Your guide to Pips, the latest addition to the New York Times gaming lineup, is here.

Released in August 2025, Pips provides an exciting variation of dominoes, offering an engaging single-player journey that could easily turn into your new everyday gaming habit.

At present, if you find yourself in a challenging spot, the game permits you to reveal the full puzzle, prompting you to transition to the next difficulty level and restart. But fret not, we’re here to assist! Below are clues that will navigate you through each difficulty tier.

How to engage with Pips

If you have experience with dominoes, you’ll grasp the fundamentals of how Pips operates. As highlighted in our earlier tips for Pips, the tiles, akin to dominoes, can be arranged vertically or horizontally and connect with one another. The primary distinction between classic dominoes and Pips lies in the color-coded criteria you need to fulfill. The adjacent tiles don’t always need to correspond.

The criteria that must be satisfied depend on the color-coded areas. For example, if a single digit is indicated, the sum of every side of a tile in that area must equal the specified digit. It’s likely – and common – for only a portion of a tile to fall within a color-coded area.

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

• Number: All pips in this area need to total up to the specified number.

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

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

• Less than: Each half of the domino in this area must sum to less than the given number.

• Greater than: Each half of the domino in this area must sum to more than the indicated number.

If a section is devoid of color coding, it signifies that no conditions apply to the parts of dominoes within those areas.

Hints and answers for Easy difficulty on April 2 Pips

Not Equal: Everything in this area must vary. The solution is 6-1, positioned vertically; 0-5