NYT Pips HelperMonday, October 12, 2026

Pips hints — Sunday, October 11, 2026

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

Sunday, October 11, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 5 regions and all-equal, target-sum, greater-than 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
Look at the amber region first. Across one cell it has to be more than 4. Only 2 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 6–4 domino across row 2, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must be more than 4.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — October 11, 2026

64
22
40
24
34

blue (=): 2 · 2 · 2 | purple (=7): 3 · 4 | green (=): 4 · 4 · 4 | amber (>4): 6 | orange (<2): 0

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue= — Show the same number on every cell3
Purple7 — Add up to exactly 72
Green= — Show the same number on every cell3
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
Orange<2 — Be less than 21

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 9 regions and less-than, all-equal, target-sum 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
Look at the blue region first. Across one cell it has to be less than 2. Only 2 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 1–0 domino down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must be less than 2.

Hint 3

Medium
The 2–2 belongs down column 4, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 2. The 2 half sits in the green region, which must add up to exactly 6.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — October 11, 2026

10
42
22
51
05
34
20

blue (<2): 1 | purple (=): 2 · 2 | green (=6): 4 · 2 | amber (=4): 0 · 4 | orange (=2): 0 · 2 | slate: 1 | teal: 3 | pink (<2): 0 | lime (>7): 5 · 5

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue<2 — Be less than 21
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green6 — Add up to exactly 62
Amber4 — Add up to exactly 42
Orange2 — Add up to exactly 22
SlateTake any value it likes1
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink<2 — Be less than 21
Lime>7 — Add up to more than 72

Hard today: 14 dominoes, 20 regions and target-sum, greater-than, less-than 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
Look at the blue region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 2–5 domino down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must be exactly 5. The 2 half sits in the orange region, which must add up to exactly 6.

Hint 3

Hard
The 0–4 belongs down column 7, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must be exactly 4. The 0 half sits in the lime region, which must add up to exactly 2.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 4–2: down column 6, rows 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must be exactly 4.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — October 11, 2026

04
61
42
63
55
44
25
06
22
00
31
32
45
26

blue (=5): 5 | purple (>1): 6 | green (=3): 3 | amber (=4): 4 | orange (=6): 2 · 4 | slate (>4): 5 | teal: 1 | pink: 1 | lime (=2): 0 · 2 | brown (>4): 5 | blue (=10): 4 · 6 | purple: 5 | green: 6 | amber (<5): 4 | orange (=): 0 · 0 · 0 | slate (=4): 4 | teal (=3): 3 | pink (=5): 3 · 2 | lime (=8): 2 · 6 | brown (=): 2 · 2

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue5 — Be exactly 51
Purple>1 — Be more than 11
Green3 — Be exactly 31
Amber4 — Be exactly 41
Orange6 — Add up to exactly 62
Slate>4 — Be more than 41
TealTake any value it likes1
PinkTake any value it likes1
Lime2 — Add up to exactly 22
Brown>4 — Be more than 41
Blue10 — Add up to exactly 102
PurpleTake any value it likes1
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber<5 — Be less than 51
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell3
Slate4 — Be exactly 41
Teal3 — Be exactly 31
Pink5 — Add up to exactly 52
Lime8 — Add up to exactly 82
Brown= — Show the same number on every cell2
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