Pips hints and answers for Wednesday, October 21, 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. Wednesday'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 16 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 3 rows by 6 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 1 carries no rule at all; the pair standing in column 2, rows 1-2 must add to 10; the pair standing in column 5, rows 1-2 must add to 10; row 1, column 6 must beat 4; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4 must add to 5; row 3, column 3 carries no rule at all; row 3, column 4 must be less than 1.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 6 comes out as 6; the single cell at row 3, column 4 comes out as 0.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 1: 0; the pair standing in column 2, rows 1-2: 4, 6; the pair standing in column 5, rows 1-2: 6, 4; row 1, column 6: 6; the pair across row 2, columns 3-4: 3, 2; row 3, column 3: 1; row 3, column 4: 0.
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 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 6-6 across row 1, columns 5-6 · 3-6 across row 2, columns 2-3 · 2-4 across row 2, columns 4-5 · 1-0 across row 3, columns 3-4
- Adds to 10 4 + 6
- Adds to 10 6 + 4
- Greater than 4 6 = 6
- Adds to 5 3 + 2
- Less than 1 0 = 0
- No rule 2 cells 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 5 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 2 must beat 4; the cells at row 1, column 3, row 2, column 3 and row 2, column 4 must all differ; the pair across row 1, columns 4-5 must all match; the pair standing in column 1, rows 2-3 must beat 7; row 2, column 2 carries no rule at all; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3 must beat 5; row 3, column 4 must add to 6; the pair across row 4, columns 3-4 must add to 8.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 2 comes out as 5; the pair across row 1, columns 4-5 are all 1s; the single cell at row 3, column 4 comes out as 6.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 2: 5; the cells at row 1, column 3, row 2, column 3 and row 2, column 4: 2, 0, 1; the pair across row 1, columns 4-5: all 1s; the pair standing in column 1, rows 2-3: 5, 3; row 2, column 2: 1; the pair across row 3, columns 2-3: 4, 2; row 3, column 4: 6; the pair across row 4, columns 3-4: 4, 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: 2-5 across row 1, columns 2-3 · 1-1 across row 1, columns 4-5 · 1-5 across row 2, columns 1-2 · 1-0 across row 2, columns 3-4 · 3-4 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 2-6 across row 3, columns 3-4 · 4-4 across row 4, columns 3-4
- Greater than 4 5 = 5
- All different 2, 0, 1
- All equal 1 = 1
- Greater than 7 5 + 3 = 8
- Greater than 5 4 + 2 = 6
- Adds to 6 6
- Adds to 8 4 + 4
- No rule 1 cell 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 9 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 1 must be less than 3; row 1, column 4 must beat 3; the cells at row 1, column 6, row 1, column 7 and row 2, column 6 must all match; row 1, column 8 must add to 5; row 1, column 9 must beat 1; row 2, column 1 must add to 2; the pair standing in column 2, rows 2-3 must be less than 3; row 2, column 4 must add to 1; row 2, column 9 must add to 5; the pair standing in column 1, rows 3-4 must all match; row 3, column 3 carries no rule at all; row 3, column 4 must beat 0; row 3, column 6 must add to 5; row 3, column 9 must add to 3; the pair across row 4, columns 3-4 must add to 9; the cells at row 4, column 6, row 4, column 7 and row 5, column 6 must add to 7; row 4, column 8 must add to 3; the pair standing in column 9, rows 4-5 must all differ; the pair standing in column 1, rows 5-6 must add to 3; the pair standing in column 4, rows 5-6 must add to 0; row 6, column 6 must add to 3; row 6, column 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 2; the single cell at row 1, column 4 comes out as 4; the cells at row 1, column 6, row 1, column 7 and row 2, column 6 are all 4s; the single cell at row 1, column 8 comes out as 5; the single cell at row 1, column 9 comes out as 2.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 1: 2; row 1, column 4: 4; the cells at row 1, column 6, row 1, column 7 and row 2, column 6: all 4s; row 1, column 8: 5; row 1, column 9: 2; row 2, column 1: 2; the pair standing in column 2, rows 2-3: 2, 0; row 2, column 4: 1; row 2, column 9: 5; the pair standing in column 1, rows 3-4: all 5s; row 3, column 3: 0; row 3, column 4: 4; row 3, column 6: 5; row 3, column 9: 3; the pair across row 4, columns 3-4: 3, 6; the cells at row 4, column 6, row 4, column 7 and row 5, column 6: 4, 2, 1; row 4, column 8: 3; the pair standing in column 9, rows 4-5: 4, 1; the pair standing in column 1, rows 5-6: 1, 2; the pair standing in column 4, rows 5-6: 0, 0; row 6, column 6: 3; row 6, column 9: 5.
The Hard solution
The solved Hard board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 2-2 down column 1, rows 1-2 · 1-4 down column 4, rows 1-2 · 4-4 across row 1, columns 6-7 · 2-5 across row 1, columns 8-9 · 2-0 down column 2, rows 2-3 · 5-4 down column 6, rows 2-3 · 3-5 down column 9, rows 2-3 · 5-5 down column 1, rows 3-4 · 4-0 across row 3, columns 3-4 · 3-6 across row 4, columns 3-4 · 2-4 across row 4, columns 6-7 · 4-3 across row 4, columns 8-9 · 2-1 down column 1, rows 5-6 · 0-0 down column 4, rows 5-6 · 1-3 down column 6, rows 5-6 · 1-5 down column 9, rows 5-6
- Less than 3 2 = 2
- Greater than 3 4 = 4
- All equal 4 = 4 = 4
- Adds to 5 5
- Greater than 1 2 = 2
- Adds to 2 2
- Less than 3 2 + 0 = 2
- Adds to 1 1
- Adds to 5 5
- All equal 5 = 5
- Greater than 0 4 = 4
- Adds to 5 5
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 9 3 + 6
- Adds to 7 4 + 2 + 1
- Adds to 3 3
- All different 4, 1
- Adds to 3 1 + 2
- Adds to 0 0 + 0
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 5 5
- No rule 1 cell in blank regions, free to take any value