Pips hints and answers for Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Pips is the NYT domino logic game: place every domino from the tray so that each colored region obeys its rule - a number means the pips in that region add to it, an equals region means every half in it matches, and a not-equal region means no two halves match. Wednesday's three boards were edited by Ian Livengood: an Easy board by Livengood with 5 dominoes, a Medium board also by Livengood with 7 dominoes, and a Hard board by Rodolfo Kurchan with 14 dominoes. Each board gets its own hint ladder below, then its solved grid behind a tap.
Easy board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Ian Livengood · Tap to show one hint at a time.
The three-cell equals region that bends through row 3, columns 2-3, and down to row 4, column 3 must be all the same number, and the tray holds exactly three 1s spread over two dominoes: the 1-1 double and the 1-5.
The pair across row 2, columns 2-3, must add to 9, the biggest sum on the board: that is a 5 beside a 4. The 5 is one half of the 1-5 domino standing in column 2, and the 4 is one half of the 2-4 domino standing in column 3.
Place the 3-3 domino down column 1, rows 2-3: it fills the equals pair on the left edge by itself. The less-than-6 pair at the bottom of column 2, rows 4-5, is the 0-0 domino.
The Easy solution
The solved Easy board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 2-4 down column 3, rows 1-2 · 3-3 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 1-5 down column 2, rows 2-3 · 1-1 down column 3, rows 3-4 · 0-0 down column 2, rows 4-5
- All equal 3 = 3
- Adds to 9 5 + 4
- All equal 1 = 1 = 1
- Less than 6 0 + 0 = 0
- No rule 1 cell in blank regions, free to take any value
Medium board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Ian Livengood · Tap to show one hint at a time.
Four of the seven regions on this board are equals pairs, and two single cells are pinned almost exactly: the top-left cell must beat 3, and the cell below it, row 2, column 1, must be less than 3.
The top row is two equals pairs side by side: columns 2-3 are both 3, arriving from the 3-4 domino lying across the top row and the 6-3 domino standing in column 3, and columns 4-5 are both 0, the 0-0 domino lying flat.
The bottom row's middle cell, row 3, column 3, must beat 4, so it can only be a 5: place the 5-1 domino across row 3, columns 2-3, with the 5 in column 3 and the 1 in column 2 completing the equals pair standing in that column.
The Medium solution
The solved Medium board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 3-4 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 6-3 down column 3, rows 1-2 · 0-0 across row 1, columns 4-5 · 1-0 across row 2, columns 1-2 · 0-6 down column 4, rows 2-3 · 4-4 down column 5, rows 2-3 · 5-1 across row 3, columns 2-3
- Greater than 3 4 = 4
- All equal 3 = 3
- All equal 0 = 0
- Less than 3 0 = 0
- All equal 1 = 1
- All equal 6 = 6
- Adds to 8 4 + 0 + 4
- Greater than 4 5 = 5
Hard board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Rodolfo Kurchan · Tap to show one hint at a time.
Work the exact single cells first: the top row holds a 0 in column 3 and a 4 in column 5, row 3 ends with a 4 in column 8, and row 6 holds a 6 in column 7.
Two equals stories anchor the left side: the pair standing in column 3, rows 2-3, is two 3s from the 3-3 domino, and the three-cell bend through column 1, rows 3-4, plus row 4, column 2, is three 1s.
The three cells across row 4, columns 6-8, must add to 14, and they read 6, 6, 2: the 6-6 domino lies across columns 6-7, and the 2 arrives from the 2-4 domino standing in column 8, rows 3-4.
The Hard solution
The solved Hard board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 6-1 down column 1, rows 1-2 · 4-0 across row 1, columns 2-3 · 4-4 down column 5, rows 1-2 · 2-6 down column 8, rows 1-2 · 3-3 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 1-1 down column 1, rows 3-4 · 0-5 down column 5, rows 3-4 · 2-4 down column 8, rows 3-4 · 1-3 across row 4, columns 2-3 · 6-6 across row 4, columns 6-7 · 2-3 across row 6, columns 3-4 · 0-6 down column 5, rows 6-7 · 5-6 across row 6, columns 6-7 · 5-1 down column 5, rows 8-9
- All different 1, 4, 6
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 4 4
- Greater than 7 2 + 6 = 8
- All equal 3 = 3
- Adds to 9 4 + 5 + 0
- All equal 1 = 1 = 1
- Adds to 4 4
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 14 6 + 6 + 2
- Less than 4 3 = 3
- Less than 3 2 + 0 = 2
- Greater than 4 5 = 5
- Adds to 6 6
- Adds to 6 5 + 1
- No rule 1 cell in blank regions, free to take any value