Your Thursday guide to Pips welcomes you, the latest member of the New York Times game lineup.

Debuting in August 2025, Pips presents a novel take on dominoes, offering an enjoyable single-player journey that could very well become your favorite pastime.

As of now, if you’re feeling stuck, the game permits you to reveal the complete puzzle, necessitating that you proceed to a higher difficulty tier and start afresh. But fret not, we’re here to assist! Below, you’ll find comprehensive answers that will lead you through every difficulty level.

Playing Pips

If you have a grasp on dominoes, you’ll possess a foundational insight into how Pips functions. As highlighted in our earlier Pips hints posts, the tiles, akin to dominoes, can be aligned either vertically or horizontally and interconnect. The primary distinction between classic dominoes and Pips lies in the color-coded rules you need to fulfill. The adjacent tiles do not necessarily have to coincide.

The requirements you need to satisfy pertain specifically to the color-coded areas. For example, if a single digit is specified, all sides of a tile in that area must sum up to the indicated number. It’s possible – and often the case – for only a portion of a tile to fall within a color-coded region.

Here are typical situations you’ll face across the various difficulty levels:

• Number: All pips in this area must equal the number.

• Equal: Each domino half in this area must contain the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Each domino half in this area must display a different number of pips.

• Less than: Each domino half in this area must total fewer than the number.

• Greater than: Each domino half in this area must total more than the number.

If an area is devoid of color coding, it indicates that there are no stipulations on the domino segments within those spaces.

Easy Difficulty Hints and Answers for Oct. 17 Pips

Number (12): Everything in this red area must sum to 12. The solution is 6-2, positioned horizontally; 6-