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NYT Pips answers — Thursday, October 16, 2025

Pips #60 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Rodolfo Kurchan · Medium by Rodolfo Kurchan · Hard by Rodolfo Kurchan

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.

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Easy Pips answer — October 16, 2025

5×4 board · 7 dominoes · 7 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

7 dominoes, 7 regions, a 5×4 grid — that's the easy puzzle for October 16, 2025. You're working with 3 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 1 "less than", 2 free regions. The way in: the two-cell region at row 3, column 1 adds to 12: both cells must be 6. After that, the "=" region starting at row 3, column 3 has 4 cells that must all match — every 5 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 1 double, 1 blank half, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The two-cell region at row 3, column 1 adds to 12: both cells must be 6. That's the 6–6 domino, or two 6s from different dominoes.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 6–1 domino with its 6 at row 3, column 1 and its 1 at row 2, column 1.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 5–6 goes at row 3, column 3 → row 3, 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: 7 must add up to 7; 6 must add up to 6; 12 must add up to 12; = must all be the same number; <3 must add up to less than 3.

7
6
12
=
<3
Solution as text
  1. 5–5 — 5 at row 3, column 4, 5 at row 4, column 4
  2. 2–6 — 2 at row 1, column 2, 6 at row 1, column 1
  3. 4–5 — 4 at row 5, column 3, 5 at row 5, column 4
  4. 6–1 — 6 at row 3, column 1, 1 at row 2, column 1
  5. 0–4 — 0 at row 5, column 1, 4 at row 5, column 2
  6. 3–4 — 3 at row 1, column 4, 4 at row 1, column 3
  7. 5–6 — 5 at row 3, column 3, 6 at row 3, column 2

Medium Pips answer — October 16, 2025

4×5 board · 8 dominoes · 6 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Medium today is a 4×5 board with 8 dominoes and 6 regions. Rules on the board: 2 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 2 free regions. Best foothold — the "=" region starting at row 1, column 1 has 4 cells that must all match — every 1 in the puzzle should come here.. After that, the "=" region starting at row 4, column 3 has 3 cells that must all match — every 5 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 2 doubles, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The "=" region starting at row 1, column 1 has 4 cells that must all match — every 1 in the puzzle should come here.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 1–1 domino with its 1 at row 1, column 1 and its 1 at row 1, column 2.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 5–2 goes at row 4, column 3 → row 3, column 3. 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; 21 must add up to 21; 6 must add up to 6.

=
21
6
=
Solution as text
  1. 5–4 — 5 at row 4, column 4, 4 at row 3, column 4
  2. 1–2 — 1 at row 2, column 1, 2 at row 3, column 1
  3. 2–3 — 2 at row 3, column 2, 3 at row 4, column 2
  4. 5–2 — 5 at row 4, column 3, 2 at row 3, column 3
  5. 6–6 — 6 at row 2, column 4, 6 at row 2, column 5
  6. 6–5 — 6 at row 3, column 5, 5 at row 4, column 5
  7. 3–1 — 3 at row 1, column 4, 1 at row 1, column 3
  8. 1–1 — 1 at row 1, column 1, 1 at row 1, column 2

Hard Pips answer — October 16, 2025

5×7 board · 10 dominoes · 9 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hard today is a 5×7 board with 10 dominoes and 9 regions. Rules on the board: 2 sum regions, 3 "all equal", 2 "less than", 2 free regions. The way in: the "=" region starting at row 1, column 4 has 3 cells that must all match — every 5 in the puzzle should come here.. After that, the "=" region starting at row 2, column 4 has 3 cells that must all match — every 6 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 3 doubles, 3 blank halves, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The "=" region starting at row 1, column 4 has 3 cells that must all match — every 5 in the puzzle should come here.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 6–5 domino with its 6 at row 2, column 4 and its 5 at row 1, column 4.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 4–3 goes at row 4, column 2 → row 4, 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; = must all be the same number; <4 must add up to less than 4; 2 must add up to 2.

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

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