grid so the tightest arithmetic on the board sits in plain sight rather than buried in a corner.
The medium widens the canvas to five columns and turns emptiness into a working tool. A single greater-than cell floats at the top with only one neighbour, while an uncoloured free square on the right edge acts as a pressure-release valve for the equals pair beneath it. That uneven density is deliberate: Livengood clusters the arithmetic regions where they will interact, and leaves the loose threads — the one-cell regions and the pair that must repeat a value — as the places where the whole structure comes apart.
Rodolfo Kurchan's hard is the baroque entry: a ten-row board whose left flank is occupied by a five-cell equals block that behaves like a magnet for every repeated pip in the tray. Kurchan's signature is the tether. That block is fed by four different tiles, and each tile touching it is simultaneously responsible for a small region elsewhere on the grid. Solving this NYT Pips hard is less about hunting a single domino than about noticing which region has quietly run out of legal values; the centre of the board looks calm and is anything but.
💡 Progressive Hints
Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!
💡 Read the rule type first
Pips boards reward you for reading rule types before numbers. One region on this grid insists that all of its cells hold the same pip, and equality is the most restrictive rule there is — a tile can only satisfy it by arriving with exactly the right half on exactly the right cell.
💡 The equals block in the bottom-left corner
That region is the teal equals block: three cells forming a small L, two of them sitting side by side along the bottom row and the third directly above the left-hand one of the pair. A double is the natural fit for those two side-by-side cells, but the third cell has to be fed by a different tile entirely, so the block's value is settled by two dominoes working together.
💡 Complete answer: the easy grid
The purple sum-1 run along the top edge can only be built one way: the 0/0 double lies flat across its left and middle cells, leaving the right-hand cell to be filled by the 1 half of the 2/1 tile, which stands vertically with 1 up into the purple run and 2 down into the pink less-3 cell beneath it. The teal equals block then takes the 5/5 double flat across its two bottom-row cells, and the 5 half of the 5/3 tile fills the cell directly above them, that tile's 3 half standing up in the uncoloured free square. Finally the bottom row's right end: the 5/6 tile lies flat, 6 on the left in the orange greater-5 cell and 5 on the right in the blue greater-4 cell.
💡 Small regions, sharp rules
This grid is packed with two-cell sums, single-cell gates and two equal-value pairs. The equals pairs are your best entry point — each has to repeat the same pip in two separate cells, which no single tile can accomplish alone, so they narrow the tray faster than any total.
💡 The corner cell with only one neighbour
Look at the top-right corner. The purple greater-3 cell there touches exactly one other cell — the right-hand cell of the teal sum-11 pair standing directly below it — so a single vertical tile must satisfy both rules at once, and a two-cell sum of 11 leaves the pair no room to manoeuvre.
💡 Complete answer: the medium grid
The 4/5 tile stands vertically in that corner, 4 up into the purple greater-3 cell and 5 down into the right-hand cell of the teal sum-11 pair, which fixes the pair's left cell at 6 — supplied by the 6/6 double lying flat, its other 6 filling the right cell of the pink sum-6 pair to its left. That pink pair's remaining cell is 0, the upper half of the 1/0 tile standing vertically, whose 1 drops into the top of the orange sum-7 column. The column's lower cell takes 6 from the 1/6 tile lying flat along the bottom, with 1 on the right in the lower cell of the blue equals pair; the blue pair's upper cell takes 1 from the 1/2 tile, whose 2 sits in the top of the green sum-2 column. Green's lower cell is 0, the left half of the 0/5 tile, whose 5 lands in the left cell of the purple equals pair on the bottom-right. The 3/5 tile stands vertically at the right edge, 3 up in the uncoloured free square and 5 down to complete the purple equals pair.
💡 Hunt equality before arithmetic
Ignore the sums for a moment. The most restrictive object on this grid is an equal-value region — and the largest shape on the board is one of them, five cells that must all show the same pip. Equality wipes out most of the tray at a glance; totals only trim it.
💡 Where the five-cell block sits
The purple equals block hugs the left edge: two cells across its top and three more running down the leftmost column. Every tile entering it must arrive with the same value on its contacting half, and a tile straddling the block's border contributes only one matching half — so scan the tray for repeats before you place anything.
💡 The block is built from four tiles
The repeated value is 3. The 3/3 double lies vertically in the block's upper part, filling the top-left cell and the cell directly beneath it, and three other tiles feed the block a 3 each: the 1/3 hanging off the block's bottom end, its 1 dropping into the green sum-1 pair on the bottom edge; the 3/2 sliding into the block's top-right cell, its 2 landing in the uncoloured free square immediately to its right; and the 3/6 reaching out from the block's lower left, its 6 landing in the orange greater-4 cell beside it.
💡 Reading the bottom edge and the right flank
With the left side pinned, the bottom row reads left to right. The green sum-1 pair already holds the 1 hanging from the block, so its right-hand cell must be 0 — the left half of the 0/6 tile lying flat, whose 6 completes the lone purple sum-6 cell just to its right. Further along, the 6/4 tile lies flat, 6 on the left in the pink sum-6 single cell and 4 on the right in the teal sum-8 pair, and the 4/5 tile stands vertically at the bottom-right corner, 5 up in the blue sum-10 pair and 4 down to finish the teal sum-8 pair. Above them the teal sum-11 pair is a 5 and a 6: the 3/5 arrives from the left and the 6/5 from below, and those two tiles between them hand the blue sum-10 pair its matching 5s.
💡 Complete answer: the hard grid
The 3/3 double stands vertically in the purple equals block, 3s in the top-left cell and the cell directly below it; the 3/2 lies flat across the block's top, 3 on the left inside the block and 2 on the right in the uncoloured free square beside it; the 3/6 lies flat lower down, 3 on the left inside the block and 6 on the right in the orange greater-4 cell; and the 1/3 stands vertically at the block's bottom end, 3 up inside the block and 1 down in the left cell of the green sum-1 pair. On the bottom row the 0/6 lies flat, 0 in the green pair's right cell and 6 in the purple sum-6 single cell beside it. Up the left side, the 3/4 stands vertically with 3 up in the top-left free square and 4 down in the pink equals pair, and the 4/2 lies flat at the bottom of that pair, 4 on the left inside it and 2 on the right in the orange less-3 cell. At the top, the 1/5 stands vertically in the purple sum-6 column, 5 up and 1 down, and the 1/1 double fills both cells of the teal equals pair directly below it. On the right flank, the 1/4 stands vertically with 1 up in the left cell of the blue sum-2 pair and 4 down in the pink sum-7 pair; the 1/2 lies flat in the blue pair's right cell, 2 on the right in the green sum-2 cell at the edge; the 3/5 lies flat lower down, 3 on the left in the pink sum-7 pair and 5 on the right in the teal sum-11 pair; the 6/5 stands vertically, 6 up in the teal sum-11 pair and 5 down in the blue sum-10 pair; the 4/5 stands vertically at the bottom-right corner, 5 up in the blue sum-10 pair and 4 down in the teal sum-8 pair; and the 6/4 lies flat, 6 on the left in the pink sum-6 single cell and 4 on the right in the teal sum-8 pair.
🎨 Pips Solver
Sep 22, 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 sum-1 run along the top
Begin with the purple sum-1 region — three cells in a row along the top edge that must total 1. Pips are never negative, so the only way to reach a total that small is two 0s and a single 1, and because the three cells form a straight run, two of them must be covered by one double.
2
Step 2: The 0/0 double and its neighbour
The 0/0 double lies flat across the run's left and middle cells, which leaves the right-hand cell needing exactly 1. That 1 is the upper half of the 2/1 tile standing vertically beneath it: 1 up into the purple run, 2 down into the pink less-3 cell below.
3
Step 3: The equals block takes a double
Now the teal equals block in the bottom-left corner — three cells that must all agree. Two of them sit side by side along the bottom row, the natural home for a double, so the 5/5 tile lies flat there and fixes the block's value at 5.
4
Step 4: Closing the block and the bottom-right gates
The block's remaining cell is the one directly above the left half of that double, and it takes the 5 half of the 5/3 tile, whose 3 half stands up in the uncoloured free square. That leaves the bottom row's right end: the 5/6 tile lies flat, 6 on the left in the orange greater-5 cell — which demands more than 5, so 6 is its only option — and 5 on the right in the blue greater-4 cell.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level
1
Step 1: The top-right corner decides itself
The purple greater-3 cell at the top-right has only one neighbour on the whole grid: the right-hand cell of the teal sum-11 pair directly below it. One vertical tile must serve both, and a two-cell total of 11 can only be 5 plus 6 — so the pair's two values are already spoken for.
2
Step 2: Placing the corner tile
The 4/5 tile fits that slot: 4 up into the purple greater-3 cell, which the greater-than rule allows, and 5 down into the teal pair. That sets the pair's left-hand cell to 6, and the readiest 6s sit on the 6/6 double.
3
Step 3: The double bridges pink and teal
The 6/6 double lies flat with its right half in the teal sum-11 pair and its left half in the right cell of the pink sum-6 pair beside it. The pink pair must total 6 with one cell already showing 6, so its left cell is 0 — the upper half of the 1/0 tile standing vertically, its 1 dropping into the top of the orange sum-7 column.
4
Step 4: The bottom-left column chain
The orange sum-7 column now needs 6 in its lower cell, which the 1/6 tile supplies as it lies flat along the bottom: 6 on the left inside the orange column, 1 on the right in the lower cell of the blue equals pair. The blue pair's upper cell must match, and the 1/2 tile provides it — 1 on the left in the blue pair, 2 on the right in the top of the green sum-2 column. Green's lower cell is then 0, the left half of the 0/5 tile, whose 5 lands in the left cell of the purple equals pair on the bottom-right.
5
Step 5: Closing the right edge
One cell of the purple equals pair is still empty and one domino remains: the 3/5 tile stands vertically at the right edge, 3 up in the uncoloured free square and 5 down to complete the equals pair. Every region now satisfies its rule and the tray is empty.
🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level
1
Step 1: Spot the five-cell equals block
Every other constraint on this board is arithmetic; the purple equals block down the left edge is not. Five cells must all show the same pip, which means the tray has to deliver that value five separate times, and no tile can help without carrying it.
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Step 2: The 3/3 double claims the block
Scan the tray for repeats: the 3/3 double is the natural anchor. Stand it vertically in the block's upper part so its two halves fill the top-left cell and the cell directly below, and the block's value is fixed at 3 for every remaining cell in it.
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Step 3: Three more 3s arrive
Two cells of the block are easy to reach from outside. The 3/2 lies flat across the block's top, 3 on the left inside the block and 2 on the right in the uncoloured free square, and the 3/6 lies flat further down, 3 on the left inside the block and 6 on the right in the orange greater-4 cell — which demands more than 4, so 6 is its only legal value. The block's bottom cell takes the 3 half of the 1/3 tile, whose 1 drops out of the block into the left cell of the green sum-1 pair on the bottom edge.
4
Step 4: The bottom-left corner resolves
The green sum-1 pair already holds a 1, so its right-hand cell must be 0 — the left half of the 0/6 tile lying flat along the bottom row. That tile's 6 fills the lone purple sum-6 cell immediately to its right, the only place it can legitimately go.
5
Step 5: The left edge and the top
Higher up the left side, the top-left free square and the pink equals pair below it are joined by a single vertical tile: the 3/4, with 3 up in the free square and 4 down into the pink pair. The pair's lower cell must match, which the 4/2 provides — 4 on the left inside the pink pair, 2 on the right in the orange less-3 cell, comfortably under 3. At the very top, the 1/5 stands vertically in the purple sum-6 column, 5 in the upper cell and 1 in the lower one, and the 1/1 double fills both cells of the teal equals pair directly beneath that column.
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Step 6: The right flank completes the board
The right side resolves in a chain. The 1/4 stands vertically, 1 up in the left cell of the blue sum-2 pair and 4 down in the pink sum-7 pair; the 1/2 lies flat in the blue pair's right cell, with 2 in the green sum-2 cell at the right edge, so the blue pair repeats 1 and the green cell is satisfied. Below, the 3/5 lies flat, 3 on the left in the pink sum-7 pair and 5 on the right in the teal sum-11 pair, and the 6/5 stands vertically with 6 up in the teal sum-11 pair and 5 down in the blue sum-10 pair. At the bottom-right corner the 4/5 stands vertically, 5 up to partner that 5 in the blue sum-10 pair and 4 down in the teal sum-8 pair, which the 6/4 completes as it lies flat — 6 on the left in the pink sum-6 single cell and 4 on the right. Every region now matches its rule.
💡 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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