Pips hints and answers for Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Pips is the NYT domino logic game: place every domino from the tray so that each 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. Today brings three boards, edited by Ian Livengood: an Easy board by Ian Livengood with 5 dominoes, a Medium board by Rodolfo Kurchan with 7 dominoes, and a Hard board by Rodolfo Kurchan with 15 dominoes. Each board gets its own hint ladder below, then its solved grid behind a tap, ready when you are.
Easy board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Ian Livengood · Tap to show one hint at a time.
Two equals pairs anchor this board: the pair standing in column 3, rows 1-2 must match, and so must the pair lying across row 3, columns 3-4. One pair is pinned to an exact sum: the pair lying across row 2, columns 1-2 adds to exactly 10. Three singles must beat their targets: row 1, column 2 must beat 4, row 3, column 1 must beat 1, and row 2, column 4 must beat 0. One cell carries no rule at all: row 1, column 4.
The equals pair in column 3 is two 2s, and the equals pair across row 3 is two 1s. The sum-10 pair is two 5s. The three singles that must beat their targets read 6, 3 and 5, each clearing its mark with room to spare.
The 5-1 domino stands in column 4, rows 2-3, its 5 at row 2 and its 1 at row 3. The 2-0 domino lies across row 1, columns 3-4, its 2 at column 3 and its 0 at column 4. The 5-3 domino stands in column 1, rows 2-3, its 5 at row 2 and its 3 at row 3. The 6-5 domino stands in column 2, rows 1-2, its 6 at row 1 and its 5 at row 2. The 2-1 domino stands in column 3, rows 2-3, its 2 at row 2 and its 1 at row 3.
The Easy solution
The solved Easy board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 6-5 down column 2, rows 1-2 · 2-0 across row 1, columns 3-4 · 5-3 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 2-1 down column 3, rows 2-3 · 5-1 down column 4, rows 2-3
- All equal 1 = 1
- Adds to 10 5 + 5
- All equal 2 = 2
- Greater than 4 6 = 6
- Greater than 1 3 = 3
- Greater than 0 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.
Two groups are capped: the pair lying across row 1, columns 1-2 must add to less than 2, and the trio at row 2, column 1 together with row 3, columns 1-2 must add to less than 8. One pair is pinned to an exact sum: the pair lying across row 2, columns 2-3 adds to exactly 10. One trio must all differ: row 2, column 4 together with row 3, columns 3-4. One trio must all match: row 2, column 5 together with row 3, columns 5-6. One cell carries no rule at all: row 1, column 3.
The capped pair across row 1 reads 0 and 1, adding to just 1. The capped trio reads 3, 1 and 3, adding to 7. The sum-10 pair reads 4 and 6. The all-different trio reads 4, 3 and 2, and the all-equal trio is three 6s.
The 2-6 domino stands in column 3, rows 1-2, its 2 at row 1 and its 6 at row 2. The 3-1 domino lies across row 3, columns 1-2, its 1 at column 1 and its 3 at column 2. The 6-6 domino lies across row 3, columns 5-6, its 6 at column 5 and its 6 at column 6. The 0-3 domino stands in column 1, rows 1-2, its 0 at row 1 and its 3 at row 2. The 3-2 domino lies across row 3, columns 3-4, its 3 at column 3 and its 2 at column 4. The 4-1 domino stands in column 2, rows 1-2, its 1 at row 1 and its 4 at row 2. The 6-4 domino lies across row 2, columns 4-5, its 4 at column 4 and its 6 at column 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: 0-3 down column 1, rows 1-2 · 4-1 down column 2, rows 1-2 · 2-6 down column 3, rows 1-2 · 6-4 across row 2, columns 4-5 · 3-1 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 3-2 across row 3, columns 3-4 · 6-6 across row 3, columns 5-6
- Less than 2 0 + 1 = 1
- Less than 8 3 + 1 + 3 = 7
- Adds to 10 4 + 6
- All different 4, 3, 2
- All equal 6 = 6 = 6
- 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 pins a crowd of singles: row 1 pins 3 at column 2, 0 at column 3, 2 at column 4 and 3 at column 5, while the pair standing in column 1, rows 1-2, adds to exactly 5 and the pair standing in column 6, rows 1-2, must match. Row 2 pins 6 at column 2, 2 at column 3 and 1 at column 5, and one single there must beat 4: column 4. A four-cell equals region runs down column 1, rows 3-5, and finishes at row 5, column 2. Row 3 pins 4 at column 4, 6 at column 5 and 2 at column 6. Row 4 caps one single under 4 at column 2 and demands one over 4 at column 5, row 5 demands one over 4 at column 3, a second four-cell equals region joins row 4, column 6 and row 5, column 6 to row 6, columns 5-6, and the whole bottom row, columns 1-4, adds to exactly 4.
Every equals region is uniform: the column 6 pair is two 4s, the column 1 group is four 2s, and the bottom-right group is four 4s. The bottom row's sum of 4 is four 1s. The column 1 pair that adds to 5 reads 3 and 2, the single that must beat 4 in row 2 is a 5, the row 4 single over 4 is a 5, the row 5 single over 4 is a 5, and the capped single in row 4 is a 3.
The 4-5 domino lies across row 4, columns 5-6, its 5 at column 5 and its 4 at column 6. The 3-3 domino lies across row 1, columns 1-2, its 3 at column 1 and its 3 at column 2. The 4-2 domino stands in column 6, rows 2-3, its 4 at row 2 and its 2 at row 3. The 1-5 domino lies across row 2, columns 4-5, its 5 at column 4 and its 1 at column 5. The 1-1 domino lies across row 6, columns 2-3, its 1 at column 2 and its 1 at column 3. The 2-0 domino lies across row 1, columns 3-4, its 0 at column 3 and its 2 at column 4. The 1-4 domino lies across row 6, columns 4-5, its 1 at column 4 and its 4 at column 5. The 3-2 domino lies across row 4, columns 1-2, its 2 at column 1 and its 3 at column 2. The 2-6 domino lies across row 2, columns 2-3, its 6 at column 2 and its 2 at column 3. The 4-4 domino stands in column 6, rows 5-6, its 4 at row 5 and its 4 at row 6. The 1-2 domino stands in column 1, rows 5-6, its 2 at row 5 and its 1 at row 6. The 2-2 domino stands in column 1, rows 2-3, its 2 at row 2 and its 2 at row 3. The 2-5 domino lies across row 5, columns 2-3, its 2 at column 2 and its 5 at column 3. The 4-3 domino lies across row 1, columns 5-6, its 3 at column 5 and its 4 at column 6. The 6-4 domino lies across row 3, columns 4-5, its 4 at column 4 and its 6 at column 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: 3-3 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 2-0 across row 1, columns 3-4 · 4-3 across row 1, columns 5-6 · 2-2 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 2-6 across row 2, columns 2-3 · 1-5 across row 2, columns 4-5 · 4-2 down column 6, rows 2-3 · 6-4 across row 3, columns 4-5 · 3-2 across row 4, columns 1-2 · 4-5 across row 4, columns 5-6 · 1-2 down column 1, rows 5-6 · 2-5 across row 5, columns 2-3 · 4-4 down column 6, rows 5-6 · 1-1 across row 6, columns 2-3 · 1-4 across row 6, columns 4-5
- Adds to 5 3 + 2
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 2 2
- Adds to 3 3
- All equal 4 = 4
- Adds to 6 6
- Adds to 2 2
- Greater than 4 5 = 5
- Adds to 1 1
- All equal 2 = 2 = 2 = 2
- Adds to 4 4
- Adds to 6 6
- Adds to 2 2
- Less than 4 3 = 3
- Greater than 4 5 = 5
- All equal 4 = 4 = 4 = 4
- Greater than 4 5 = 5
- Adds to 4 1 + 1 + 1 + 1