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

Pips hints — Wednesday, October 1, 2025

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

Wednesday, October 1, 2025Archived board

Today's Easy board has 4 dominoes across 5 regions, mixing less-than, no-repeats, greater-than 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 orange 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

Easy
There is exactly one home for the 4–4: down column 4, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 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 — October 1, 2025

26
65
20
44

blue (<2): 0 | purple (≠): 2 · 5 · 4 · 6 | green (<3): 2 | amber (>4): 6 | orange (=4): 4

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue<2 — Be less than 21
Purple≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number4
Green<3 — Be less than 31
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
Orange4 — Be exactly 41

Today's Medium board has 9 dominoes across 11 regions, mixing target-sum, all-equal and greater-than 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 purple 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
There is exactly one home for the 3–6: across row 1, columns 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 3. The 3 half sits in the purple region, which must be exactly 3.

Hint 3

Medium
Lay the 0–6 across row 3, columns 1–2 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 0.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — October 1, 2025

11
06
31
55
24
36
02
44
62

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue10 — Add up to exactly 102
Purple3 — Be exactly 31
Green10 — Add up to exactly 102
Amber10 — Add up to exactly 102
Orange0 — Add up to exactly 02
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell3
PinkTake any value it likes1
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell2
BrownTake any value it likes1
Blue>4 — Be more than 41

Today's Hard board has 14 dominoes across 18 regions, mixing target-sum, all-equal, greater-than and less-than 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 amber 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

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 6–1: across row 3, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 6. The 6 half sits in the amber region, which must be exactly 6.

Hint 3

Hard
Lay the 2–0 down column 7, rows 4–5 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 0. The 2 half sits in the blue region, which must add up to exactly 2.

Hint 4

Hard
Place the 3–5 domino down column 1, rows 6–7. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 3. The 3 half sits in the orange region, which must be exactly 3.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — October 1, 2025

61
35
03
56
15
20
21
00
11
22
33
44
55
66

blue (=11): 5 · 6 | purple (=8): 4 · 4 | green (=): 1 · 1 | amber (=6): 6 | orange (=): 1 · 1 | slate (=0): 0 | teal (>3): 5 | pink (=): 2 · 2 | lime: 1 | brown (=17): 6 · 6 · 5 | blue (=2): 2 · 0 · 0 | purple (=5): 5 | green (<5): 2 · 0 | amber (>4): 5 | orange (=3): 3 | slate (<4): 3 | teal (=3): 3 | pink: 3

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue11 — Add up to exactly 112
Purple8 — Add up to exactly 82
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber6 — Be exactly 61
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate0 — Be exactly 01
Teal>3 — Be more than 31
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell2
LimeTake any value it likes1
Brown17 — Add up to exactly 173
Blue2 — Add up to exactly 23
Purple5 — Be exactly 51
Green<5 — Add up to less than 52
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
Orange3 — Be exactly 31
Slate<4 — Be less than 41
Teal3 — Be exactly 31
PinkTake any value it likes1
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →