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

Pips hints — Tuesday, December 16, 2025

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

Tuesday, December 16, 2025Archived board

Easy today: 6 dominoes, 9 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.

Hint 1 — where to start

Easy
Look at the blue region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 0. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
The 0–0 belongs down column 2, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 0. The 0 half sits in the blue region, which must be exactly 0.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — December 16, 2025

13
52
32
34
63
00

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue0 — Be exactly 01
Purple1 — Add up to exactly 12
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
AmberTake any value it likes1
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate>3 — Be more than 31
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink8 — Add up to exactly 82
Lime6 — Be exactly 61

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 8 regions and target-sum, all-equal, less-than and no-repeats 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
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
The 0–3 belongs across row 1, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 3. The 0 half sits in the purple region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 3–5: down column 4, rows 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to exactly 3. The 3 half sits in the teal region, which must be exactly 3.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — December 16, 2025

11
61
55
03
01
44
35

blue (=3): 3 | purple (=): 0 · 0 | green (<2): 1 | amber (<5): 4 | orange (=): 1 · 1 | slate (≠): 4 · 6 · 1 · 5 | teal (=3): 3 | pink (=): 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
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green<2 — Be less than 21
Amber<5 — Be less than 51
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number4
Teal3 — Be exactly 31
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell2

Hard today: 13 dominoes, 15 regions and no-repeats, greater-than, target-sum, less-than 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.

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 slate region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 2. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
The 2–1 belongs across row 3, columns 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.

Hint 3

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 4–2: down column 3, rows 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 2. The 4 half sits in the purple region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 4

Hard
Lay the 4–4 across row 4, columns 4–5 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — December 16, 2025

61
00
21
60
42
01
35
05
43
20
46
30
44

blue: 3 | purple: 6 | green (≠): 4 · 3 | amber (>4): 5 | orange (=2): 1 · 1 | slate (=2): 2 | teal (<4): 3 | pink (=): 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | lime (<6): 5 | brown: 6 | blue (>3): 6 | purple (=): 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 | green (<2): 1 | amber (=2): 2 | orange (<3): 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
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number2
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
Orange2 — Add up to exactly 22
Slate2 — Be exactly 21
Teal<4 — Be less than 41
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell7
Lime<6 — Be less than 61
BrownTake any value it likes1
Blue>3 — Be more than 31
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell4
Green<2 — Be less than 21
Amber2 — Be exactly 21
Orange<3 — Be less than 31
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →