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

Pips hints — Saturday, December 13, 2025

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

Saturday, December 13, 2025Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 6 regions 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

Easy
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the blue region, where one cell must be exactly 0. 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 6–0: down column 2, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 0. The 6 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 7.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — December 13, 2025

11
34
52
66
60

blue (=0): 0 | purple (=7): 6 · 1 | green (=7): 1 · 2 · 4 | amber (=11): 5 · 6 | orange: 6 | slate: 3

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue0 — Be exactly 01
Purple7 — Add up to exactly 72
Green7 — Add up to exactly 73
Amber11 — Add up to exactly 112
OrangeTake any value it likes1
SlateTake any value it likes1

Medium today: 9 dominoes, 11 regions and target-sum and all-equal 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 orange region, where one cell must be exactly 1. 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 1–3: down column 1, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 1. The 1 half sits in the orange region, which must be exactly 1.

Hint 3

Medium
Lay the 5–1 across row 5, columns 5–6 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 1. The 5 half sits in the brown region, which must add up to exactly 8.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — December 13, 2025

40
34
11
13
42
51
33
32
06

blue (=2): 1 · 1 | purple: 2 | green (=9): 3 · 6 | amber (=2): 0 · 2 | orange (=1): 1 | slate (=): 3 · 3 | teal (=3): 3 · 0 | pink: 4 | lime (=): 4 · 4 | brown (=8): 3 · 5 | blue (=1): 1

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue2 — Add up to exactly 22
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green9 — Add up to exactly 92
Amber2 — Add up to exactly 22
Orange1 — Be exactly 11
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2
Teal3 — Add up to exactly 32
PinkTake any value it likes1
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell2
Brown8 — Add up to exactly 82
Blue1 — Be exactly 11

Hard today: 9 dominoes, 9 regions and all-equal, target-sum, less-than 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 slate region, where one cell must be more than 3. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 1–4: down column 3, rows 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to more than 3. The 1 half sits in the teal region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Hard
Lay the 3–1 across row 1, columns 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to less than 6. The 3 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 6.

Hint 4

Hard
Place the 1–2 domino down column 2, rows 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — December 13, 2025

12
55
31
25
63
46
11
44
14

blue (=): 5 · 5 · 5 | purple (=6): 3 · 3 | green (<6): 1 | amber (=): 2 · 2 | orange: 6 | slate (>3): 4 | teal (=): 1 · 1 · 1 · 1 | pink (=): 4 · 4 · 4 | lime (>2): 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
Purple6 — Add up to exactly 62
Green<6 — Be less than 61
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate>3 — Be more than 31
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell4
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell3
Lime>2 — Be more than 21
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →