Start with the forced single-square regions: Easy is 2, Medium is 5, and Hard is 0. Below are progressive hints for each March 16 board, followed by the complete region values and domino placements. The solutions are reported by the independent archive EnergyPips, not by The New York Times.
How to use these hints
NYT Pips is a digital domino logic puzzle: place the supplied dominoes across the board so the values in each colored region obey its rule. A region may require an exact sum, equal values, or values above or below a threshold; uncolored squares have no regional rule. Since a domino can cross a region boundary, each half can count toward a different constraint. See the Tom’s Guide Pips guide for a secondary-source explanation of the mechanics, or open NYT Games to play.
Each board below has three stages: an opening deduction, a tile-tray clue, and the answer to that opening region. Stop before the spoiler section if you want to solve the board yourself. Row and column coordinates in the solutions start at 1 in the upper-left square.
Easy hints
Hint 1: Use the top-right single square
The top-right square is marked = 2. Because the region has only one square, that square must contain 2.
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Hint 2: Check the doubles in the tray
The reported tray includes 6-6 and 0-0. Keep those pairs in mind when working through the equal-value region and the four-square total.
Opening-region answer
The top-right square contains 2.
Medium hints
Hint 1: Start with the top-centre square
The top-centre single square is marked > 4. The archive’s solution places 5 there.
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Hint 2: Look for the doubles
The tray includes 4-4, 2-2, and 5-5. The board also has six all-equal regions, so those pairs can help identify candidate placements.
Opening-region answer
The top-centre square contains 5.
Hard hints
Hint 1: Resolve the middle-centre single square
The single square marked = 0 must contain 0.
Hint 2: Use the doubles and the distinct-value rule
The reported tray has doubles 3-3, 4-4, 0-0, 1-1, and 2-2. One seven-square region requires all its values to differ, while two other regions require equal values.
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Opening-region answer
The middle-centre single square contains 0.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Complete answers for March 16, 2026
Spoilers below. EnergyPips identifies the constructors as Ian Livengood for Easy and Medium and Rodolfo Kurchan for Hard, with Livengood as editor. Its dated archive reports 10 squares and 5 dominoes for Easy, 16 squares and 8 dominoes for Medium, and 32 squares and 16 dominoes for Hard. These counts apply to this date’s boards, not to Pips boards generally. The archive describes itself as independent and not affiliated with The New York Times; these are third-party reported solutions, not official NYT commentary. See the EnergyPips March 16, 2026 answers.
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Easy solution
| Region | Location | Values |
|---|---|---|
| = 18 | Top-left four-square block | 6, 6, 0, 6 |
| = 2 | Top-right single square | 2 |
| No rule | Middle-right single square | 5 |
| = 8 | Bottom-left row of two | 5, 3 |
| = | Bottom-centre row of two | 0, 0 |
Domino placements, with occupied cells:
- 6-6 at R1C2–R1C3
- 0-0 at R3C3–R3C4
- 5-2 at R2C4 and R1C4
- 3-6 at R3C2 and R2C2
- 5-0 at R3C1 and R2C1
Medium solution
| Region | Location | Values |
|---|---|---|
| > 4 | Top-centre single square | 5 |
| = | Top-centre row of two | 5, 5 |
| = | Top-right column of two | 4, 4 |
| = | Middle-left column of two | 3, 3 |
| < 2 | Middle-centre single square | 1 |
| = 6 | Middle-right column of two | 4, 2 |
| = | Bottom-left row of two | 6, 6 |
| = | Bottom-centre row of two | 0, 0 |
| = | Bottom-centre row of two | 2, 2 |
Domino placements, with occupied cells:
- 6-3 at R5C1 and R4C1
- 4-4 at R2C6 and R3C6
- 6-0 at R5C2–R5C3
- 2-2 at R4C6 and R5C6
- 1-3 at R3C2 and R3C1
- 5-5 at R1C3–R1C4
- 0-2 at R5C4–R5C5
- 4-5 at R1C6 and R1C5
Hard solution
| Region | Location | Values |
|---|---|---|
| = 9 | Top-centre column of two | 6, 3 |
| = | Middle-centre five-square block | 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 |
| = 0 | Middle-centre single square | 0 |
| = 3 | Middle-right single square | 3 |
| = 2 | Middle-left single square | 2 |
| ≠ | Middle-centre seven-square block | 2, 5, 1, 6, 0, 4, 3 |
| = | Middle-centre three-square block | 2, 2, 2 |
| = 0 | Middle-centre single square | 0 |
| = 4 | Middle-centre single square | 4 |
| = 15 | Middle-centre three-square block | 5, 5, 5 |
| = 4 | Middle-centre single square | 4 |
| = 3 | Middle-centre single square | 3 |
| = 8 | Middle-centre column of two | 4, 4 |
| = 6 | Bottom-centre row of two | 6, 0 |
| = 6 | Bottom-right single square | 6 |
Domino placements, with occupied cells:
- 0-6 at R8C5 and R8C4
- 1-4 at R4C6 and R5C6
- 3-3 at R6C4 and R7C4
- 0-1 at R3C8 and R3C7
- 4-4 at R6C3 and R7C3
- 2-5 at R5C8 and R6C8
- 6-3 at R1C7 and R2C7
- 2-1 at R4C8 and R4C7
- 0-0 at R5C4–R5C5
- 6-5 at R5C3 and R4C3
- 1-1 at R4C4–R4C5
- 5-4 at R7C7–R7C8
- 2-2 at R4C1–R4C2
- 4-6 at R8C8–R8C9
- 2-3 at R4C9 and R3C9
- 1-5 at R5C7 and R6C7
