NYT Pips HelperWednesday, August 26, 2026
Hints, answers & a solver for the New York Times Pips puzzle
Today's hintHint archiveAll answers

Pips hints — Thursday, September 11, 2025

An archived puzzle. Pick your difficulty for a spoiler-safe nudge, then reveal the full board if you want it.

Thursday, September 11, 2025Archived board

Today's Easy board has 5 dominoes across 6 regions, mixing all-equal and target-sum rules. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Easy
Look at the slate region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 6. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 1–5 domino down column 3, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 5. The 1 half sits in the blue region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — September 11, 2025

15
11
46
33
06

blue (=): 1 · 1 · 1 | purple (=): 3 · 3 | green (=5): 5 · 0 | amber: 6 | orange: 4 | slate (=6): 6

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue= — Show the same number on every cell3
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green5 — Add up to exactly 52
AmberTake any value it likes1
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate6 — Be exactly 61

Today's Medium board has 7 dominoes across 9 regions, mixing target-sum rules. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Medium
Look at the blue region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 3. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 3–4 domino across row 1, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 3. The 3 half sits in the blue region, which must be exactly 3.

Hint 3

Medium
The 2–3 belongs down column 5, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 2. The 2 half sits in the slate region, which must be exactly 2.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — September 11, 2025

65
34
44
35
55
23
66

blue (=3): 3 | purple (=14): 4 · 5 · 5 | green (=15): 6 · 6 · 3 | amber: 4 | orange (=9): 4 · 5 | slate (=2): 2 | teal: 3 | pink (=6): 6 | lime (=5): 5

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue3 — Be exactly 31
Purple14 — Add up to exactly 143
Green15 — Add up to exactly 153
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange9 — Add up to exactly 92
Slate2 — Be exactly 21
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink6 — Be exactly 61
Lime5 — Be exactly 51

Today's Hard board has 15 dominoes across 14 regions, mixing all-equal and target-sum rules. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hard is where most players get stuck.We break it into small, spoiler-safe nudges so you can stop the moment you’re unstuck.

Hint 1 — where to start

Hard
Look at the green region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 3–5 domino down column 2, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 5. The 3 half sits in the teal region, which must add up to exactly 5.

Hint 3

Hard
The 3–4 belongs down column 1, rows 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must add up to exactly 4. The 3 half sits in the brown region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 0–1: down column 4, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must add up to exactly 0.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — September 11, 2025

01
03
06
14
15
16
22
23
33
34
35
44
25
26
36

blue (=): 4 · 4 | purple: 1 | green (=4): 4 | amber (=5): 5 | orange (=6): 1 · 5 | slate (=): 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 | teal (=5): 3 · 2 | pink (=0): 0 · 0 · 0 | lime (=4): 4 | brown (=): 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 | blue: 1 | purple (=24): 6 · 6 · 6 · 6 | green: 1 | amber (=5): 5

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue= — Show the same number on every cell2
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green4 — Be exactly 41
Amber5 — Be exactly 51
Orange6 — Add up to exactly 62
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell4
Teal5 — Add up to exactly 52
Pink0 — Add up to exactly 03
Lime4 — Be exactly 41
Brown= — Show the same number on every cell6
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple24 — Add up to exactly 244
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber5 — Be exactly 51
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →