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, April 2, 2026

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

Thursday, April 2, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 3 regions and no-repeats, all-equal 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
Your way in today is the green 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
Lay the 5–3 across row 4, columns 2–3 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 10.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — April 2, 2026

23
61
33
50
53

blue (≠): 6 · 2 · 1 · 0 | purple (=): 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 | green (=10): 5 · 5

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number4
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell4
Green10 — Add up to exactly 102

Medium today: 8 dominoes, 8 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.

Hint 1 — where to start

Medium
Your way in today is the green region: one cell that must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Lay the 1–4 across row 1, columns 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 4. The 1 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 5.

Hint 3

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

Medium solution — April 2, 2026

31
14
32
66
54
02
53
65

blue (=16): 6 · 5 · 5 | purple (=5): 1 · 2 · 2 | green (=4): 4 | amber (=12): 6 · 6 | orange (=9): 4 · 5 | slate (=6): 3 · 3 | teal (=1): 0 · 1 | pink (=3): 3

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue16 — Add up to exactly 163
Purple5 — Add up to exactly 53
Green4 — Be exactly 41
Amber12 — Add up to exactly 122
Orange9 — Add up to exactly 92
Slate6 — Add up to exactly 62
Teal1 — Add up to exactly 12
Pink3 — Be exactly 31

Hard today: 16 dominoes, 16 regions and all-equal, target-sum, less-than, greater-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.

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

Hint 2

Hard
Lay the 5–5 across row 5, columns 6–7 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the brown region, which must have no two cells showing the same number.

Hint 3

Hard
Place the 1–2 domino down column 8, rows 6–7. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 1. The 1 half sits in the amber region, which must be exactly 1.

Hint 4

Hard
The 4–0 belongs down column 5, rows 8–9. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 0. The 4 half sits in the slate region, which must add up to exactly 7.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — April 2, 2026

61
00
14
23
40
11
30
42
55
31
66
01
46
20
54
12

blue: 3 | purple (=): 6 · 6 | green (=4): 4 | amber (<3): 2 | orange (>8): 4 · 5 | slate (>9): 4 · 6 | teal: 1 | pink (=1): 1 | lime (=): 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | brown (≠): 2 · 6 · 5 · 1 · 3 · 4 | blue (=5): 5 | purple (=): 2 · 2 | green (=0): 0 · 0 | amber (=1): 1 | orange (=3): 1 · 1 · 1 | slate (=7): 4 · 3

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 cell2
Green4 — Be exactly 41
Amber<3 — Be less than 31
Orange>8 — Add up to more than 82
Slate>9 — Add up to more than 92
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink1 — Be exactly 11
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell4
Brown≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number6
Blue5 — Be exactly 51
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green0 — Add up to exactly 02
Amber1 — Be exactly 11
Orange3 — Add up to exactly 33
Slate7 — Add up to exactly 72
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →