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

Pips hints — Wednesday, March 18, 2026

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

Wednesday, March 18, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 6 dominoes, 8 regions and all-equal, greater-than 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 slate region, where one cell must be exactly 3. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Lay the 6–3 across row 3, columns 5–6 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must add up to exactly 3. The 6 half sits in the orange region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — March 18, 2026

65
66
23
44
63
35

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

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
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green>4 — Be more than 41
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell4
Slate3 — Be exactly 31
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink3 — Be exactly 31

Medium today: 8 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

Medium
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the blue region, where one cell must be exactly 3. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Lay the 4–3 down column 6, rows 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to exactly 3. The 4 half sits in the lime region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Medium
Place the 4–0 domino across row 4, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — March 18, 2026

43
30
11
40
00
05
42
55

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

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
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell3
Orange>3 — Be more than 31
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal3 — Be exactly 31
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell4
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell2

Hard today: 16 dominoes, 16 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 blue 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

Hard
Lay the 1–5 down column 3, rows 1–2 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 5. The 1 half sits in the green region, which must add up to exactly 4.

Hint 3

Hard
Place the 3–1 domino across row 3, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 3. The 3 half sits in the orange region, which must be exactly 3.

Hint 4

Hard
The 6–5 belongs across row 5, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must add up to exactly 24.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — March 18, 2026

31
65
11
40
53
22
15
66
42
63
45
32
50
43
00
52

blue (=5): 5 | purple: 2 | green (=4): 1 · 1 · 1 · 1 | amber (=11): 4 · 4 · 3 | orange (=3): 3 | slate (=10): 5 · 5 | teal: 2 | pink (=9): 5 · 4 | lime (=24): 6 · 6 · 6 · 6 | brown (=0): 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | blue: 2 | purple (=10): 3 · 3 · 4 | green (=10): 5 · 5 | amber: 2 | orange: 2 | slate (=3): 3

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue5 — Be exactly 51
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green4 — Add up to exactly 44
Amber11 — Add up to exactly 113
Orange3 — Be exactly 31
Slate10 — Add up to exactly 102
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink9 — Add up to exactly 92
Lime24 — Add up to exactly 244
Brown0 — Add up to exactly 04
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple10 — Add up to exactly 103
Green10 — Add up to exactly 102
AmberTake any value it likes1
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate3 — Be exactly 31
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →