Pips Answer for Friday, April 24, 2026
Complete NYT Pips puzzle solution with interactive board and expert analysis for Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty levels.
Reveal by clicking a domino below OR a cell on the board
Expert Puzzle Analysis
Deep insights from puzzle experts
Starting Simple With Some Quick Sums
Nyt Pips easy answer for 2026-04-24
Answer for 2026-04-24
I started today's easy puzzle by looking at the target sum of 3 in the very first cell at [0,0]. Since that cell was part of a vertical domino with [1,0], I knew I had to find a domino with a 3. I picked the [5,3] domino and put the 3 in [0,0]. This was a great start because the next region at [1,0] and [1,1] needed to sum to 10. With the 5 from my first domino already in [1,0], I just needed another 5 in [1,1]. I grabbed the [0,5] domino and placed it at [1,1] and [1,2], which worked out perfectly.
The rest of the board was all about the equals region. Cell [1,2] had a 0 in it from my last move, so I knew that [0,2] and [0,3] also had to be 0 to satisfy the equals rule. I used the [2,0] domino for [0,1] and [0,2], and then the [0,3] domino for [0,3] and [0,4]. To finish it off, I put the [3,1] domino at [1,4] and [1,3]. It felt like a nice, logical flow that really rewarded starting with those specific sum targets.
Dancing Through The Middle Grid
Nyt Pips medium answer for 2026-04-24
Answer for 2026-04-24
The medium puzzle by Rodolfo Kurchan was a step up, especially with those sum of 7 regions. I found the best way in was through the less than constraints. Cell [1,5] had to be less than 2, and cell [4,6] had to be less than 3. I started on the right side by placing the [2,5] domino vertically at [1,5] and [2,5], which put a 1 in that top spot. Since [2,5] and [2,6] had to add up to 7, having a 5 in [2,5] meant I just needed a 2 in [2,6].
I then moved to the middle of the grid to tackle the other sums. I placed the [0,1] domino at [0,1] and [1,1], which helped satisfy the sum of 7 in the first column. For the middle column, I used the [5,5] domino at [2,2] and [3,2]. It was a bit of a squeeze, but it helped me balance out the rest of the numbers. The trickiest part was working around the empty cells like [1,3] and [2,7], which do not give you any hints, but once the surrounding dominoes were in place, the [3,2] and [6,3] tiles found their homes easily.
Tackling The Great Domino Divide
Nyt Pips hard answer for 2026-04-24
Answer for 2026-04-24
Today's hard puzzle felt like a giant jigsaw. I began with the single-cell sum regions at the top. Knowing [0,0] had to be 2, [0,1] had to be 5, and [0,2] had to be 0 made the first few dominoes much easier to place. I used the [2,5] domino for the first two cells and the [0,2] domino for the next section. Having those pips in place gave me the leverage I needed to work on the equals constraints further down the board.
The most challenging part was the bottom half where there were multiple equals and less than constraints grouped together. I had to be really careful with the [2,1] and [5,1] dominoes. I found that placing the [2,1] domino at [1,6] and [2,6] helped solve the sum of 2 at [2,6] and [3,6]. It was a domino effect from there. I also had to make sure the greater than 5 rule at [3,0] was met by using the 6 from the [0,6] domino.
I finished by placing the [1,1] domino in the far right column to satisfy the long equals region. It took a few tries to get the orientation right for the [1,3] and [4,1] dominoes, but seeing the whole grid filled with matching pips was so satisfying. The trick was definitely not rushing the middle section and letting the equals constraints guide the way.
Pro Tips for Today's Puzzle
When you are just starting out, the best thing you can do is look for the small target sums first. A sum of zero or one doesn't have many options, so it really limits what dominoes can go there.
I also like to keep the list of available dominoes handy and cross them off as I use them so I do not accidentally use the same one twice. Finally, if you get stuck, try looking at the corners since they usually have the fewest connection possibilities.
What I Learned
Today I learned that single-cell sum regions are basically free gifts. They tell you exactly what number has to be in that spot, which is a huge help on the harder boards. I also noticed how the equals regions often force your hand when it comes to orientation, making it much easier to decide if a domino should be horizontal or vertical.
I also realized that Rodolfo Kurchan likes to use empty cells to create a bit of mystery, which makes the solve feel much more like a journey across the board. Using those empty spaces as anchors for the pips you have already placed is a great strategy for the medium and hard levels.