Pips hints and answers for Thursday, October 15, 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. Thursday's three boards were edited by Ian Livengood: an Easy board by Ian Livengood with 5 dominoes, a Medium board by Ian Livengood with 8 dominoes, and a Hard board by Rodolfo Kurchan with 11 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.
This board runs 4 rows by 4 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 1 carries no rule at all; row 1, column 4 must add to 1; the pair across row 2, columns 1-2 must add to 10; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4 must add to 10; row 3, column 1 must beat 1; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3 must add to 10; row 4, column 3 must beat 2.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 4 comes out as 1; the single cell at row 3, column 1 comes out as 2; the single cell at row 4, column 3 comes out as 3.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 1: 0; row 1, column 4: 1; the pair across row 2, columns 1-2: 4, 6; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4: 5, 5; row 3, column 1: 2; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3: 4, 6; row 4, column 3: 3.
The Easy solution
The solved Easy board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 4-0 down column 1, rows 1-2 · 5-1 down column 4, rows 1-2 · 5-6 across row 2, columns 2-3 · 4-2 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 3-6 down column 3, rows 3-4
- Adds to 1 1
- Adds to 10 4 + 6
- Adds to 10 5 + 5
- Greater than 1 2 = 2
- Adds to 10 4 + 6
- Greater than 2 3 = 3
- 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.
This board runs 5 rows by 4 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 3 must be less than 4; the pair across row 2, columns 1-2 must all match; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4 must all match; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2 must all match; row 3, column 3 must be less than 1; the cells at row 3, column 4, row 4, column 3, row 4, column 4 and row 5, column 4 must add to 20; the pair standing in column 1, rows 4-5 must add to 6; the pair across row 5, columns 2-3 must add to 3.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 3 comes out as 3; the pair across row 2, columns 1-2 are all 3s; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4 are all 4s; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2 are all 4s; the single cell at row 3, column 3 comes out as 0.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 3: 3; the pair across row 2, columns 1-2: all 3s; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4: all 4s; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2: all 4s; row 3, column 3: 0; the cells at row 3, column 4, row 4, column 3, row 4, column 4 and row 5, column 4: 5, 5, 5, 5; the pair standing in column 1, rows 4-5: 2, 4; the pair across row 5, columns 2-3: 1, 2.
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 down column 3, rows 1-2 · 3-3 across row 2, columns 1-2 · 5-4 down column 4, rows 2-3 · 4-2 down column 1, rows 3-4 · 4-0 across row 3, columns 2-3 · 5-5 across row 4, columns 3-4 · 1-4 across row 5, columns 1-2 · 5-2 across row 5, columns 3-4
- Less than 4 3 = 3
- All equal 3 = 3
- All equal 4 = 4
- All equal 4 = 4
- Less than 1 0 = 0
- Adds to 20 5 + 5 + 5 + 5
- Adds to 6 2 + 4
- Adds to 3 1 + 2
Hard board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Rodolfo Kurchan · Tap to show one hint at a time.
This board runs 4 rows by 8 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 1 carries no rule at all; row 1, column 2 must beat 1; row 1, column 3 must beat 0; row 1, column 5 must beat 3; the cells at row 1, column 8, row 2, column 8 and row 3, column 8 must beat 14; row 2, column 1 carries no rule at all; row 2, column 3 must add to 5; the pair across row 2, columns 5-6 must all match; the cells at row 3, column 1, row 4, column 1, row 4, column 2 and row 4, column 3 must add to 9; row 3, column 3 must add to 1; the cells at row 3, column 5, row 3, column 6 and row 4, column 5 must beat 9; row 3, column 7 must beat 2; the pair across row 4, columns 7-8 must add to 4.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 2 comes out as 4; the single cell at row 1, column 3 comes out as 3; the single cell at row 1, column 5 comes out as 4; the single cell at row 2, column 3 comes out as 5; the pair across row 2, columns 5-6 are all 2s.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 1: 1; row 1, column 2: 4; row 1, column 3: 3; row 1, column 5: 4; the cells at row 1, column 8, row 2, column 8 and row 3, column 8: 4, 6, 5; row 2, column 1: 2; row 2, column 3: 5; the pair across row 2, columns 5-6: all 2s; the cells at row 3, column 1, row 4, column 1, row 4, column 2 and row 4, column 3: 0, 3, 3, 3; row 3, column 3: 1; the cells at row 3, column 5, row 3, column 6 and row 4, column 5: 4, 2, 4; row 3, column 7: 3; the pair across row 4, columns 7-8: 4, 0.
The Hard solution
The solved Hard board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 1-4 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 3-5 down column 3, rows 1-2 · 2-4 down column 5, rows 1-2 · 4-6 down column 8, rows 1-2 · 2-0 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 2-2 down column 6, rows 2-3 · 1-3 down column 3, rows 3-4 · 4-4 down column 5, rows 3-4 · 4-3 down column 7, rows 3-4 · 0-5 down column 8, rows 3-4 · 3-3 across row 4, columns 1-2
- Greater than 1 4 = 4
- Greater than 0 3 = 3
- Greater than 3 4 = 4
- Greater than 14 4 + 6 + 5 = 15
- Adds to 5 5
- All equal 2 = 2
- Adds to 9 0 + 3 + 3 + 3
- Adds to 1 1
- Greater than 9 4 + 2 + 4 = 10
- Greater than 2 3 = 3
- Adds to 4 4 + 0
- No rule 2 cells in blank regions, free to take any value