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

Pips hints — Friday, January 23, 2026

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

Friday, January 23, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 6 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

Easy
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the purple 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

Easy
Place the 5–3 domino down column 4, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the purple region, which must be exactly 5.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — January 23, 2026

42
53
03
36
50

blue: 2 | purple (=5): 5 | green (=9): 4 · 5 | amber (=): 3 · 3 | orange (=9): 6 · 3 | slate (=): 0 · 0

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple5 — Be exactly 51
Green9 — Add up to exactly 92
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange9 — Add up to exactly 92
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2

Medium today: 8 dominoes, 10 regions and less-than, 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 blue region, where one cell must be less than 1. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 6–0 domino down column 3, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to less than 1. The 6 half sits in the amber region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Medium
The 5–4 belongs across row 2, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 4. The 5 half sits in the green region, which must take any value it likes.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — January 23, 2026

60
51
50
66
02
63
54
11

blue (<1): 0 | purple (=4): 4 | green: 5 | amber (=): 6 · 6 · 6 | orange: 3 | slate: 2 | teal (=7): 6 · 1 | pink (=1): 0 · 1 | lime (=1): 0 · 1 | brown (=): 5 · 5

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue<1 — Be less than 11
Purple4 — Be exactly 41
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell3
OrangeTake any value it likes1
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal7 — Add up to exactly 72
Pink1 — Add up to exactly 12
Lime1 — Add up to exactly 12
Brown= — Show the same number on every cell2

Hard today: 10 dominoes, 11 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.

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 lime region, where two cells must add up to exactly 10. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 5–5 domino down column 5, rows 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must add up to exactly 10.

Hint 3

Hard
The 2–3 belongs across row 6, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 3.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 6–1: across row 7, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to exactly 9.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — January 23, 2026

22
05
33
00
11
23
61
55
10
25

blue: 0 | purple: 0 | green (=7): 1 · 1 · 5 | amber: 0 | orange (=5): 1 · 2 · 2 | slate: 0 | teal (=7): 2 · 5 | pink (=6): 3 · 3 | lime (=10): 5 · 5 | brown (=9): 3 · 6 | blue (=3): 2 · 1

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
Green7 — Add up to exactly 73
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange5 — Add up to exactly 53
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal7 — Add up to exactly 72
Pink6 — Add up to exactly 62
Lime10 — Add up to exactly 102
Brown9 — Add up to exactly 92
Blue3 — Add up to exactly 32
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →