Pips hints and answers for Sunday, October 18, 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. Sunday's three boards were edited by Ian Livengood: an Easy board by Ian Livengood with 5 dominoes, then Medium and Hard boards by Rodolfo Kurchan with 7 and 15 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: the cells at row 1, column 3, row 2, column 2, row 2, column 3, row 3, column 1 and row 3, column 2 must add to 5; row 1, column 4 must beat 3; row 2, column 1 must add to 5; the pair standing in column 3, rows 3-4 must add to 9; row 4, column 4 carries no rule at all.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 4 comes out as 4; the single cell at row 2, column 1 comes out as 5.
The solved board, region by region: the cells at row 1, column 3, row 2, column 2, row 2, column 3, row 3, column 1 and row 3, column 2: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1; row 1, column 4: 4; row 2, column 1: 5; the pair standing in column 3, rows 3-4: 6, 3; row 4, column 4: 4.
The Easy solution
The solved Easy board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 4-1 across row 1, columns 3-4 · 1-5 across row 2, columns 1-2 · 6-1 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 1-1 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 4-3 across row 4, columns 3-4
- Adds to 5 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1
- Greater than 3 4 = 4
- Adds to 5 5
- Adds to 9 6 + 3
- No rule 1 cell in blank regions, free to take any value
Medium board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Rodolfo Kurchan · Tap to show one hint at a time.
This board runs 4 rows by 6 columns. The rules, region by region: the pair standing in column 1, rows 1-2 must beat 7; row 1, column 2 must add to 4; the cells at row 2, column 2, row 2, column 3, row 3, column 2 and row 4, column 2 must all differ; the cells at row 2, column 4, row 3, column 3 and row 3, column 4 must all match; row 2, column 5 must be less than 2; the pair standing in column 6, rows 2-3 must add to 10; row 3, column 5 must be less than 5.
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 2, column 4, row 3, column 3 and row 3, column 4 are all 2s; the single cell at row 2, column 5 comes out as 1; the single cell at row 3, column 5 comes out as 4.
The solved board, region by region: the pair standing in column 1, rows 1-2: 5, 3; row 1, column 2: 4; the cells at row 2, column 2, row 2, column 3, row 3, column 2 and row 4, column 2: 4, 5, 3, 6; the cells at row 2, column 4, row 3, column 3 and row 3, column 4: all 2s; row 2, column 5: 1; the pair standing in column 6, rows 2-3: 6, 4; row 3, column 5: 4.
The Medium solution
The solved Medium board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 5-3 down column 1, rows 1-2 · 4-4 down column 2, rows 1-2 · 2-5 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 2-1 across row 2, columns 4-5 · 6-4 down column 6, rows 2-3 · 6-3 down column 2, rows 3-4 · 4-2 across row 3, columns 4-5
- Greater than 7 5 + 3 = 8
- Adds to 4 4
- All different 4, 5, 3, 6
- All equal 2 = 2 = 2
- Less than 2 1 = 1
- Adds to 10 6 + 4
- Less than 5 4 = 4
Hard board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Rodolfo Kurchan · Tap to show one hint at a time.
This board runs 7 rows by 8 columns. The rules, region by region: the pair across row 1, columns 1-2 must add to 2; the cells at row 1, column 5, row 2, column 5 and row 3, column 5 must all match; the cells at row 1, column 8, row 2, column 8 and row 3, column 8 must add to 12; row 2, column 1 must be less than 2; row 2, column 3 carries no rule at all; row 3, column 1 carries no rule at all; row 3, column 3 carries no rule at all; the cells at row 3, column 6, row 3, column 7, row 4, column 6 and row 4, column 7 must all match; the cells at row 4, column 1, row 4, column 2 and row 5, column 1 must be less than 9; the pair standing in column 3, rows 5-6 must be less than 5; row 5, column 6 must be less than 2; row 5, column 7 must beat 4; row 6, column 1 must add to 5; the pair standing in column 6, rows 6-7 must be less than 7; the pair standing in column 7, rows 6-7 must add to 3; the pair across row 7, columns 1-2 must add to 9.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the cells at row 1, column 5, row 2, column 5 and row 3, column 5 are all 6s; the single cell at row 2, column 1 comes out as 1; the cells at row 3, column 6, row 3, column 7, row 4, column 6 and row 4, column 7 are all 2s; the single cell at row 5, column 6 comes out as 1; the single cell at row 5, column 7 comes out as 5.
The solved board, region by region: the pair across row 1, columns 1-2: 2, 0; the cells at row 1, column 5, row 2, column 5 and row 3, column 5: all 6s; the cells at row 1, column 8, row 2, column 8 and row 3, column 8: 4, 6, 2; row 2, column 1: 1; row 2, column 3: 4; row 3, column 1: 4; row 3, column 3: 3; the cells at row 3, column 6, row 3, column 7, row 4, column 6 and row 4, column 7: all 2s; the cells at row 4, column 1, row 4, column 2 and row 5, column 1: 2, 3, 3; the pair standing in column 3, rows 5-6: 1, 3; row 5, column 6: 1; row 5, column 7: 5; row 6, column 1: 5; the pair standing in column 6, rows 6-7: 2, 4; the pair standing in column 7, rows 6-7: 3, 0; the pair across row 7, columns 1-2: 6, 3.
The Hard solution
The solved Hard board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 2-0 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 6-6 down column 5, rows 1-2 · 4-6 down column 8, rows 1-2 · 1-4 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 3-4 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 6-2 across row 3, columns 5-6 · 2-2 across row 3, columns 7-8 · 3-2 across row 4, columns 1-2 · 2-1 down column 6, rows 4-5 · 2-5 down column 7, rows 4-5 · 5-3 down column 1, rows 5-6 · 1-3 down column 3, rows 5-6 · 2-4 down column 6, rows 6-7 · 0-3 down column 7, rows 6-7 · 6-3 across row 7, columns 1-2
- Adds to 2 2 + 0
- All equal 6 = 6 = 6
- Adds to 12 4 + 6 + 2
- Less than 2 1 = 1
- All equal 2 = 2 = 2 = 2
- Less than 9 2 + 3 + 3 = 8
- Less than 5 1 + 3 = 4
- Less than 2 1 = 1
- Greater than 4 5 = 5
- Adds to 5 5
- Less than 7 2 + 4 = 6
- Adds to 3 3 + 0
- Adds to 9 6 + 3
- No rule 3 cells in blank regions, free to take any value