Pips hints and answers for Friday, October 23, 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. Friday'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 2 rows by 5 columns. The rules, region by region: the pair standing in column 1, rows 1-2 must add to 3; row 1, column 2 must add to 3; the cells at row 1, column 3, row 2, column 2 and row 2, column 3 must all match; the pair across row 1, columns 4-5 must all match; row 2, column 4 carries no rule at all; row 2, column 5 must beat 5.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 2 comes out as 3; the cells at row 1, column 3, row 2, column 2 and row 2, column 3 are all 4s; the pair across row 1, columns 4-5 are all 5s; the single cell at row 2, column 5 comes out as 6.
The solved board, region by region: the pair standing in column 1, rows 1-2: 1, 2; row 1, column 2: 3; the cells at row 1, column 3, row 2, column 2 and row 2, column 3: all 4s; the pair across row 1, columns 4-5: all 5s; row 2, column 4: 2; row 2, column 5: 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: 3-1 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 4-4 down column 3, rows 1-2 · 5-2 down column 4, rows 1-2 · 6-5 down column 5, rows 1-2 · 2-4 across row 2, columns 1-2
- Adds to 3 1 + 2
- Adds to 3 3
- All equal 4 = 4 = 4
- All equal 5 = 5
- Greater than 5 6 = 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 1-2 must beat 7; the cells at row 2, column 1, row 3, column 1 and row 4, column 1 must add to 15; row 2, column 2 must beat 1; the cells at row 2, column 3, row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 3 must all match; the pair standing in column 2, rows 3-4 must add to 4; row 4, column 3 carries no rule at all; row 5, column 2 must be less than 3; row 5, column 3 must be less than 2.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 2, column 2 comes out as 2; the cells at row 2, column 3, row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 3 are all 4s; the single cell at row 5, column 2 comes out as 2; the single cell at row 5, column 3 comes out as 1.
The solved board, region by region: the pair across row 1, columns 1-2: 6, 2; the cells at row 2, column 1, row 3, column 1 and row 4, column 1: 5, 5, 5; row 2, column 2: 2; the cells at row 2, column 3, row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 3: all 4s; the pair standing in column 2, rows 3-4: 0, 4; row 4, column 3: 4; row 5, column 2: 2; row 5, column 3: 1.
The Medium solution
The solved Medium board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 5-6 down column 1, rows 1-2 · 2-2 down column 2, rows 1-2 · 4-4 across row 2, columns 3-4 · 5-5 down column 1, rows 3-4 · 0-4 across row 3, columns 2-3 · 4-2 down column 2, rows 4-5 · 1-4 down column 3, rows 4-5
- Greater than 7 6 + 2 = 8
- Adds to 15 5 + 5 + 5
- Greater than 1 2 = 2
- All equal 4 = 4 = 4
- Adds to 4 0 + 4
- Less than 3 2 = 2
- Less than 2 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 6 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 2 must add to 0; row 1, column 3 must add to 4; row 1, column 4 must add to 1; row 1, column 5 must add to 0; row 2, column 1 must add to 2; row 2, column 2 must add to 1; row 2, column 3 must add to 3; row 2, column 4 must add to 2; row 2, column 5 must add to 3; row 2, column 6 must add to 1; row 3, column 1 must add to 3; row 3, column 2 must add to 3; row 3, column 3 must add to 2; row 3, column 4 must add to 4; row 3, column 5 must add to 1; row 3, column 6 must add to 0; row 4, column 1 must add to 0; row 4, column 2 must add to 4; row 4, column 3 must add to 4; row 4, column 4 must add to 3; row 4, column 5 carries no rule at all; row 4, column 6 must add to 1; row 5, column 1 must add to 5; row 5, column 2 must add to 2; row 5, column 3 must add to 5; row 5, column 4 must add to 4; row 5, column 5 must add to 5; row 5, column 6 must add to 5; row 6, column 2 must add to 0; row 6, column 3 must add to 5; row 6, column 4 must add to 2; row 6, column 5 must add to 3.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 1, column 2 comes out as 0; the single cell at row 1, column 3 comes out as 4; the single cell at row 1, column 4 comes out as 1; the single cell at row 1, column 5 comes out as 0; the single cell at row 2, column 1 comes out as 2.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 2: 0; row 1, column 3: 4; row 1, column 4: 1; row 1, column 5: 0; row 2, column 1: 2; row 2, column 2: 1; row 2, column 3: 3; row 2, column 4: 2; row 2, column 5: 3; row 2, column 6: 1; row 3, column 1: 3; row 3, column 2: 3; row 3, column 3: 2; row 3, column 4: 4; row 3, column 5: 1; row 3, column 6: 0; row 4, column 1: 0; row 4, column 2: 4; row 4, column 3: 4; row 4, column 4: 3; row 4, column 5: 6; row 4, column 6: 1; row 5, column 1: 5; row 5, column 2: 2; row 5, column 3: 5; row 5, column 4: 4; row 5, column 5: 5; row 5, column 6: 5; row 6, column 2: 0; row 6, column 3: 5; row 6, column 4: 2; row 6, column 5: 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: 0-4 across row 1, columns 2-3 · 1-2 down column 4, rows 1-2 · 0-3 down column 5, rows 1-2 · 2-3 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 1-3 across row 2, columns 2-3 · 0-1 down column 6, rows 2-3 · 3-4 down column 2, rows 3-4 · 2-4 down column 3, rows 3-4 · 1-4 across row 3, columns 4-5 · 0-5 down column 1, rows 4-5 · 3-6 across row 4, columns 4-5 · 1-5 down column 6, rows 4-5 · 0-2 down column 2, rows 5-6 · 4-5 across row 5, columns 3-4 · 3-5 down column 5, rows 5-6 · 2-5 across row 6, columns 3-4
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 4 4
- Adds to 1 1
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 1 1
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 1 1
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 4 4
- Adds to 1 1
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 4 4
- Adds to 4 4
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 1 1
- Adds to 5 5
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 5 5
- Adds to 4 4
- Adds to 5 5
- Adds to 5 5
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 5 5
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 3 3
- No rule 1 cell in blank regions, free to take any value