Pips hints and answers for Thursday, October 22, 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. Thursday'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 11 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 pair standing in column 2, rows 1-2 must add to 6; row 2, column 3 must beat 4; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2 must all match; the pair across row 3, columns 3-4 must add to 6; row 4, column 2 carries no rule at all; the pair across row 4, columns 3-4 must add to 6.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 2, column 3 comes out as 5; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2 are all 0s.
The solved board, region by region: the pair standing in column 2, rows 1-2: 3, 3; row 2, column 3: 5; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2: all 0s; the pair across row 3, columns 3-4: 0, 6; row 4, column 2: 4; the pair across row 4, columns 3-4: 0, 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: 3-3 down column 2, rows 1-2 · 0-5 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 0-0 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 6-6 down column 4, rows 3-4 · 4-0 across row 4, columns 2-3
- Adds to 6 3 + 3
- Greater than 4 5 = 5
- All equal 0 = 0
- Adds to 6 0 + 6
- Adds to 6 0 + 6
- 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: the pair across row 1, columns 2-3 must add to 6; the pair across row 2, columns 1-2 must be less than 6; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2 must all match; the pair across row 3, columns 3-4 must add to 7; the cells at row 4, column 2, row 4, column 3 and row 5, column 3 must all differ; row 4, column 4 must add to 0; row 5, column 4 must add to 1; row 2, column 3 carries no rule at all.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the pair across row 3, columns 1-2 are all 6s; the single cell at row 4, column 4 comes out as 0; the single cell at row 5, column 4 comes out as 1.
The solved board, region by region: the pair across row 1, columns 2-3: 4, 2; the pair across row 2, columns 1-2: 4, 1; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2: all 6s; the pair across row 3, columns 3-4: 5, 2; the cells at row 4, column 2, row 4, column 3 and row 5, column 3: 4, 3, 5; row 4, column 4: 0; row 5, column 4: 1; row 2, column 3: 3.
The Medium solution
The solved Medium board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 2-4 across row 1, columns 2-3 · 4-1 across row 2, columns 1-2 · 5-3 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 6-6 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 0-2 down column 4, rows 3-4 · 4-3 across row 4, columns 2-3 · 5-1 across row 5, columns 3-4
- Adds to 6 4 + 2
- Less than 6 4 + 1 = 5
- All equal 6 = 6
- Adds to 7 5 + 2
- All different 4, 3, 5
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 1 1
- 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: the cells at row 1, column 1, row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3 must all differ; row 1, column 5 must add to 2; the pair across row 1, columns 6-7 must add to 6; the pair across row 1, columns 8-9 must be less than 2; the pair standing in column 1, rows 2-3 must add to 9; row 2, column 3 must add to 2; row 2, column 7 must add to 0; row 3, column 2 must add to 2; row 3, column 3 carries no rule at all; row 3, column 7 must add to 6; the pair standing in column 1, rows 4-5 must all match; row 4, column 3 must add to 2; the cells at row 4, column 7, row 5, column 7 and row 6, column 7 must all differ; row 5, column 3 must add to 2.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 5 comes out as 2; the single cell at row 2, column 3 comes out as 2; the single cell at row 2, column 7 comes out as 0; the single cell at row 3, column 2 comes out as 2; the single cell at row 3, column 7 comes out as 6.
The solved board, region by region: the cells at row 1, column 1, row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3: 4, 0, 6; row 1, column 5: 2; the pair across row 1, columns 6-7: 0, 6; the pair across row 1, columns 8-9: 0, 1; the pair standing in column 1, rows 2-3: 4, 5; row 2, column 3: 2; row 2, column 7: 0; row 3, column 2: 2; row 3, column 3: 4; row 3, column 7: 6; the pair standing in column 1, rows 4-5: all 1s; row 4, column 3: 2; the cells at row 4, column 7, row 5, column 7 and row 6, column 7: 4, 1, 3; row 5, column 3: 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: 4-0 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 6-2 down column 3, rows 1-2 · 0-2 across row 1, columns 5-6 · 0-6 down column 7, rows 1-2 · 1-0 across row 1, columns 8-9 · 4-5 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 4-2 across row 3, columns 2-3 · 4-6 down column 7, rows 3-4 · 1-1 down column 1, rows 4-5 · 2-2 down column 3, rows 4-5 · 1-3 down column 7, rows 5-6
- All different 4, 0, 6
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 6 0 + 6
- Less than 2 0 + 1 = 1
- Adds to 9 4 + 5
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 6 6
- All equal 1 = 1
- Adds to 2 2
- All different 4, 1, 3
- Adds to 2 2
- No rule 1 cell in blank regions, free to take any value