Pips Answer for Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Complete NYT Pips puzzle solution with interactive board and expert analysis.
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Nyt Pips easy answer for 2026-01-28
Answer for 2026-01-28
I started the Easy puzzle by looking for the most restrictive spots. The single-cell sum target of 4 at (1,4) was my first anchor. Since only one cell was involved, that part of the domino had to be a 4.
Then I looked at the sum of 8 at (3,3) and (3,4). In this set, the only way to get an 8 was using the [4,4] domino, which locked those two in place. From there, the 'equals' constraints at (1,2)/(2,2) and (2,3)/(2,4) acted like a bridge, helping me thread the [5,1] and [4,1] dominoes through the remaining gaps.
Nyt Pips medium answer for 2026-01-28
Answer for 2026-01-28
For the Medium puzzle, the difficulty jumped. I immediately scanned for high-value targets. The sum of 9 at (1,0) and (2,0) was a huge hint.
I looked at my dominoes—[5,2], [3,4], [5,3], [0,6], [4,5], [6,6], [1,1]—and realized the [6,6] couldn't fit there because 6+6 is 12, so it had to be something like the 4 and 5 from the [4,5] tile. The 'greater than' clues were my next priority. (1,5) had to be greater than 5, which meant it almost certainly had to be a 6. By the time I reached the
Nyt Pips hard answer for 2026-01-28
Answer for 2026-01-28
Hard puzzle, I knew I had to be very methodical. The 'unequal' region was the trickiest part; four different cells [(3,2), (4,0), (4,1), (4,2)] all had to have different values.
I used the 'less than 2' sum at (4,3) and (4,4) to narrow things down to 0 and 1. This forced the [0,0] and [5,1] dominoes into very specific orientations. The 'greater than 10' region was the final piece of the puzzle, requiring the [5,5] and [2,6] dominoes to be positioned just right so their high-value ends met the target.
What I Learned
This set of puzzles really taught me the value of looking at what *isn't* possible. Especially in the Hard puzzle, the 'unequal' constraint is a powerful tool for elimination. If you know a region can't have duplicate numbers, you can cross-reference it with your remaining dominoes to see which ones are physically impossible to place there.
I also noticed a pattern where 'equals' constraints often act as connectors between two different dominoes, forcing a specific number to appear in both. Another trick I picked up today was prioritizing the 'empty' cells. They might seem useless, but they act as walls that define the board's shape, often leaving only one or two paths for the longer domino chains to follow.