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

Pips hints — Saturday, April 11, 2026

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

Saturday, April 11, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 6 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

Easy
Look at the blue region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 3–5 domino across row 3, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 5. The 3 half sits in the orange region, which must add up to exactly 7.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — April 11, 2026

25
44
35
04
01

blue (=5): 5 | purple: 2 | green (=9): 1 · 4 · 4 | amber: 0 | orange (=7): 3 · 0 · 4 | slate (=5): 5

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
Green9 — Add up to exactly 93
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange7 — Add up to exactly 73
Slate5 — Be exactly 51

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 9 regions and target-sum, all-equal 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
Look at the orange region first. Across two cells it has to add up to exactly 10. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 5–5 domino across row 2, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 10.

Hint 3

Medium
The 4–4 belongs across row 4, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must add up to exactly 10. The 4 half sits in the pink region, which must take any value it likes.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — April 11, 2026

44
66
31
55
36
00
26

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

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
Green6 — Add up to exactly 62
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange10 — Add up to exactly 102
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell3
Teal<4 — Be less than 41
PinkTake any value it likes1
Lime10 — Add up to exactly 102

Hard today: 12 dominoes, 14 regions and target-sum, greater-than, less-than 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.

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
Look at the orange region first. Across one cell it has to be more than 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 3–6 domino down column 1, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to more than 5. The 3 half sits in the blue region, which must add up to exactly 5.

Hint 3

Hard
The 1–6 belongs down column 5, rows 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to more than 5. The 1 half sits in the green region, which must add up to less than 5.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 2–5: down column 1, rows 6–7. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 5. The 2 half sits in the amber region, which must add up to exactly 5.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — April 11, 2026

16
25
04
36
05
21
45
11
23
41
22
13

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue5 — Add up to exactly 52
Purple1 — Add up to exactly 12
Green10 — Add up to exactly 102
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange>5 — Be more than 51
Slate<5 — Add up to less than 52
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell3
LimeTake any value it likes1
Brown<5 — Be less than 51
Blue>5 — Be more than 51
Purple5 — Be exactly 51
Green<5 — Add up to less than 54
Amber5 — Add up to exactly 52
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →