Grid Puzzles › Pips › NYT Pips answers

NYT Pips answers — Sunday, January 25, 2026

Pips #161 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Ian Livengood · 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.

Jump to: Easy · Medium · Hard

Easy Pips answer — January 25, 2026

4×4 board · 6 dominoes · 8 regions · by Ian Livengood

6 dominoes, 8 regions, a 4×4 grid — that's the easy puzzle for January 25, 2026. You're working with 5 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 1 free region. The way in: the single cell at row 1, column 4 is marked 6, so it can only hold a 6. After that, the single cell at row 2, column 1 is marked 6, so it can only hold a 6. Rack check: 2 doubles, 1 blank half, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 1, column 4 is marked 6, so it can only hold a 6. Find the domino with a 6 that fits there.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 6–2 domino with its 6 at row 1, column 4 and its 2 at row 1, column 3.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 5–6 goes at row 3, column 1 → row 2, 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: 3 must add up to 3; 6 must add up to 6; 5 must add up to 5; = must all be the same number.

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

Medium Pips answer — January 25, 2026

7×4 board · 6 dominoes · 7 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

6 dominoes, 7 regions, a 7×4 grid — that's the medium puzzle for January 25, 2026. You're working with 4 sum regions, 1 "less than", 1 "greater than", 1 free region. The pair at row 1, column 3 adds to 6; list the ways to make 6 with the rack you have.. After that, the pair at row 3, column 3 adds to 6; list the ways to make 6 with the rack you have.. Rack check: 1 double, 2 blank halves, 1 six.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The pair at row 1, column 3 adds to 6; list the ways to make 6 with the rack you have.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 3–6 domino with its 3 at row 1, column 3 and its 6 at row 1, column 4.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 3–3 goes at row 2, 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: 6 must add up to 6; >4 must add up to more than 4; <3 must add up to less than 3.

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

Hard Pips answer — January 25, 2026

5×6 board · 12 dominoes · 9 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

The hard board runs 5 rows by 6 columns: 12 dominoes to place across 9 regions. The mix is 6 "all equal", 3 free regions. Best foothold — the "=" region starting at row 1, column 1 has 5 cells that must all match — every 5 in the puzzle should come here.. After that, the "=" region starting at row 1, column 5 has 3 cells that must all match — every 6 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 6 doubles, 4 blank halves, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

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

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 3–5 domino with its 3 at row 2, column 1 and its 5 at row 1, column 1.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 5–6 goes at row 1, column 4 → row 1, column 5. 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.

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

Want more than three a day?

Grid Puzzles has an unlimited Pips-style mode with easy, medium and hard boards, plus a daily puzzle with a permanent archive. Every board has exactly one solution.

Play unlimited PipsHow to play Pips

Pips is a game by The New York Times. This page is an independent solving guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. Puzzle layouts are described here for the purpose of commentary and help.