NYT Pips HelperSunday, September 27, 2026
Today's hintHint archiveAll answers

Pips hints — Saturday, September 26, 2026

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

Saturday, September 26, 2026Archived board

The Easy grid runs to 6 regions and 5 tiles, with greater-than, all-equal and target-sum rules in play. 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 amber region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 1. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Lay the 4–1 across row 2, columns 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must be exactly 1. The 4 half sits in the green region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — September 26, 2026

41
24
22
13
45

blue (>3): 4 | purple (=): 2 · 2 · 2 | green (=): 4 · 4 | amber (=1): 1 | orange (=8): 3 · 5 | slate (=1): 1

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>3 — Be more than 31
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell3
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber1 — Be exactly 11
Orange8 — Add up to exactly 82
Slate1 — Be exactly 11

The Medium grid runs to 9 regions and 8 tiles, with target-sum, all-equal and greater-than rules in play. 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 amber region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Lay the 4–5 down column 1, rows 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must be exactly 4.

Hint 3

Medium
Place the 6–3 domino down column 6, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must be more than 5.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — September 26, 2026

55
41
63
01
33
34
21
45

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue2 — Add up to exactly 22
Purple5 — Add up to exactly 52
Green5 — Add up to exactly 53
Amber4 — Be exactly 41
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell3
Pink>3 — Be more than 31
Lime>5 — Be more than 51

The Hard grid runs to 32 regions and 16 tiles, with target-sum rules in play. 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 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

Hard
Lay the 3–5 down column 2, rows 1–2 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must be exactly 3.

Hint 3

Hard
Place the 1–3 domino down column 5, rows 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must be exactly 1.

Hint 4

Hard
The 0–2 belongs across row 1, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because green must be exactly 0.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — September 26, 2026

01
02
03
04
05
12
13
14
15
23
24
25
34
35
45
36

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue5 — Be exactly 51
Purple2 — Be exactly 21
Green0 — Be exactly 01
Amber5 — Be exactly 51
Orange4 — Be exactly 41
Slate3 — Be exactly 31
Teal4 — Be exactly 41
Pink5 — Be exactly 51
Lime1 — Be exactly 11
Brown0 — Be exactly 01
BlueTake any value it likes1
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green4 — Be exactly 41
Amber2 — Be exactly 21
Orange1 — Be exactly 11
Slate5 — Be exactly 51
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink3 — Be exactly 31
Lime0 — Be exactly 01
Brown3 — Be exactly 31
Blue3 — Be exactly 31
Purple3 — Be exactly 31
Green0 — Be exactly 01
Amber2 — Be exactly 21
Orange4 — Be exactly 41
Slate4 — Be exactly 41
Teal1 — Be exactly 11
Pink2 — Be exactly 21
Lime2 — Be exactly 21
Brown5 — Be exactly 51
Blue1 — Be exactly 11
Purple0 — Be exactly 01
← Sep 25 All hintsFull answers for this day Sep 27 →