Skip to content
Pips

NYT Pips Answers for April 29, 2026

NYT Pips answers for April 29, 2026, a Wednesday: hints first, then the full solution for the easy, medium and hard boards. Take the hints in order and stop when you have enough — nothing below is revealed until you open it.

Today's set runs from a 10-square easy board to a 28-square hard one, a gap of 18 squares, with the hard board carrying 5 doubles against easy's 2 and 6 loose regions against 1. Constructed by Ian Livengood and Rodolfo Kurchan. Edited by Ian Livengood.

Sukie, Puzzle editor at EnergyPips

By Sukie · Puzzle editor

Easy — 10 squares, 5 dominoes

A 10-square board across 5 regions, with 1 exact sum to anchor it and 1 looser region to work around.

At 10 squares this is a typical easy board — the average is 9.9 — so nothing about its size explains an unusually long or short solve.

20% of its regions are loose against a norm of 40%, so this board is tighter than usual — more regions hand you a number outright, which is why it may have felt unusually tractable.

Where the information is on this board

Ordered from most constrained to least — which is the order worth working them in. No values are given away here, only how much each region can tell you.

  • = 6 (the middle centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 6 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • < 1 (the bottom right single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 1 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • = (the top left row of 3) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the middle left column of 2) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the middle centre 3-square block) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
Hint 1 — where to start

Start with the = 6 region — the middle centre single square — where the pips in this region must add up to exactly 6. Work there first because exactly one combination of values can fill it, so it is fully forced before you place anything.

Hint 2 — what your tray forces

The tray carries 2 doubles: 1-1, 3-3. A double is the only tile that fits wholly inside an all-equal region, and there are 3 here.

Hint 3 — the opening region's values

The = 6 region resolves to 6. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.

Full answer — easy board, April 29, 2026
How each region resolves.
RegionWhereValues
=the top left row of 33, 3, 3
=the middle left column of 24, 4
=the middle centre 3-square block1, 1, 1
= 6the middle centre single square6
< 1the bottom right single square0

Every tile and the squares it covers

  • 4-6 → row 3 col 1 and row 3 col 2
  • 1-1 → row 2 col 2 and row 2 col 3
  • 4-3 → row 2 col 1 and row 1 col 1
  • 0-1 → row 4 col 3 and row 3 col 3
  • 3-3 → row 1 col 2 and row 1 col 3

Rows and columns are counted from the top-left of the board, starting at 1.

Medium — 12 squares, 6 dominoes

A 12-square board across 7 regions, with 2 exact sums to anchor it and 3 looser regions to work around.

At 12 squares this is 18% smaller than the average medium board, which runs 14.7. A smaller grid is more forgiving: a bad tile is fewer undos away from being fixed.

The tray holds 0 doubles against a typical 1.77. Doubles are the most constrained tiles you can be dealt, so you get fewer of the free constraints doubles normally provide, and have to find your footholds elsewhere.

Where the information is on this board

Ordered from most constrained to least — which is the order worth working them in. No values are given away here, only how much each region can tell you.

  • = 10 (the middle centre row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 10. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • > 4 (the bottom centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 4. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 5 (the top centre row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 5. 3 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the middle centre row of 2) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • no rule (the middle centre single square) — No rule. A single free square — useful as somewhere to park a value the constrained regions cannot take.
  • = (the bottom centre row of 2) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • < 5 (the middle left row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 5. 9 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
Hint 1 — where to start

Start with the > 4 region — the bottom centre single square — where the pips in this region must add up to more than 4. Work there first because only 2 combinations of values can fill it.

Hint 2 — what your tray forces

Your tray holds no doubles today, which removes the usual shortcut — nothing is barred from the all-different regions on shape alone. Total pips in the tray: 32.

Hint 3 — the opening region's values

The > 4 region resolves to 6. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.

Full answer — medium board, April 29, 2026
How each region resolves.
RegionWhereValues
= 5the top centre row of 22, 3
< 5the middle left row of 22, 1
= 10the middle centre row of 25, 5
=the middle centre row of 24, 4
no rulethe middle centre single square0
=the bottom centre row of 20, 0
> 4the bottom centre single square6

Every tile and the squares it covers

  • 4-5 → row 3 col 3 and row 2 col 3
  • 0-6 → row 4 col 3 and row 4 col 4
  • 2-1 → row 2 col 1 and row 2 col 2
  • 5-0 → row 2 col 4 and row 3 col 4
  • 3-2 → row 1 col 5 and row 1 col 4
  • 0-4 → row 4 col 2 and row 3 col 2

Rows and columns are counted from the top-left of the board, starting at 1.

Hard — 28 squares, 14 dominoes

5 doubles in a 14-tile tray is a lot, and doubles are the most constrained tiles you can be dealt. Placing them first is not a preference today, it is the route through.

At 28 squares this is a typical hard board — the average is 26.4 — so nothing about its size explains an unusually long or short solve.

43% of its regions are loose against a norm of 29%, so this board is vaguer than usual — there is less exact arithmetic to anchor on and more reasoning by elimination.

The tray holds 5 doubles against a typical 3.11. Doubles are the most constrained tiles you can be dealt, so this board hands you more forced placements than usual — an advantage, if you look for them first.

Where the information is on this board

Ordered from most constrained to least — which is the order worth working them in. No values are given away here, only how much each region can tell you.

  • = 4 (the top left single square) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 4 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • > 5 (the middle centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 5 — and exactly one combination of values satisfies it, so it is forced.
  • > 4 (the middle centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 4. 2 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • > 3 (the middle centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to more than 3. 3 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 4 (the middle centre row of 2) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 4. 3 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • < 4 (the top centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 4. 4 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • < 4 (the middle left single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 4. 4 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • < 4 (the middle centre single square) — the pips in this region must add up to less than 4. 4 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 4 (the top right column of 4) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 4. 5 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the middle left 4-square block) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the middle centre row of 2) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the middle centre 3-square block) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = (the middle centre 3-square block) — every pip value in this region must be the same. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
  • = 11 (the bottom centre row of 3) — the pips in this region must add up to exactly 11. 7 combinations of values would satisfy it in isolation.
Hint 1 — where to start

Start with the = 4 region — the top left single square — where the pips in this region must add up to exactly 4. Work there first because exactly one combination of values can fill it, so it is fully forced before you place anything.

Hint 2 — what your tray forces

The tray carries 5 doubles: 2-2, 0-0, 4-4, 6-6, 1-1. A double is the only tile that fits wholly inside an all-equal region, and there are 4 here.

Hint 3 — the opening region's values

The = 4 region resolves to 4. Which half of which domino supplies each is still yours to work out.

Full answer — hard board, April 29, 2026
How each region resolves.
RegionWhereValues
= 4the top left single square4
< 4the top centre single square0
= 4the top right column of 41, 0, 0, 3
< 4the middle left single square0
=the middle left 4-square block6, 6, 6, 6
=the middle centre row of 24, 4
> 3the middle centre single square4
< 4the middle centre single square2
=the middle centre 3-square block0, 0, 0
> 5the middle centre single square6
> 4the middle centre single square5
=the middle centre 3-square block1, 1, 1
= 4the middle centre row of 22, 2
= 11the bottom centre row of 36, 2, 3

Every tile and the squares it covers

  • 1-0 → row 1 col 8 and row 2 col 8
  • 2-2 → row 9 col 2 and row 9 col 3
  • 4-0 → row 1 col 1 and row 2 col 1
  • 5-6 → row 7 col 3 and row 7 col 2
  • 0-0 → row 6 col 7 and row 7 col 7
  • 4-4 → row 3 col 5 and row 3 col 6
  • 3-0 → row 4 col 8 and row 3 col 8
  • 4-6 → row 4 col 3 and row 3 col 3
  • 0-2 → row 6 col 6 and row 6 col 5
  • 6-6 → row 3 col 1 and row 3 col 2
  • 3-1 → row 10 col 7 and row 9 col 7
  • 6-2 → row 10 col 5 and row 10 col 6
  • 1-1 → row 8 col 6 and row 8 col 7
  • 0-6 → row 1 col 3 and row 2 col 3

Rows and columns are counted from the top-left of the board, starting at 1.

Questions about this day

What is the answer to NYT Pips on April 29, 2026?
The full solution for all three boards is on this page, below the hints. 5 doubles in a 14-tile tray is a lot, and doubles are the most constrained tiles you can be dealt. Placing them first is not a preference today, it is the route through.
Can I see a hint without seeing the whole answer?
Yes. Each difficulty has three hints in order — where to start, what your tray forces, then the values in the opening region — each behind its own disclosure, with the full solution last. Nothing is revealed until you open it.
Are these the official New York Times boards?
The puzzle data is the Times’ own, and this page reports and explains the solution. EnergyPips is not affiliated with The New York Times, and the boards are not reproduced here to play — to play, go to the Times. To play a free daily domino puzzle of our own, the rest of this site is that.
Why is the hard board harder than the easy one?
On April 29, 2026 the hard board runs 28 squares across 14 regions against the easy board’s 10 and 5, and carries 6 regions that give you no exact number to work from.

About these answers

EnergyPips is an independent site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The New York Times. This page reports and explains the solution to a published puzzle, constructed by Ian Livengood (easy), Rodolfo Kurchan (medium, hard) and edited by Ian Livengood — the board itself is not reproduced here to play. To play it, go to the official NYT Pips puzzle. To play a free daily domino puzzle of our own making, with a full archive, start here.

Keep reading

Or go back to today's pips puzzle.