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

Pips hints — Thursday, January 8, 2026

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

Thursday, January 8, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 4 dominoes, 5 regions and all-equal, target-sum 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 orange region, where one cell must be exactly 6. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
The 6–3 belongs down column 4, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 6. The 6 half sits in the orange region, which must be exactly 6.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — January 8, 2026

63
62
35
03

blue (=): 3 · 3 | purple (=8): 5 · 3 | green (=6): 0 · 6 | amber (<3): 2 | orange (=6): 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 cell2
Purple8 — Add up to exactly 82
Green6 — Add up to exactly 62
Amber<3 — Be less than 31
Orange6 — Be exactly 61

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 9 regions and all-equal, target-sum 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

Medium
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the green region, where one cell must be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
The 5–1 belongs down column 2, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 1. The 5 half sits in the teal region, which must add up to exactly 5.

Hint 3

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 0–3: across row 5, columns 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must add up to exactly 3. The 0 half sits in the teal region, which must add up to exactly 5.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — January 8, 2026

03
54
05
22
56
51
52

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell3
Green5 — Be exactly 51
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell3
Orange1 — Be exactly 11
Slate<5 — Be less than 51
Teal5 — Add up to exactly 52
Pink3 — Be exactly 31
Lime4 — Be exactly 41

Hard today: 10 dominoes, 12 regions and target-sum, no-repeats 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.

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 blue region, where one cell must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
The 5–5 belongs across row 3, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the purple region, which must have no two cells showing the same number.

Hint 3

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 0–4: down column 5, rows 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must add up to less than 1. The 0 half sits in the pink region, which must be less than 1.

Hint 4

Hard
Lay the 6–3 down column 3, rows 5–6 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must add up to exactly 11.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — January 8, 2026

04
63
12
44
26
41
55
32
45
24

blue (=4): 4 | purple (≠): 4 · 1 · 2 · 5 | green (=4): 2 · 2 | amber (=5): 5 | orange (=9): 6 · 3 | slate: 4 | teal (=8): 4 · 4 | pink (<1): 0 | lime (=11): 5 · 6 | brown (=4): 4 | blue (<4): 1 | purple (=5): 2 · 3

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue4 — Be exactly 41
Purple≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number4
Green4 — Add up to exactly 42
Amber5 — Be exactly 51
Orange9 — Add up to exactly 92
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal8 — Add up to exactly 82
Pink<1 — Be less than 11
Lime11 — Add up to exactly 112
Brown4 — Be exactly 41
Blue<4 — Be less than 41
Purple5 — Add up to exactly 52
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →