NYT Pips HelperTuesday, September 8, 2026

Pips hints — Monday, September 7, 2026

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

Monday, September 7, 2026Archived board

Today's Easy board has 5 dominoes across 10 regions, mixing target-sum and greater-than rules. 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 blue region: one cell that must be exactly 6. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 6–5 domino across row 3, columns 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must be exactly 6.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — September 7, 2026

50
34
42
65
46

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue6 — Be exactly 61
PurpleTake any value it likes1
GreenTake any value it likes1
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange5 — Be exactly 51
Slate4 — Be exactly 41
Teal4 — Be exactly 41
Pink>2 — Be more than 21
Lime5 — Be exactly 51
Brown6 — Be exactly 61

Today's Medium board has 7 dominoes across 8 regions, mixing less-than and all-equal rules. 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 blue region: one cell that must be less than 3. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

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

Hint 3

Medium
The 2–4 belongs across row 2, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — September 7, 2026

46
21
45
23
14
25
24

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue<3 — Be less than 31
Purple<6 — Be less than 61
Green<3 — Be less than 31
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell4
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell2

Today's Hard board has 15 dominoes across 13 regions, mixing all-equal, target-sum, no-repeats and greater-than rules. 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 slate region: one cell that must be exactly 2. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 2–6 domino down column 1, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must be exactly 2.

Hint 3

Hard
The 0–6 belongs down column 3, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must be exactly 0.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 3–2: across row 6, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must be exactly 3.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — September 7, 2026

04
32
55
01
66
02
33
26
15
22
65
44
63
11
06

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

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 cell3
Purple9 — Add up to exactly 93
Green — Have no two cells showing the same number4
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell4
Orange4 — Add up to exactly 42
Slate2 — Be exactly 21
Teal0 — Be exactly 01
Pink2 — Add up to exactly 22
Lime3 — Be exactly 31
Brown3 — Add up to exactly 33
Blue= — Show the same number on every cell3
Purple>9 — Add up to more than 92
Green0 — Be exactly 01
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