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NYT Pips answers — Sunday, September 28, 2025

Pips #42 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Rodolfo Kurchan · Medium by Rodolfo Kurchan · Hard by Heidi Erwin

Stuck on today's New York Times Pips? Below are three progressive hints for each difficulty, then the full solution as a tap-to-reveal board. Hints first — the answer only when you want it.

Jump to: Easy · Medium · Hard

Easy Pips answer — September 28, 2025

4×3 board · 4 dominoes · 5 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

4 dominoes, 5 regions, a 4×3 grid — that's the easy puzzle for September 28, 2025. You're working with 1 "all equal", 1 "less than", 1 "greater than", 1 free region. The "=" region starting at row 3, column 1 has 3 cells that must all match — every 3 in the puzzle should come here.. After that, the "<2" region at row 4, column 3 leaves almost no room: only 0s and a single 1 can go here.. Rack check: 1 double.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The "=" region starting at row 3, column 1 has 3 cells that must all match — every 3 in the puzzle should come here.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 3–3 domino with its 3 at row 3, column 1 and its 3 at row 4, column 1.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 1–3 goes at row 4, column 3 → row 4, column 2. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: >4 must add up to more than 4; ≠ must all be different; = must all be the same number; <2 must add up to less than 2.

>4
≠
=
<2
Solution as text
  1. 1–3 — 1 at row 4, column 3, 3 at row 4, column 2
  2. 4–5 — 4 at row 2, column 2, 5 at row 1, column 2
  3. 3–3 — 3 at row 3, column 1, 3 at row 4, column 1
  4. 2–4 — 2 at row 3, column 2, 4 at row 3, column 3

Medium Pips answer — September 28, 2025

6×6 board · 10 dominoes · 8 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

The medium board runs 6 rows by 6 columns: 10 dominoes to place across 8 regions. The mix is 2 sum regions, 4 "all equal", 2 free regions. Best foothold — the two-cell region at row 5, column 5 adds to 0: both cells must be 0. After that, the "=" region starting at row 1, column 1 has 4 cells that must all match — every 5 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 3 doubles, 2 blank halves, 6 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The two-cell region at row 5, column 5 adds to 0: both cells must be 0. That's the 0–0 domino, or two 0s from different dominoes.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 0–6 domino with its 0 at row 5, column 5 and its 6 at row 5, column 4.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 5–4 goes at row 1, column 1 → row 1, column 2. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: = must all be the same number; 2 must add up to 2; 0 must add up to 0.

=
=
2
=
=
0
Solution as text
  1. 5–4 — 5 at row 1, column 1, 4 at row 1, column 2
  2. 4–1 — 4 at row 2, column 2, 1 at row 3, column 2
  3. 2–6 — 2 at row 6, column 5, 6 at row 6, column 4
  4. 6–5 — 6 at row 4, column 2, 5 at row 4, column 1
  5. 1–6 — 1 at row 3, column 3, 6 at row 4, column 3
  6. 5–5 — 5 at row 2, column 1, 5 at row 3, column 1
  7. 3–3 — 3 at row 3, column 4, 3 at row 4, column 4
  8. 0–6 — 0 at row 5, column 5, 6 at row 5, column 4
  9. 6–6 — 6 at row 5, column 3, 6 at row 6, column 3
  10. 0–1 — 0 at row 5, column 6, 1 at row 6, column 6

Hard Pips answer — September 28, 2025

6×7 board · 13 dominoes · 12 regions · by Heidi Erwin

The hard board runs 6 rows by 7 columns: 13 dominoes to place across 12 regions. The mix is 7 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 2 "greater than", 2 free regions. Three cells adding to 0 at row 2, column 3 means mostly zeros. After that, the "=" region starting at row 3, column 1 has 3 cells that must all match — every 1 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 4 doubles, 8 blank halves, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

Three cells adding to 0 at row 2, column 3 means mostly zeros. Count how many zeros the rack has.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 0–5 domino with its 0 at row 2, column 3 and its 5 at row 2, column 2.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 5–1 goes at row 3, column 2 → row 3, column 1. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 5 must add up to 5; 10 must add up to 10; 0 must add up to 0; = must all be the same number; >4 must add up to more than 4.

5
10
0
10
=
>4
10
9
0
>1
Solution as text
  1. 3–1 — 3 at row 1, column 4, 1 at row 1, column 3
  2. 5–1 — 5 at row 3, column 2, 1 at row 3, column 1
  3. 6–0 — 6 at row 3, column 4, 0 at row 2, column 4
  4. 0–5 — 0 at row 2, column 3, 5 at row 2, column 2
  5. 0–0 — 0 at row 5, column 6, 0 at row 5, column 7
  6. 3–3 — 3 at row 5, column 3, 3 at row 6, column 3
  7. 0–4 — 0 at row 4, column 7, 4 at row 3, column 7
  8. 4–2 — 4 at row 2, column 5, 2 at row 1, column 5
  9. 0–3 — 0 at row 3, column 3, 3 at row 4, column 3
  10. 1–1 — 1 at row 4, column 1, 1 at row 5, column 1
  11. 0–1 — 0 at row 6, column 5, 1 at row 6, column 4
  12. 2–0 — 2 at row 6, column 7, 0 at row 6, column 6
  13. 6–6 — 6 at row 2, column 6, 6 at row 3, column 6

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