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

Pips hints — Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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

Wednesday, June 3, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 6 dominoes, 8 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

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

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

Easy solution — June 3, 2026

15
03
66
35
42
12

blue: 1 | purple (=4): 2 · 2 | green: 1 | amber (=): 6 · 6 | orange (=4): 4 | slate (=10): 5 · 5 | teal (<1): 0 | pink (=): 3 · 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
Purple4 — Add up to exactly 42
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange4 — Be exactly 41
Slate10 — Add up to exactly 102
Teal<1 — Be less than 11
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell2

Medium today: 8 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
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the blue 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

Medium
Place the 1–4 domino across row 1, columns 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 2.

Hint 3

Medium
The 6–0 belongs down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 10.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — June 3, 2026

52
35
14
63
13
60
03
44

blue (=10): 6 · 4 | purple (=2): 1 · 1 | green (=): 3 · 3 | amber (=2): 0 · 2 | orange (=8): 5 · 3 | slate (=8): 3 · 5 | teal: 6 | pink (=8): 4 · 4 | lime (<6): 0

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue10 — Add up to exactly 102
Purple2 — Add up to exactly 22
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber2 — Add up to exactly 22
Orange8 — Add up to exactly 82
Slate8 — Add up to exactly 82
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink8 — Add up to exactly 82
Lime<6 — Be less than 61

Hard today: 15 dominoes, 13 regions and target-sum, 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
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the purple region, where one cell must be exactly 2. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 4–5 domino across row 2, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 4. The 4 half sits in the orange region, which must be exactly 4.

Hint 3

Hard
The 2–1 belongs across row 3, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must add up to exactly 2. The 2 half sits in the lime region, which must be exactly 2.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 6–1: across row 5, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 12.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — June 3, 2026

45
21
56
00
42
46
23
61
25
34
55
63
15
33
66

blue: 4 | purple (=2): 2 | green (=18): 6 · 6 · 6 | amber (<2): 0 · 0 | orange (=4): 4 | slate (=): 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 | teal (=9): 4 · 5 | pink (=3): 1 · 1 · 1 | lime (=2): 2 | brown (=): 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 | blue (=4): 2 · 2 | purple (=12): 6 · 6 | green (=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
Purple2 — Be exactly 21
Green18 — Add up to exactly 183
Amber<2 — Add up to less than 22
Orange4 — Be exactly 41
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell5
Teal9 — Add up to exactly 92
Pink3 — Add up to exactly 33
Lime2 — Be exactly 21
Brown= — Show the same number on every cell5
Blue4 — Add up to exactly 42
Purple12 — Add up to exactly 122
Green10 — Add up to exactly 102
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →