Pips Answer for Monday, April 27, 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
Warming Up With a Simple Grid
Nyt Pips easy answer for 2026-04-27
Answer for 2026-04-27
Starting today's easy puzzle felt like a nice little brain stretch. The first thing I noticed were those greater than five constraints at (0,0) and (0,4). Since the highest number on our dominoes is a six, those spots had to be sixes. I grabbed the [1,6] domino for the top left, placing the six at (0,0) and the one at (1,0). This was a huge help because the region next to it at (1,0) and (1,1) needed a sum of five. Since I already put a one at (1,0), I knew (1,1) had to be a four.
From there, the rest of the tiles fell into place pretty naturally. I had to look for where the [6,5] domino went, and since (0,4) also needed to be greater than five, it fit perfectly there, leaving the five at (1,4), which the puzzle marked as an empty region. I finished up by matching the equals constraints. The [4,4] domino was the only one that worked for the (1,2) and (1,3) equals region, and the [3,3] and [1,4] tiles rounded out the bottom. It's always satisfying when the logic just flows like that!
Finding the Rhythm in Medium Mode
Nyt Pips medium answer for 2026-04-27
Answer for 2026-04-27
The medium puzzle today was a bit more of a challenge, but I found a great starting point at the bottom right. There is a less than one constraint at (3,4), which is basically a fancy way of saying that cell has to be a zero! I looked at my dominoes and saw the [0,1] and [0,0] options. Meanwhile, at the bottom left, (3,0) and (3,1) needed to sum to more than eleven. In a world of six-sided pips, the only way to get a sum of twelve is two sixes. This meant (3,0) and (3,1) were both sixes.
Working through the middle was the trickiest part. I had a big sum of eight to fill across four cells at (2,2), (2,3), (2,4), and (3,2). Once I realized that (3,4) being zero forced the [0,1] domino into that corner, everything else started to click. The equals constraint at (0,0) and (1,0) helped me narrow down the [0,0] or [3,3] dominoes. I ended up using the [0,0] there, which helped me balance out the larger sums like the eleven at (1,2) and (1,3). It felt like a big logic loop where every piece finally snapped into its proper home.
Conquering the Hard Grid Today
Nyt Pips hard answer for 2026-04-27
Answer for 2026-04-27
Wow, the hard puzzle today really made me work for it! Rodolfo Kurchan designed a grid that looked intimidating at first, but I spotted some 'freebies' right away. The single-cell sum regions are your best friends. Seeing (0,0) as three and (1,0) as four let me place the [3,4] domino immediately. Similarly, (0,6) being four and (0,7) being three gave me a great anchor on the right side of the board. The real puzzle was the equals constraint spanning (1,2), (2,1), and (2,2). Finding a number that could satisfy all three while fitting into available dominoes took a second.
The breakthrough came when I looked at the bottom sum at (3,4) and (4,4), which had to be greater than ten. That narrow range means it had to be a five and a six or two sixes. I eventually realized that the [5,5] and [6,6] dominoes were key to unlocking those high-value regions. There was a moment where I thought I was stuck in the middle, but checking the greater than constraints at (1,4) and (2,4) helped me realize I needed to save my higher-pip tiles for those specific spots. Once I got the [1,5] and [2,3] dominoes oriented correctly near the center, the whole 12-domino map finally cleared up.
Pro Tips for Today's Puzzle
Always start by looking for the most restrictive rules, like a sum that can only be made one way or a 'less than one' constraint that has to be a zero.
If you see a single cell with a sum target, that is basically a free number to help you start your first domino. Also, pay close attention to 'equals' regions that cover three cells, as they usually force you to use specific doubles or matching pips from adjacent dominoes.
What I Learned
Today I learned how much 'empty' regions can act as walls that guide your placement.
In the easy puzzle, those empty spots limited where the dominoes could turn, making the path much clearer. I also realized that in the hard puzzle, the single-digit constraints are much more powerful than the large sums because they give you an exact starting point rather than a range of possibilities.