NYT Pips · Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Pips Hint Today
Spoiler-free hints for today's NYT Pips, worked out from the actual board. Pick a difficulty, then take one hint at a time: where to start, the next domino, or the whole answer. Today's puzzles: Easy #1530 · Medium #1537 · Hard #1543.
Easy Pips hints
Nothing is revealed yet. Take the hints one level at a time.
Start in the top edge of the board, with the single-cell “>4” region: this cell must be greater than 4.
- 2 Step by step0 / 5
- Look at row 1, column 3 in the single-cell “>4” region. 4 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 5-6 vertically: 5 on row 1, column 3 (“>4”) and 6 on row 2, column 3 (“=”). The other 3 options there run into a dead end.
- Look at row 2, column 4 in the 2-cell “=” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 6-1 vertically: 6 on row 2, column 4 (“=”) and 1 on row 3, column 4 (“5”). Nothing else fits that spot.
- Look at row 4, column 3 in the 2-cell “8” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 5-4 horizontally: 5 on row 4, column 3 (“8”) and 4 on row 4, column 4 (“5”). Nothing else fits that spot.
- Look at row 3, column 2 in the 2-cell “=” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 1-3 vertically: 1 on row 3, column 2 (“=”) and 3 on row 4, column 2 (“8”). Nothing else fits that spot.
- Look at row 2, column 1 in the single-cell “<3” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 0-1 horizontally: 0 on row 2, column 1 (“<3”) and 1 on row 2, column 2 (“=”). Nothing else fits that spot.
Tap any coloured region on the board to see the numbers inside it.
Medium Pips hints
Nothing is revealed yet. Take the hints one level at a time.
This board has more than one valid answer. These hints follow the official one, so your own solution can differ and still be right.
Start in the centre of the board, with the 3-cell “<3” region: these 3 cells must add up to less than 3.
- 2 Step by step0 / 7
- Look at row 2, column 3 in the 3-cell “<3” region. More than one domino works here; pick one and keep going.Place the 1-0 vertically: 1 on row 2, column 3 (“<3”) and 0 on row 3, column 3 (“<3”). Other placements also work here; this one follows the official solution.
- Look at row 3, column 2 in the 3-cell “<3” region. More than one domino works here; pick one and keep going.Place the 1-3 vertically: 1 on row 3, column 2 (“<3”) and 3 on row 4, column 2 (“>7”). Other placements also work here; this one follows the official solution.
- Look at row 1, column 4 in the single-cell “3” region. More than one domino works here; pick one and keep going.Place the 3-4 vertically: 3 on row 1, column 4 (“3”) and 4 on row 2, column 4 (“>6”). Other placements also work here; this one follows the official solution.
- Look at row 5, column 2 in the 3-cell “>7” region. 2 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 3-3 vertically: 3 on row 5, column 2 (“>7”) and 3 on row 6, column 2 (“3”). The other option there runs into a dead end.
- Look at row 3, column 4 in the 2-cell “>6” region. 3 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 3-5 vertically: 3 on row 3, column 4 (“>6”) and 5 on row 4, column 4 (“10”). The other 2 options there run into a dead end.
- Look at row 4, column 1 in the 2-cell “>7” region. More than one domino works here; pick one and keep going.Place the 5-4 vertically: 5 on row 4, column 1 (“>7”) and 4 on row 5, column 1 (“>7”). Other placements also work here; this one follows the official solution.
- Look at row 4, column 3 in the 2-cell “10” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 5-1 vertically: 5 on row 4, column 3 (“10”) and 1 on row 5, column 3 (“>7”). Nothing else fits that spot.
Tap any coloured region on the board to see the numbers inside it.
Hard Pips hints
Nothing is revealed yet. Take the hints one level at a time.
Start in the top right of the board, with the single-cell “5” region: this cell must be exactly 5.
- 2 Step by step0 / 16
- Look at row 1, column 8 in the single-cell “5” region. 2 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 0-5 horizontally: 0 on row 1, column 9 (“0”) and 5 on row 1, column 8 (“5”). The other option there runs into a dead end.
- Look at row 5, column 4 in the single-cell “5” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 4-5 horizontally: 4 on row 5, column 3 (“4”) and 5 on row 5, column 4 (“5”). Nothing else fits that spot.
- Look at row 5, column 5 in the single-cell “0” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 0-0 horizontally: 0 on row 5, column 5 (“0”) and 0 on row 5, column 6 (“0”). Nothing else fits that spot.
- Look at row 1, column 1 in the single-cell “5” region. 2 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 2-5 vertically: 2 on row 2, column 1 (“=”) and 5 on row 1, column 1 (“5”). The other option there runs into a dead end.
- Look at row 3, column 1 in the 2-cell “=” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 2-4 horizontally: 2 on row 3, column 1 (“=”) and 4 on row 3, column 2 (“4”). Nothing else fits that spot.
- Look at row 3, column 3 in the single-cell “5” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 1-5 vertically: 1 on row 4, column 3 and 5 on row 3, column 3 (“5”). Nothing else fits that spot.
- Look at row 5, column 7 in the 3-cell “0” region. 3 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 0-2 horizontally: 0 on row 5, column 7 (“0”) and 2 on row 5, column 8 (“4”). The other 2 options there run into a dead end.
- Look at row 4, column 9 in the 3-cell “<4” region. 2 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 1-2 vertically: 1 on row 4, column 9 (“<4”) and 2 on row 5, column 9 (“4”). The other option there runs into a dead end.
- Look at row 2, column 9 in the 3-cell “<4” region. 3 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 1-1 vertically: 1 on row 2, column 9 (“<4”) and 1 on row 3, column 9 (“<4”). The other 2 options there run into a dead end.
- Look at row 1, column 5 in the 2-cell “=” region. 4 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 2-2 horizontally: 2 on row 1, column 5 (“=”) and 2 on row 1, column 6 (“=”). The other 3 options there run into a dead end.
- Look at row 1, column 7 in the single-cell “4” region. 2 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 3-4 vertically: 3 on row 2, column 7 (“4”) and 4 on row 1, column 7 (“4”). The other option there runs into a dead end.
- Look at row 1, column 4 in the single-cell “4” region. 2 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 1-4 vertically: 1 on row 2, column 4 (“=”) and 4 on row 1, column 4 (“4”). The other option there runs into a dead end.
- Look at row 1, column 3 in the single-cell “<4” region. 2 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 1-3 vertically: 1 on row 2, column 3 (“=”) and 3 on row 1, column 3 (“<4”). The other option there runs into a dead end.
- Look at row 3, column 4 in the single-cell “0” region. 2 placements fit at first glance, but all except one leave you stuck later.Place the 0-3 horizontally: 0 on row 3, column 4 (“0”) and 3 on row 3, column 5 (“=”). The other option there runs into a dead end.
- Look at row 3, column 6 in the 3-cell “=” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 3-3 vertically: 3 on row 3, column 6 (“=”) and 3 on row 4, column 6 (“=”). Nothing else fits that spot.
- Look at row 3, column 7 in the 2-cell “4” region. Only one domino can go there without breaking a rule.Place the 0-1 vertically: 0 on row 4, column 7 (“0”) and 1 on row 3, column 7 (“4”). Nothing else fits that spot.
Tap any coloured region on the board to see the numbers inside it.
Finished today's Pips?
Pips Unlimited gives you a new domino puzzle whenever you want one. Three sizes, same rules, no waiting for midnight.
How these Pips hints work
Every hint on this page comes from solving the day's board, not from generic advice. The puzzle is solved in the order a person would solve it, always taking the most constrained spot next, and the hints follow that order.
- Where do I start? lights up the region worth looking at first. No numbers are shown.
- Step by step points at the next cell to think about, then places one domino at a time with the reason.
- Reveal one region shows the numbers inside a single region you tap, and nothing else.
- Show the full answer fills the board. You have to confirm first.
Only want the solution? The Pips answers page shows all three solved boards. Stuck on the big one? See the hard Pips hint.
Pips rules in one minute
Place every domino from the tray onto the board so that each one covers two neighbouring cells. Coloured regions carry a rule that the numbers inside must meet:
| 10 | The pips in the region add up to exactly that number. |
| = | Every cell in the region shows the same number. |
| ≠ | Every cell in the region shows a different number. |
| <3 | The pips add up to less than the number. |
| >7 | The pips add up to more than the number. |
Cells without a colour take any number. A domino can sit across two regions. More detail and worked examples are in the Pips rules guide.
More about Pips
Pips hints FAQ
When do today's Pips hints update?
A new set of Easy, Medium and Hard puzzles arrives every day at midnight in your own time zone. This page changes over at midnight Eastern Time. If you are still on the previous day's puzzle, use the date buttons above the board to go back to it.
Will the hints spoil the answer?
Not unless you ask them to. The first hint never shows a number on the board. Dominoes only appear when you press “Place next domino”, tap a region, or confirm the full answer.
My solution is different from yours. Is it wrong?
Not necessarily. Some Pips boards have more than one valid answer. When that is the case the hint panel says so. If the game accepts your board, it is correct.
Can I see hints for yesterday's Pips?
Yes. The date buttons above the board cover the last seven days.
Is Pips Hints connected to The New York Times?
No. This is an independent fan site. Pips is published by The New York Times, and you can only play the official daily puzzles on their site or in the NYT Games app.