NYT Pips HelperWednesday, August 26, 2026
Hints, answers & a solver for the New York Times Pips puzzle

Pips hints — Sunday, September 28, 2025

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

Sunday, September 28, 2025Archived board

Easy today: 4 dominoes, 5 regions and greater-than, no-repeats, all-equal and less-than constraints. 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
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the blue region, where one cell must be more than 4. Only 2 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
The 4–5 belongs down column 2, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to more than 4. The 4 half sits in the purple region, which must have no two cells showing the same number.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — September 28, 2025

13
45
33
24

blue (>4): 5 | purple (≠): 4 · 2 | green (=): 3 · 3 · 3 | amber: 4 | orange (<2): 1

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>4 — Be more than 41
Purple — Have no two cells showing the same number2
Green= — Show the same number on every cell3
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange<2 — Be less than 21

Medium today: 10 dominoes, 8 regions and all-equal and target-sum constraints. 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
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the slate region, where two cells must add up to exactly 0. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
The 0–6 belongs across row 5, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 0.

Hint 3

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 4–1: down column 2, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 2. The 4 half sits in the purple region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — September 28, 2025

54
41
26
65
16
55
33
06
66
01

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

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 cell4
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green2 — Add up to exactly 22
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell6
Slate0 — Add up to exactly 02
TealTake any value it likes1
PinkTake any value it likes1

Hard today: 13 dominoes, 12 regions and target-sum, all-equal and greater-than constraints. 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
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the amber region, where three cells must add up to exactly 0. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
The 0–5 belongs across row 2, columns 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 0.

Hint 3

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

Hint 4

Hard
Lay the 0–0 across row 5, columns 6–7 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to exactly 0.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — September 28, 2025

31
51
60
05
00
33
04
42
03
11
01
20
66

blue: 1 | purple (=5): 3 · 2 | green (=10): 5 · 5 | amber (=0): 0 · 0 · 0 | orange (=10): 4 · 6 | slate (=): 1 · 1 · 1 | teal (>4): 6 | pink (=10): 6 · 4 | lime (=9): 3 · 3 · 3 | brown (=0): 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | blue: 1 | purple (>1): 2

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple5 — Add up to exactly 52
Green10 — Add up to exactly 102
Amber0 — Add up to exactly 03
Orange10 — Add up to exactly 102
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell3
Teal>4 — Be more than 41
Pink10 — Add up to exactly 102
Lime9 — Add up to exactly 93
Brown0 — Add up to exactly 05
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple>1 — Be more than 11
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →