Pips hints and answers for Tuesday, October 20, 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. Tuesday'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 5 rows by 4 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 4 must be less than 2; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4 must add to 7; row 3, column 1 must be less than 3; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3 must all match; the cells at row 4, column 2, row 4, column 3 and row 5, column 3 must all match; row 5, 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 0; the single cell at row 3, column 1 comes out as 1; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3 are all 3s; the cells at row 4, column 2, row 4, column 3 and row 5, column 3 are all 1s.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 4: 0; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4: 4, 3; row 3, column 1: 1; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3: all 3s; the cells at row 4, column 2, row 4, column 3 and row 5, column 3: all 1s; row 5, 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: 0-3 down column 4, rows 1-2 · 3-4 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 3-1 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 1-1 across row 4, columns 2-3 · 4-1 across row 5, columns 3-4
- Less than 2 0 = 0
- Adds to 7 4 + 3
- Less than 3 1 = 1
- All equal 3 = 3
- All equal 1 = 1 = 1
- 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 4 columns. The rules, region by region: the pair standing in column 1, rows 1-2 must add to 5; row 1, column 2 must add to 6; row 1, column 3 must add to 0; row 1, column 4 carries no rule at all; the cells at row 2, column 2, row 2, column 3 and row 3, column 3 must add to 7; row 2, column 4 carries no rule at all; row 3, column 1 must add to 3; the cells at row 3, column 2, row 4, column 2 and row 4, column 3 must all match; row 3, column 4 must beat 4.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 2 comes out as 6; the single cell at row 1, column 3 comes out as 0; the single cell at row 3, column 1 comes out as 3; the cells at row 3, column 2, row 4, column 2 and row 4, column 3 are all 0s; the single cell at row 3, column 4 comes out as 5.
The solved board, region by region: the pair standing in column 1, rows 1-2: 2, 3; row 1, column 2: 6; row 1, column 3: 0; row 1, column 4: 2; the cells at row 2, column 2, row 2, column 3 and row 3, column 3: 1, 3, 3; row 2, column 4: 4; row 3, column 1: 3; the cells at row 3, column 2, row 4, column 2 and row 4, column 3: all 0s; row 3, column 4: 5.
The Medium solution
The solved Medium board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 2-6 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 2-0 across row 1, columns 3-4 · 1-3 across row 2, columns 1-2 · 4-3 across row 2, columns 3-4 · 0-3 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 3-5 across row 3, columns 3-4 · 0-0 across row 4, columns 2-3
- Adds to 5 2 + 3
- Adds to 6 6
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 7 1 + 3 + 3
- Adds to 3 3
- All equal 0 = 0 = 0
- Greater than 4 5 = 5
- 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 9 rows by 9 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 1 must add to 3; the pair across row 1, columns 2-3 must beat 8; row 1, column 5 must beat 4; row 1, column 8 carries no rule at all; row 2, column 1 must add to 5; the cells at row 2, column 5, row 3, column 5 and row 4, column 5 must all match; row 2, column 8 must beat 2; the pair standing in column 1, rows 3-4 must add to 8; row 3, column 2 must add to 0; the cells at row 3, column 8, row 4, column 7 and row 4, column 8 must all match; row 4, column 6 carries no rule at all; row 5, column 1 carries no rule at all; row 6, column 3 must beat 1; the cells at row 6, column 7, row 7, column 7 and row 8, column 7 must add to 10; row 7, column 3 must be less than 2; row 8, column 3 must add to 3; row 9, column 3 must beat 2; row 9, column 4 must add to 4; row 9, column 5 must add to 3; row 9, column 7 must add to 0; the pair across row 9, columns 8-9 must add to 5.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 1 comes out as 3; the single cell at row 1, column 5 comes out as 6; the single cell at row 2, column 1 comes out as 5; the cells at row 2, column 5, row 3, column 5 and row 4, column 5 are all 5s; the single cell at row 2, column 8 comes out as 6.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 1: 3; the pair across row 1, columns 2-3: 4, 5; row 1, column 5: 6; row 1, column 8: 2; row 2, column 1: 5; the cells at row 2, column 5, row 3, column 5 and row 4, column 5: all 5s; row 2, column 8: 6; the pair standing in column 1, rows 3-4: 4, 4; row 3, column 2: 0; the cells at row 3, column 8, row 4, column 7 and row 4, column 8: all 1s; row 4, column 6: 0; row 5, column 1: 1; row 6, column 3: 2; the cells at row 6, column 7, row 7, column 7 and row 8, column 7: 5, 2, 3; row 7, column 3: 1; row 8, column 3: 3; row 9, column 3: 3; row 9, column 4: 4; row 9, column 5: 3; row 9, column 7: 0; the pair across row 9, columns 8-9: 2, 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: 5-3 down column 1, rows 1-2 · 4-5 across row 1, columns 2-3 · 6-5 down column 5, rows 1-2 · 6-2 down column 8, rows 1-2 · 0-4 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 5-5 down column 5, rows 3-4 · 1-1 down column 8, rows 3-4 · 4-1 down column 1, rows 4-5 · 1-0 across row 4, columns 6-7 · 2-1 down column 3, rows 6-7 · 2-5 down column 7, rows 6-7 · 3-3 down column 3, rows 8-9 · 0-3 down column 7, rows 8-9 · 3-4 across row 9, columns 4-5 · 2-3 across row 9, columns 8-9
- Adds to 3 3
- Greater than 8 4 + 5 = 9
- Greater than 4 6 = 6
- Adds to 5 5
- All equal 5 = 5 = 5
- Greater than 2 6 = 6
- Adds to 8 4 + 4
- Adds to 0 0
- All equal 1 = 1 = 1
- Greater than 1 2 = 2
- Adds to 10 5 + 2 + 3
- Less than 2 1 = 1
- Adds to 3 3
- Greater than 2 3 = 3
- Adds to 4 4
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 5 2 + 3
- No rule 3 cells in blank regions, free to take any value