What is the answer to the easy NYT Pips for October 4, 2026?

Solution grid (rows top to bottom, · = no cell): 2 2 4 / 2 · 5 / 5 6 3. Dominoes: 4–2 at row 1, column 3 to row 1, column 2; 2–2 at row 1, column 1 to row 2, column 1; 5–6 at row 3, column 1 to row 3, column 2; 3–5 at row 3, column 3 to row 2, column 3.

What is the answer to the medium NYT Pips for October 4, 2026?

Solution grid (rows top to bottom, · = no cell): · · · 2 / · 3 5 4 / 6 5 5 5 / 1 5 3 3 / · · 2 1. Dominoes: 1–3 at row 5, column 4 to row 4, column 4; 4–2 at row 2, column 4 to row 1, column 4; 6–5 at row 3, column 1 to row 3, column 2; 5–3 at row 2, column 3 to row 2, column 2; 5–1 at row 4, column 2 to row 4, column 1; 2–3 at row 5, column 3 to row 4, column 3; 5–5 at row 3, column 3 to row 3, column 4.

What is the answer to the hard NYT Pips for October 4, 2026?

Solution grid (rows top to bottom, · = no cell): 3 0 5 1 0 3 / 4 2 3 5 4 2 / 4 · · · · 2 / 4 3 · 1 · 2 / · 6 1 5 0 2 / 0 3 3 · 5 4. Dominoes: 6–3 at row 5, column 2 to row 4, column 2; 4–2 at row 6, column 6 to row 5, column 6; 5–1 at row 5, column 4 to row 4, column 4; 0–3 at row 6, column 1 to row 6, column 2; 4–5 at row 2, column 5 to row 2, column 4; 5–3 at row 1, column 3 to row 2, column 3; 2–3 at row 2, column 6 to row 1, column 6; 1–3 at row 5, column 3 to row 6, column 3; 2–0 at row 2, column 2 to row 1, column 2; 4–4 at row 3, column 1 to row 4, column 1; 3–4 at row 1, column 1 to row 2, column 1; 2–2 at row 3, column 6 to row 4, column 6; 0–5 at row 5, column 5 to row 6, column 5; 1–0 at row 1, column 4 to row 1, column 5.

Grid Puzzles › Pips › NYT Pips answers

NYT Pips answers — Sunday, October 4, 2026

Pips #413 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Ian Livengood · Medium by Rodolfo Kurchan · Hard by Rodolfo Kurchan

Grid Puzzles · Updated October 4, 2026, 07:03 UTC · About these pages

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

Also today: LinkedIn games answers — Zip, Pinpoint, Crossclimb, Mini Sudoku, Patches and Wend.

Easy Pips answer — October 4, 2026

3×3 board · 4 dominoes · 4 regions · by Ian Livengood

Easy is 4 regions on a 3×3 grid, filled by 4 dominoes. You're working with 3 sum regions, 1 "all equal". Another early foothold: two cells at row 1, column 3 total 9. The rack holds 1 double, 1 six.

Hints

Hint 1: where to start

At row 1, column 1 two cells must match. That is a double, or matching halves from two dominoes.

Hint 2: first domino

The 2–2 goes there: 2 on row 1, column 1, 2 on row 2, column 1.

Hint 3: second domino

Next, the 4–2 goes at row 1, column 3 → row 1, column 2. That leaves 2 dominoes, each with far fewer homes.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: = must all be the same number; 9 must add up to 9; 7 must add up to 7.

Solution as text

2 2 4
2 · 5
5 6 3

4–2 — 4 at row 1, column 3, 2 at row 1, column 2
2–2 — 2 at row 1, column 1, 2 at row 2, column 1
5–6 — 5 at row 3, column 1, 6 at row 3, column 2
3–5 — 3 at row 3, column 3, 5 at row 2, column 3

Medium Pips answer — October 4, 2026

5×4 board · 7 dominoes · 9 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Medium is 9 regions on a 5×4 grid, filled by 7 dominoes. By rule type: 3 sum regions, 1 "all equal", 1 "less than", 1 "greater than", 2 free regions. Another early foothold: a one-cell region at row 5, column 3 asks for 2, which fixes that cell outright. Rack check: 1 double, 1 six.

Hints

Hint 1: where to start

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

Hint 2: first domino

The 5–1 goes there: 5 on row 4, column 2, 1 on row 4, column 1.

Hint 3: second domino

Next, the 2–3 goes at row 5, column 3 → row 4, column 3. That leaves 5 dominoes, each with far fewer homes.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: <3 must add up to less than 3; ≠ must all be different; >3 must add up to more than 3; = must all be the same number; 1 must add up to 1.

≠

Solution as text

1–3 — 1 at row 5, column 4, 3 at row 4, column 4
4–2 — 4 at row 2, column 4, 2 at row 1, column 4
6–5 — 6 at row 3, column 1, 5 at row 3, column 2
5–3 — 5 at row 2, column 3, 3 at row 2, column 2
5–1 — 5 at row 4, column 2, 1 at row 4, column 1
2–3 — 2 at row 5, column 3, 3 at row 4, column 3
5–5 — 5 at row 3, column 3, 5 at row 3, column 4

Hard Pips answer — October 4, 2026

6×6 board · 14 dominoes · 18 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

The hard Pips has 28 cells to cover with 14 dominoes, split into 18 regions. Rules on the board: 8 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 2 "less than", 1 "greater than", 3 free regions. The single cell at row 2, column 6 is marked 2, so it can only hold a 2. Keep in mind that the single cell at row 5, column 5 is marked 0, so it can only hold a 0. The rack holds 2 doubles, 4 blank halves, 1 six.

Hints

Hint 1: where to start

Row 2, column 2 is a region of its own with target 2: that cell is a 2. Only dominoes carrying a 2 can reach it.

Hint 2: first domino

First domino: 2–0, covering row 2, column 2 (2) and row 1, column 2 (0).

Hint 3: second domino

Second: 2–3 on row 2, column 6 and row 1, column 6. Check the other 12 against the regions they could still fill.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 3 must add up to 3; 8 must add up to 8; <2 must add up to less than 2; = must all be the same number; 2 must add up to 2.

≠

Solution as text

3 0 5 1 0 3
4 2 3 5 4 2
4 · · · · 2
4 3 · 1 · 2
· 6 1 5 0 2
0 3 3 · 5 4

6–3 — 6 at row 5, column 2, 3 at row 4, column 2
4–2 — 4 at row 6, column 6, 2 at row 5, column 6
5–1 — 5 at row 5, column 4, 1 at row 4, column 4
0–3 — 0 at row 6, column 1, 3 at row 6, column 2
4–5 — 4 at row 2, column 5, 5 at row 2, column 4
5–3 — 5 at row 1, column 3, 3 at row 2, column 3
2–3 — 2 at row 2, column 6, 3 at row 1, column 6
1–3 — 1 at row 5, column 3, 3 at row 6, column 3
2–0 — 2 at row 2, column 2, 0 at row 1, column 2
4–4 — 4 at row 3, column 1, 4 at row 4, column 1
3–4 — 3 at row 1, column 1, 4 at row 2, column 1
2–2 — 2 at row 3, column 6, 2 at row 4, column 6
0–5 — 0 at row 5, column 5, 5 at row 6, column 5
1–0 — 1 at row 1, column 4, 0 at row 1, column 5

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 Pips How to play Pips

Hide a secret in a puzzle

Write a message and send the link. It stays locked until your friend solves a Pips puzzle.

🎂 birthday wishes · 🎁 a gift clue · 💌 a love note · 🎉 big news

🔒 Make a secret puzzle

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.