Pips hints and answers for Friday, October 16, 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. Friday's three boards were edited by Ian Livengood: an Easy board by Ian Livengood with 5 dominoes, a Medium board by Ian 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.
This board runs 5 rows by 4 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 4 carries no rule at all; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4 must add to 5; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3 must all match; the cells at row 4, column 1, row 4, column 2, row 5, column 1 and row 5, column 2 must all match; row 5, column 3 must beat 1.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the pair across row 3, columns 2-3 are all 5s; the cells at row 4, column 1, row 4, column 2, row 5, column 1 and row 5, column 2 are all 4s; the single cell at row 5, column 3 comes out as 6.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 4: 1; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4: 3, 2; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3: all 5s; the cells at row 4, column 1, row 4, column 2, row 5, column 1 and row 5, column 2: all 4s; row 5, column 3: 6.
The Easy solution
The solved Easy board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 2-1 down column 4, rows 1-2 · 3-5 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 5-4 down column 2, rows 3-4 · 4-4 down column 1, rows 4-5 · 6-4 across row 5, columns 2-3
- Adds to 5 3 + 2
- All equal 5 = 5
- All equal 4 = 4 = 4 = 4
- Greater than 1 6 = 6
- 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 4 rows by 5 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 4 must be less than 1; row 2, column 2 carries no rule at all; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4 must add to 3; row 2, column 5 must beat 2; the pair standing in column 1, rows 3-4 must add to 1; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3 must beat 9; the pair across row 3, columns 4-5 must beat 9; row 4, column 2 must beat 3; row 4, column 4 carries no rule at all; row 4, column 5 must be less than 1.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 4 comes out as 0; the single cell at row 2, column 5 comes out as 4; the single cell at row 4, column 2 comes out as 4; the single cell at row 4, column 5 comes out as 0.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 4: 0; row 2, column 2: 4; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4: 2, 1; row 2, column 5: 4; the pair standing in column 1, rows 3-4: 1, 0; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3: 5, 5; the pair across row 3, columns 4-5: 5, 5; row 4, column 2: 4; row 4, column 4: 3; row 4, column 5: 0.
The Medium solution
The solved Medium board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 1-0 down column 4, rows 1-2 · 4-2 across row 2, columns 2-3 · 5-4 down column 5, rows 2-3 · 1-5 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 5-5 across row 3, columns 3-4 · 4-0 across row 4, columns 1-2 · 0-3 across row 4, columns 4-5
- Less than 1 0 = 0
- Adds to 3 2 + 1
- Greater than 2 4 = 4
- Adds to 1 1 + 0
- Greater than 9 5 + 5 = 10
- Greater than 9 5 + 5 = 10
- Greater than 3 4 = 4
- Less than 1 0 = 0
- No rule 2 cells in blank regions, free to take any value
Hard board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Rodolfo Kurchan · Tap to show one hint at a time.
This board runs 6 rows by 7 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 1 carries no rule at all; row 1, column 2 must add to 4; the cells at row 1, column 4, row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 4 must all match; the cells at row 1, column 7, row 2, column 7 and row 3, column 7 must beat 8; row 2, column 1 must add to 1; row 2, column 2 must add to 6; the pair standing in column 5, rows 2-3 must add to 2; row 3, column 1 must add to 5; the pair standing in column 2, rows 3-4 must all differ; row 3, column 6 carries no rule at all; row 4, column 1 must add to 1; the cells at row 4, column 4, row 5, column 4 and row 6, column 4 must beat 9; the cells at row 4, column 6, row 4, column 7, row 5, column 7 and row 6, column 7 must all match; row 5, column 1 carries no rule at all; row 5, column 2 carries no rule at all; row 6, column 1 must add to 0; row 6, column 2 must add to 2.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 2 comes out as 4; the cells at row 1, column 4, row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 4 are all 0s; the single cell at row 2, column 1 comes out as 1; the single cell at row 2, column 2 comes out as 6; the single cell at row 3, column 1 comes out as 5.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 1: 2; row 1, column 2: 4; the cells at row 1, column 4, row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 4: all 0s; the cells at row 1, column 7, row 2, column 7 and row 3, column 7: 3, 2, 4; row 2, column 1: 1; row 2, column 2: 6; the pair standing in column 5, rows 2-3: 1, 1; row 3, column 1: 5; the pair standing in column 2, rows 3-4: 2, 4; row 3, column 6: 3; row 4, column 1: 1; the cells at row 4, column 4, row 5, column 4 and row 6, column 4: 3, 4, 3; the cells at row 4, column 6, row 4, column 7, row 5, column 7 and row 6, column 7: all 5s; row 5, column 1: 1; row 5, column 2: 1; row 6, column 1: 0; row 6, column 2: 2.
The Hard solution
The solved Hard board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 2-4 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 0-0 down column 4, rows 1-2 · 3-2 down column 7, rows 1-2 · 1-5 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 2-6 down column 2, rows 2-3 · 1-1 down column 5, rows 2-3 · 3-0 down column 4, rows 3-4 · 3-5 down column 6, rows 3-4 · 4-5 down column 7, rows 3-4 · 4-1 across row 4, columns 1-2 · 0-1 down column 1, rows 5-6 · 1-2 down column 2, rows 5-6 · 4-3 down column 4, rows 5-6 · 5-5 down column 7, rows 5-6
- Adds to 4 4
- All equal 0 = 0 = 0
- Greater than 8 3 + 2 + 4 = 9
- Adds to 1 1
- Adds to 6 6
- Adds to 2 1 + 1
- Adds to 5 5
- All different 2, 4
- Adds to 1 1
- Greater than 9 3 + 4 + 3 = 10
- All equal 5 = 5 = 5 = 5
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 2 2
- No rule 4 cells in blank regions, free to take any value