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

Pips hints — Saturday, December 27, 2025

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

Saturday, December 27, 2025Archived board

The Easy grid runs to 6 regions and 6 tiles, with all-equal and target-sum rules in play. 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
Your way in today is the orange region: two cells that must add up to exactly 10. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 5–5 domino across row 3, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 10.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — December 27, 2025

55
02
65
66
24
40

blue (=): 6 · 6 | purple (=6): 4 · 2 | green (=5): 0 · 5 | amber (=8): 6 · 2 | orange (=10): 5 · 5 | slate (=4): 0 · 4

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
Purple6 — Add up to exactly 62
Green5 — Add up to exactly 52
Amber8 — Add up to exactly 82
Orange10 — Add up to exactly 102
Slate4 — Add up to exactly 42

The Medium grid runs to 11 regions and 7 tiles, with target-sum, greater-than and less-than rules in play. 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
Your way in today is the teal region: one cell that must be exactly 6. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 5–6 domino across row 2, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to exactly 6. The 5 half sits in the green region, which must add up to exactly 6.

Hint 3

Medium
The 2–0 belongs across row 2, columns 7–8. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must add up to less than 1. The 2 half sits in the pink region, which must add up to exactly 6.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — December 27, 2025

12
56
13
55
03
41
20

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue4 — Add up to exactly 42
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green6 — Add up to exactly 62
Amber>2 — Be more than 21
OrangeTake any value it likes1
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal6 — Be exactly 61
Pink6 — Add up to exactly 62
Lime<1 — Be less than 11
Brown>1 — Be more than 11
Blue>0 — Be more than 01

The Hard grid runs to 17 regions and 15 tiles, with target-sum, greater-than, all-equal and no-repeats rules in play. 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
Your way in today is the purple region: one cell that must be exactly 2. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 6–2 domino down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 2. The 6 half sits in the blue region, which must add up to exactly 11.

Hint 3

Hard
The 4–0 belongs across row 6, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 4. The 4 half sits in the green region, which must be exactly 4.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 5–1: down column 1, rows 7–8. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the orange region, which must be exactly 5.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — December 27, 2025

63
21
00
23
44
31
55
62
06
52
51
40
53
02
14

blue (=11): 6 · 5 | purple (=2): 2 | green (>3): 5 | amber (=): 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 | orange (=): 0 · 0 · 0 | slate (=12): 6 · 6 | teal (>2): 5 | pink (≠): 1 · 2 · 4 | lime: 2 | brown (=0): 0 · 0 | blue (=5): 5 | purple (=10): 4 · 2 · 4 | green (=4): 4 | amber (=1): 1 | orange (=5): 5 | slate (=2): 2 | teal (=2): 1 · 1

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
Purple2 — Be exactly 21
Green>3 — Be more than 31
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell4
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell3
Slate12 — Add up to exactly 122
Teal>2 — Be more than 21
Pink — Have no two cells showing the same number3
LimeTake any value it likes1
Brown0 — Add up to exactly 02
Blue5 — Be exactly 51
Purple10 — Add up to exactly 103
Green4 — Be exactly 41
Amber1 — Be exactly 11
Orange5 — Be exactly 51
Slate2 — Be exactly 21
Teal2 — Add up to exactly 22
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →