NYT Pips HelperSunday, September 20, 2026
Today's hintHint archiveAll answers

Pips hints — Saturday, September 19, 2026

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

Saturday, September 19, 2026Archived board

Today's Easy board has 5 dominoes across 7 regions, mixing all-equal, greater-than, less-than and target-sum 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
The slate region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be exactly 1. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 1–3 domino across row 3, columns 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must be exactly 1.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — September 19, 2026

21
13
52
01
33

blue (=): 2 · 2 | purple (=): 1 · 1 | green (>4): 5 | amber (<4): 0 | orange (=6): 3 · 3 | slate (=1): 1 | teal: 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
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green>4 — Be more than 41
Amber<4 — Be less than 41
Orange6 — Add up to exactly 62
Slate1 — Be exactly 11
TealTake any value it likes1

Today's Medium board has 8 dominoes across 7 regions, mixing all-equal and target-sum 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
The purple region is the anchor: two cells, and they 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 3–6 domino across row 1, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 10. The 3 half sits in the blue region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Medium
The 4–0 belongs down column 3, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 10.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — September 19, 2026

36
01
31
40
55
33
22
21

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

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
Purple10 — Add up to exactly 102
Green1 — Add up to exactly 13
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell3
Slate6 — Add up to exactly 62
Teal10 — Add up to exactly 102

Today's Hard board has 15 dominoes across 14 regions, mixing target-sum, all-equal and less-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
The blue region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be exactly 6. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 6–1 domino down column 7, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must be exactly 6.

Hint 3

Hard
The 0–5 belongs down column 6, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must be exactly 0.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 1–0: across row 4, columns 8–9. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must be exactly 0. The 1 half sits in the green region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — September 19, 2026

61
04
22
30
42
53
62
11
65
10
32
41
05
12
34

blue (=6): 6 | purple (=0): 0 | green (=): 1 · 1 · 1 · 1 | amber (=9): 5 · 4 | orange (<8): 0 · 0 | slate (=): 4 · 4 | teal (=): 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 | pink (=0): 0 | lime (=3): 3 | brown (=): 3 · 3 | blue (=1): 1 | purple (=12): 6 · 6 | green (=14): 4 · 5 · 5 | amber (=6): 3 · 2 · 1

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue6 — Be exactly 61
Purple0 — Be exactly 01
Green= — Show the same number on every cell4
Amber9 — Add up to exactly 92
Orange<8 — Add up to less than 82
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell5
Pink0 — Be exactly 01
Lime3 — Be exactly 31
Brown= — Show the same number on every cell2
Blue1 — Be exactly 11
Purple12 — Add up to exactly 122
Green14 — Add up to exactly 143
Amber6 — Add up to exactly 63
← Sep 18 All hintsFull answers for this day Sep 20 →