Welcome to your manual for Pips, the newest game featured in the New York Times collection. Launched in August 2025, Pips presents a fresh take on dominoes, providing an engaging single-player experience that could become your go-to daily game.

At present, if you find yourself at an impasse, the game discloses the entire puzzle, compelling you to advance to a harder level and start anew. Don’t worry; we’re here to assist! Below, you will find incremental clues designed to guide you through each difficulty tier.

How to play Pips

If you’ve ever engaged with dominoes, you’ll be somewhat acquainted with the mechanics of Pips. The tiles, similar to dominoes, can be arranged either vertically or horizontally and must connect with one another. The primary distinction between a standard game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded requirements you need to fulfill. The adjacent tiles are not required to match.

The conditions you need to satisfy are tied to the color-coded spaces. For instance, if it specifies a single number, every side of a tile within that space must total the indicated number. It’s possible – and typical – for only a portion of a tile to lie within a color-coded space.

Here are typical scenarios you’ll face throughout the difficulty levels:

– Number: The total of all the pips in this space must equal the given number.
– Equal: Each domino half in this space must display the same number of pips.
– Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must showcase a completely different number of pips.
– Less than: The total pips of all domino halves in this space must be less than the specified number.
– Greater than: The total pips of all domino halves in this space must exceed the given number.

If a zone lacks color coding, it indicates that there are no conditions for the sections of dominoes within those areas.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 26 Pips

– Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be below 3. The solution is 6-0, positioned horizontally.
– Equal (6): Everything in this space must total 6. The solutions are 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-0, positioned horizontally; 6-3, arranged horizontally; 6-4, set vertically.
– Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must exceed 3. The solution is 6-4, situated vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 26 Pips

– Number (6): Everything in this space must sum to 6. The solution is 6-5, oriented horizontally.
– Number (9): Everything in this space must sum to 9. The solutions are 3-4, oriented horizontally; 5-1, laid out horizontally.
– Number (10): Everything in this space must combine to 10. The solutions are 6-1, set vertically; 4-2, arranged horizontally.
– Number (1): Everything in this space must total 1. The solutions are 1-0, positioned vertically; 0-0, positioned horizontally.
– Number (15): Everything in this space must sum to 15. The solutions are 6-5, oriented horizontally; 5-5, laid out horizontally.
– Number (3): Everything in this space must total 3. The solutions are 5-1, positioned horizontally; 4-3, aligned horizontally.
– Number (0): Everything in this space must total 0. The solution is 0-0, arranged horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 26 Pips

– Number (2): Everything in this space must sum to 2. The solution is 5-2, positioned vertically.
– Not Equal: Everything in this space must be distinct. The solutions are 3-4, set vertically; 3-5, positioned vertically.
– Number (2): Everything in this space must sum to 2. The solution is 4-2, oriented vertically.
– Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be below 2. The solution is 1-0, oriented vertically.
– Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be below 2. The solution is 0-2, positioned vertically.
– Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be below 2. The solution is 1-4, placed vertically.
– Equal (4): Everything in this space must equal 4. The solutions are 3-4, positioned vertically; 4-2, set vertically; 1-4, arranged vertically.
– Equal (0): Everything in this space must equal 0. The solutions are 1-0, arranged horizontally; 0-0, placed horizontally; 0-6, oriented vertically.
– Number (22): Everything in this space must sum to