NYT Pips for October 12, 2026 has three boards: Easy with 5 dominoes, Medium with 8, and Hard with 16. This page solves each board one domino at a time.
Pips board marks
Each colored region on a Pips board has a mark that says what the pips inside it must do.
- A number means the pips in that region must add up to that number.
- The mark = means every half in that region must show the same number of pips.
- The mark ≠ means every half in that region must show a different number of pips.
- A mark such as <3 means the pips in that region must add up to less than that number.
- A mark such as >4 means the pips in that region must add up to more than that number.
- A cell with no mark can take any number of pips.
NYT Pips Hard Hints and Answer – October 12
The Hard board takes 16 dominoes and was made by Rodolfo Kurchan. Each step places one domino, and its picture shows the board afterward with the new domino in yellow. Stop at any step and finish the rest alone. This board has 32 cells, 16 dominoes, 30 marked regions and 84 pips in total. It has exactly one correct layout.
Finished Hard board
Puzzle:
The empty board is shown with its 16 dominoes listed below.
Three hints come before the full steps. Each one reveals more of the board than the one before it.
Hint 1 · first domino
Place the 2-3 domino across row 1, covering columns 4 and 5. The half showing 2 sits on the cell marked “2”, and the half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”.
Hint 2 · first three dominoes
- Place the 2-3 domino across row 1, covering columns 4 and 5. The half showing 2 sits on the cell marked “2”, and the half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”.
- Place the 2-4 domino in column 2, covering rows 1 and 2. The half showing 2 sits on the cell marked “2”, and the half showing 4 sits on the region marked “10”.
- Place the 3-6 domino in column 3, covering rows 1 and 2. The half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”, and the half showing 6 sits on the region marked “10”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Hint 3 · half the board
Full steps
Step 1:
Place the 2-3 domino across row 1, covering columns 4 and 5. The half showing 2 sits on the cell marked “2”, and the half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”.
Step 2:
Place the 2-4 domino in column 2, covering rows 1 and 2. The half showing 2 sits on the cell marked “2”, and the half showing 4 sits on the region marked “10”.
Step 3:
Place the 3-6 domino in column 3, covering rows 1 and 2. The half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”, and the half showing 6 sits on the region marked “10”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 4:
Place the 1-4 domino in column 1, covering rows 2 and 3. The half showing 1 sits on the cell marked “1”, and the half showing 4 sits on the cell marked “4”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 5:
Place the 2-1 domino in column 2, covering rows 3 and 4. The half showing 2 sits on the cell marked “2”, and the half showing 1 sits on the cell marked “1”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 6:
Place the 4-0 domino in column 3, covering rows 3 and 4. The half showing 4 sits on the cell marked “4”, and the half showing 0 sits on the cell marked “0”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 7:
Place the 1-3 domino in column 1, covering rows 4 and 5. The half showing 1 sits on the cell marked “1”, and the half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 8:
Place the 5-1 domino in column 4, covering rows 2 and 3. The half showing 5 sits on the cell marked “5”, and the half showing 1 sits on the cell marked “1”.
Step 9:
Place the 4-3 domino across row 2, covering columns 5 and 6. The half showing 4 sits on the cell marked “4”, and the half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 10:
Place the 2-0 domino across row 3, covering columns 5 and 6. The half showing 2 sits on the cell marked “2”, and the half showing 0 sits on the cell marked “0”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 11:
Place the 0-1 domino across row 5, covering columns 3 and 4. The half showing 0 sits on the cell marked “0”, and the half showing 1 sits on the cell marked “1”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 12:
Place the 5-3 domino in column 2, covering rows 5 and 6. The half showing 5 sits on the cell marked “5”, and the half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 13:
Place the 5-4 domino across row 4, covering columns 4 and 5. The half showing 5 sits on the cell marked “5”, and the half showing 4 sits on the region marked “9”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 14:
Place the 0-3 domino in column 6, covering rows 4 and 5. The half showing 0 sits on the cell marked “0”, and the half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 15:
Place the 5-0 domino in column 5, covering rows 5 and 6. The half showing 5 sits on the region marked “9”, and the half showing 0 sits on the cell marked “0”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 16:
The last domino, 5-2, goes across row 6, covering columns 3 and 4. The half showing 5 sits on the cell marked “5”, and the half showing 2 sits on the cell marked “2”.
The Hard board is finished.
Numbers in every marked region of the Hard board
- “2”: 2
- “3”: 3
- “2”: 2
- “3”: 3
- “1”: 1
- “10”: 4 + 6
- “5”: 5
- “4”: 4
- “3”: 3
- “4”: 4
- “2”: 2
- “4”: 4
- “1”: 1
- “2”: 2
- “0”: 0
- “1”: 1
- “1”: 1
- “0”: 0
- “5”: 5
- “9”: 4 + 5
- “0”: 0
- “3”: 3
- “5”: 5
- “0”: 0
- “1”: 1
- “3”: 3
- “3”: 3
- “5”: 5
- “2”: 2
- “0”: 0
NYT Pips Medium Hints and Answer – October 12
The Medium board takes 8 dominoes and was made by Ian Livengood. Each step places one domino, and its picture shows the board afterward with the new domino in yellow. Stop at any step and finish the rest alone. This board has 16 cells, 8 dominoes, 8 marked regions and 46 pips in total. This board has more than one layout that meets every rule, and these steps follow one of them.
Finished Medium board
Puzzle:
The empty board is shown with its 8 dominoes listed below.
Three hints come before the full steps. Each one reveals more of the board than the one before it.
Hint 1 · first domino
Place the 4-4 domino across row 2, covering columns 5 and 6. Both halves show 4 and sit on the region marked “=”.
Hint 2 · first three dominoes
- Place the 4-4 domino across row 2, covering columns 5 and 6. Both halves show 4 and sit on the region marked “=”.
- Place the 4-5 domino across row 3, covering columns 5 and 6. The half showing 4 sits on the region marked “7”, and the half showing 5 sits on the cell marked “>4”.
- Place the 3-5 domino across row 1, covering columns 3 and 4. The half showing 3 sits on a blank cell, and the half showing 5 sits on the cell marked “>4”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Hint 3 · half the board
Full steps
Step 1:
Place the 4-4 domino across row 2, covering columns 5 and 6. Both halves show 4 and sit on the region marked “=”.
Step 2:
Place the 4-5 domino across row 3, covering columns 5 and 6. The half showing 4 sits on the region marked “7”, and the half showing 5 sits on the cell marked “>4”.
Step 3:
Place the 3-5 domino across row 1, covering columns 3 and 4. The half showing 3 sits on a blank cell, and the half showing 5 sits on the cell marked “>4”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 4:
Place the 0-4 domino across row 2, covering columns 3 and 4. The half showing 0 sits on the region marked “2”, and the half showing 4 sits on the region marked “=”.
Step 5:
Place the 3-0 domino in column 4, covering rows 3 and 4. The half showing 3 sits on the region marked “7”, and the half showing 0 sits on the region marked “2”.
Step 6:
Place the 1-2 domino across row 2, covering columns 1 and 2. The half showing 1 sits on the cell marked “<2”, and the half showing 2 sits on the region marked “2”.
Step 7:
Place the 3-2 domino in column 3, covering rows 3 and 4. The half showing 3 sits on the region marked “5”, and the half showing 2 sits on the region marked “2”.
Step 8:
The last domino, 4-2, goes across row 3, covering columns 1 and 2. The half showing 4 sits on a blank cell, and the half showing 2 sits on the region marked “5”.
The Medium board is finished.
Numbers in every marked region of the Medium board
- “>4”: 5
- “<2”: 1
- “2”: 2 + 0
- “=”: 4 + 4 + 4
- “5”: 2 + 3
- “7”: 3 + 4
- “>4”: 5
- “2”: 2 + 0
NYT Pips Easy Hints and Answer – October 12
The Easy board takes 5 dominoes and was made by Ian Livengood. Each step places one domino, and its picture shows the board afterward with the new domino in yellow. Stop at any step and finish the rest alone. This board has 10 cells, 5 dominoes, 6 marked regions and 31 pips in total. It has exactly one correct layout.
Finished Easy board
Puzzle:
The empty board is shown with its 5 dominoes listed below.
Three hints come before the full steps. Each one reveals more of the board than the one before it.
Hint 1 · first domino
Place the 3-2 domino across row 1, covering columns 1 and 2. The half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”, and the half showing 2 sits on the region marked “=”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Hint 2 · first three dominoes
- Place the 3-2 domino across row 1, covering columns 1 and 2. The half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”, and the half showing 2 sits on the region marked “=”. No other domino fits there at this point.
- Place the 5-5 domino across row 1, covering columns 3 and 4. Both halves show 5 and sit on the region marked “>8”. No other domino fits there at this point.
- Place the 6-2 domino across row 3, covering columns 1 and 2. The half showing 6 sits on the cell marked “>4”, and the half showing 2 sits on the region marked “=”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Hint 3 · half the board
Full steps
Step 1:
Place the 3-2 domino across row 1, covering columns 1 and 2. The half showing 3 sits on the cell marked “3”, and the half showing 2 sits on the region marked “=”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 2:
Place the 5-5 domino across row 1, covering columns 3 and 4. Both halves show 5 and sit on the region marked “>8”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 3:
Place the 6-2 domino across row 3, covering columns 1 and 2. The half showing 6 sits on the cell marked “>4”, and the half showing 2 sits on the region marked “=”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 4:
Place the 2-0 domino across row 3, covering columns 3 and 4. The half showing 2 sits on the region marked “=”, and the half showing 0 sits on the cell marked “<3”. No other domino fits there at this point.
Step 5:
The last domino, 2-4, goes across row 2, covering columns 2 and 3. The half showing 2 sits on the region marked “=”, and the half showing 4 sits on a blank cell.
The Easy board is finished.
Numbers in every marked region of the Easy board
- “3”: 3
- “=”: 2 + 2
- “>8”: 5 + 5
- “>4”: 6
- “=”: 2 + 2
- “<3”: 0
More Pips: Yesterday’s three boards · Play Pips on The New York Times
Also today: Wordle · Connections · Strands · Phrazle
Earlier days: 11 Oct · 10 Oct · 9 Oct · 8 Oct · 7 Oct · 6 Oct · 5 Oct
Questions about Pips
When does Pips change to a new puzzle?
A new puzzle arrives at midnight in the player’s own time zone.
How many tries does a player get in Pips?
There is no limit; dominoes can be moved as often as needed.
Where can a person play Pips?
Play on The New York Times Games site or in the NYT Games app: Pips.
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