NYT Pips Hints and Answers for Jan 3, 2026: Solving Today's Domino Puzzle

Stuck on today's color-coded dominoes? NYT Pips, the latest addition to the New York Times puzzle lineup since August 2025, offers a refreshing twist on traditional dominoes. While the game usually only offers to reveal the entire solution, we've broken down the January 3, 2026, answers to help you navigate each difficulty level without spoiling the entire fun.

Mastering NYT Pips Mechanics and Rules

According to reports from Mashable, the core of Pips involves placing tiles vertically or horizontally, much like dominoes. However, the game introduces color-coded conditions. For instance, a 'Number' space requires all pips in that area to sum up to a specific total. 'Equal' means every domino half must share the same value, while 'Not Equal' demands entirely different numbers. Understanding these conditions is key to unlocking the higher difficulty levels.

NYT Pips Answers for Jan 3, 2026: Level by Level

Easy Difficulty: The 'Greater Than (1)' condition is satisfied by placing a 2-6 tile horizontally. For the red 'Equal (6)' space, you'll need both 2-6 and 6-4 placed horizontally. Finish the level by placing 5-4 and 4-4 horizontally in the 'Equal (4)' space.

Medium Difficulty: Vertical placement is crucial here. Use a 2-1 vertically for 'Greater Than (2)'. The 'Equal (0)' condition is met with 1-0 (vertical) and 5-0 (horizontal). For the 'Equal (3)' area, place 5-3 and 4-3 horizontally.

Hard Difficulty: Focus on the total of 10. In the purple 'Number (10)' space, place 2-6 vertically and 4-4 horizontally. The 'Not Equal' challenge is solved by placing 3-1 vertically and 0-1 horizontally.