Pips hints and answers for Monday, October 19, 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. Monday'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 10 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 1, row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3 must all match; row 1, column 4 carries no rule at all; row 2, column 1 must beat 1; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4 must add to 8; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3 must add to 3; row 4, column 2 must beat 3.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the cells at row 1, column 1, row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3 are all 5s; the single cell at row 2, column 1 comes out as 4; the single cell at row 4, column 2 comes out as 5.
The solved board, region by region: the cells at row 1, column 1, row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3: all 5s; row 1, column 4: 1; row 2, column 1: 4; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4: 6, 2; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3: 1, 2; row 4, column 2: 5.
The Easy solution
The solved Easy board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 5-4 down column 1, rows 1-2 · 5-5 across row 1, columns 2-3 · 2-1 down column 4, rows 1-2 · 2-6 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 1-5 down column 2, rows 3-4
- All equal 5 = 5 = 5
- Greater than 1 4 = 4
- Adds to 8 6 + 2
- Adds to 3 1 + 2
- Greater than 3 5 = 5
- 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 5 rows by 4 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 2 must beat 3; the pair standing in column 3, rows 1-2 must beat 4; the cells at row 2, column 1, row 2, column 2 and row 3, column 2 must all differ; the cells at row 2, column 4, row 3, column 4 and row 4, column 4 must add to 12; row 3, column 1 must add to 3; the cells at row 3, column 3, row 4, column 3 and row 5, column 3 must all match; row 4, column 1 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 single cell at row 3, column 1 comes out as 3; the cells at row 3, column 3, row 4, column 3 and row 5, column 3 are all 4s; the single cell at row 4, column 1 comes out as 4.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 2: 4; the pair standing in column 3, rows 1-2: 2, 3; the cells at row 2, column 1, row 2, column 2 and row 3, column 2: 6, 1, 0; the cells at row 2, column 4, row 3, column 4 and row 4, column 4: 6, 5, 1; row 3, column 1: 3; the cells at row 3, column 3, row 4, column 3 and row 5, column 3: all 4s; row 4, column 1: 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: 4-2 across row 1, columns 2-3 · 6-1 across row 2, columns 1-2 · 6-3 across row 2, columns 3-4 · 4-3 down column 1, rows 3-4 · 0-4 across row 3, columns 2-3 · 5-1 down column 4, rows 3-4 · 4-4 down column 3, rows 4-5
- Greater than 3 4 = 4
- Greater than 4 2 + 3 = 5
- All different 6, 1, 0
- Adds to 12 6 + 5 + 1
- Adds to 3 3
- All equal 4 = 4 = 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 5 rows by 8 columns. The rules, region by region: the cells at row 1, column 1, row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3 must all match; row 1, column 4 must add to 2; the pair across row 1, columns 6-7 must add to 6; row 1, column 8 carries no rule at all; the cells at row 2, column 1, row 3, column 1 and row 3, column 2 must beat 11; row 2, column 6 must add to 6; row 3, column 3 must beat 1; row 3, column 6 carries no rule at all; row 3, column 7 must add to 2; the pair standing in column 1, rows 4-5 must add to 10; the pair standing in column 6, rows 4-5 must be less than 6; row 5, column 7 must add to 6; row 5, column 8 must beat 2.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the cells at row 1, column 1, row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3 are all 4s; the single cell at row 1, column 4 comes out as 2; the single cell at row 2, column 6 comes out as 6; the single cell at row 3, column 3 comes out as 2; the single cell at row 3, column 7 comes out as 2.
The solved board, region by region: the cells at row 1, column 1, row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3: all 4s; row 1, column 4: 2; the pair across row 1, columns 6-7: 1, 5; row 1, column 8: 3; the cells at row 2, column 1, row 3, column 1 and row 3, column 2: 3, 3, 6; row 2, column 6: 6; row 3, column 3: 2; row 3, column 6: 0; row 3, column 7: 2; the pair standing in column 1, rows 4-5: 5, 5; the pair standing in column 6, rows 4-5: 4, 0; row 5, column 7: 6; row 5, column 8: 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: 4-4 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 2-4 across row 1, columns 3-4 · 6-1 down column 6, rows 1-2 · 3-5 across row 1, columns 7-8 · 3-3 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 2-6 across row 3, columns 2-3 · 2-0 across row 3, columns 6-7 · 5-5 down column 1, rows 4-5 · 4-0 down column 6, rows 4-5 · 4-6 across row 5, columns 7-8
- All equal 4 = 4 = 4
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 6 1 + 5
- Greater than 11 3 + 3 + 6 = 12
- Adds to 6 6
- Greater than 1 2 = 2
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 10 5 + 5
- Less than 6 4 + 0 = 4
- Adds to 6 6
- Greater than 2 4 = 4
- No rule 2 cells in blank regions, free to take any value