Pips is the newest member of the New York Times game repertoire, introduced in August 2025. This innovative game provides a novel approach to dominoes, offering a distinctive single-player experience that could easily become your go-to daily gaming habit.

At the moment, if you find yourself at an impasse, the game permits you only to unveil the entire puzzle, which necessitates a shift to the next level of difficulty and a fresh start. But no need to fret, we’re here to assist! Below are clues to aid you in maneuvering through each difficulty tier.

How to engage with Pips

If you’ve experienced dominoes before, you’ll grasp the fundamental mechanics of Pips. Similar to dominoes, tiles are arranged either vertically or horizontally and interconnect with one another. The key distinction lies in the color-coded conditions you must satisfy. The adjoining tiles are not required to match.

The requirements you must fulfill are unique to the color-coded areas. For example, if a single digit is provided, the sum of all sides of a tile in that area must equal the specified number. It is common – and possible – for only a portion of a tile to fall within a color-coded area.

Here are typical scenarios you will encounter throughout the difficulty levels:

– Number: All the pips in this area must total the specified number.
– Equal: Each domino half in this area must share the same number of pips.
– Not Equal: Each domino half in this area must feature entirely distinct numbers of pips.
– Less than: Each domino half in this area must sum to less than the specified number.
– Greater than: Each domino half in this area must sum to more than the specified number.

In areas without color coding, there are no restrictions on the domino parts within those segments.

Easy difficulty tips, solutions for Aug. 25

– Number (2): The total in this area must equal 2. The solution is 2-5, positioned vertically.
– Number (15): The total in this area must equal 15. The solution is 5-3, positioned horizontally; 2-5, positioned vertically; 5-1, positioned horizontally.
– Number (3): The total in this area must equal 3. The solution is 5-1, positioned horizontally; 1-1, positioned vertically.

Medium difficulty tips, solutions for Aug. 25

– Not equal: The domino halves in this area must differ. The solution is 4-3, positioned horizontally; 4-1, positioned horizontally.
– Less than (2): The total in this area must be less than 2. The solution is 4-1, positioned horizontally.
– Equal (5): The domino halves in this area must total 5. The solution is 5-5, positioned vertically.
– Equal (0): The domino halves in this area must total 0. The solution is 0-6, positioned vertically; 0-5, positioned vertically.
– Equal (5): The domino halves in this dark blue area must total 5. The solution is 0-5, positioned vertically; 5-2, positioned horizontally.

Hard difficulty tips, solutions for Aug. 25

– Number (1): The domino halves in this purple area must equal 1. The solution is 1-3, positioned vertically.
– Equal (3): The domino halves in this red area must total 3. The solution is 1-3, positioned vertically; 2-3, positioned vertically; 0-3, positioned horizontally; 3-4, positioned vertically.
– Equal (0): The domino halves in this light blue area must equal 0. The solution is 0-0, positioned vertically; 1-3, positioned horizontally; 0-2, positioned horizontally.
– Number (1): The domino halves in this dark blue area must total 1. The solution is 5-1, positioned vertically.
– Equal (0): The domino halves in this light yellow area must equal 4. The solution is 3-4, positioned vertically; 4-4, positioned vertically; 4-6, positioned vertically.
– Number (11): The domino halves in this green area must total 11. The solution is 0-5, positioned vertically; 4-6, positioned vertically.

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