NYT Pips HelperTuesday, October 6, 2026
Today's hintHint archiveAll answers

Pips hints — Monday, October 5, 2026

An archived puzzle. Pick your difficulty for a spoiler-safe nudge, then reveal the full board if you want it.

Monday, October 5, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 6 regions and target-sum and less-than constraints. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Easy
Start with the green region — its one cell must be less than 1. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
There is exactly one home for the 0–1: down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because green must be less than 1.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — October 5, 2026

43
45
01
23
63

blue (=4): 1 · 3 | purple (=9): 4 · 5 | green (<1): 0 | amber (=9): 6 · 3 | orange (=3): 3 | slate (=6): 2 · 4

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue4 — Add up to exactly 42
Purple9 — Add up to exactly 92
Green<1 — Be less than 11
Amber9 — Add up to exactly 92
Orange3 — Be exactly 31
Slate6 — Add up to exactly 62

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 11 regions and target-sum, less-than, all-equal and greater-than constraints. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Medium
Start with the green region — its one cell must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 5–3: down column 3, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must be more than 4.

Hint 3

Medium
Lay the 1–4 down column 4, rows 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must be less than 2.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — October 5, 2026

53
52
33
46
14
26
54

blue (=7): 2 · 5 | purple (<5): 4 | green (=4): 4 | amber (<6): 5 | orange: 6 | slate (=): 3 · 3 · 3 | teal: 4 | pink: 6 | lime (>4): 5 | brown (<2): 1 | blue (<4): 2

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue7 — Add up to exactly 72
Purple<5 — Be less than 51
Green4 — Be exactly 41
Amber<6 — Be less than 61
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell3
TealTake any value it likes1
PinkTake any value it likes1
Lime>4 — Be more than 41
Brown<2 — Be less than 21
Blue<4 — Be less than 41

Hard today: 15 dominoes, 18 regions and target-sum and all-equal constraints. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hard is where most players get stuck. We break it into small, spoiler-safe nudges so you can stop the moment you’re unstuck.

Hint 1 — where to start

Hard
Start with the blue region — its one cell must be exactly 6. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 0–6: down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must be exactly 6. The 0 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 1.

Hint 3

Hard
Lay the 0–1 across row 1, columns 2–3 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because green must be exactly 0.

Hint 4

Hard
Place the 3–2 domino across row 1, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must be exactly 3.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — October 5, 2026

01
50
61
24
63
44
26
22
06
02
33
32
13
30
00

blue (=6): 6 | purple (=1): 1 · 0 · 0 | green (=0): 0 | amber (=): 2 · 2 · 2 | orange (=3): 3 | slate (=8): 4 · 4 | teal (=4): 4 | pink (=6): 6 | lime (=3): 3 | brown (=1): 0 · 1 | blue (=9): 3 · 3 · 3 | purple (=6): 6 | green (=2): 2 | amber (=1): 1 | orange (=14): 6 · 3 · 5 | slate (=2): 2 | teal (=): 0 · 0 · 0 | pink (=2): 2

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue6 — Be exactly 61
Purple1 — Add up to exactly 13
Green0 — Be exactly 01
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell3
Orange3 — Be exactly 31
Slate8 — Add up to exactly 82
Teal4 — Be exactly 41
Pink6 — Be exactly 61
Lime3 — Be exactly 31
Brown1 — Add up to exactly 12
Blue9 — Add up to exactly 93
Purple6 — Be exactly 61
Green2 — Be exactly 21
Amber1 — Be exactly 11
Orange14 — Add up to exactly 143
Slate2 — Be exactly 21
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell3
Pink2 — Be exactly 21
← Oct 4 All hintsFull answers for this day Oct 6 →