Welcome to your resource for Pips, the newest game featured in the New York Times catalog.

Launched in August 2025, Pips introduces a distinctive variation of dominoes, offering an enjoyable single-player experience that could easily become your go-to daily gaming pastime.

At present, if you find yourself struggling, the game will only show the complete puzzle, compelling you to advance to the next difficulty level and begin again. But don’t worry! Below are incremental hints that will guide you through each difficulty tier.

How to play Pips

If you’ve previously tried your hand at dominoes, you’ll have a foundational grasp of how Pips works. As mentioned in our earlier hint articles for Pips, the tiles, much like in dominoes, are arranged either vertically or horizontally and connect with one another. The primary distinction between a classic game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded criteria you must fulfill. The connecting tiles do not necessarily have to correspond.

The requirements you need to fulfill relate specifically to the color-designated spaces. For instance, if it denotes a single value, every side of a tile in that area must sum to the indicated number. It is typical — and feasible — for only a portion of a tile to fit within a color-coded space.

Here are common scenarios you’ll come across throughout the different difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this region must total the specified number.

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

• Not Equal: Each domino half in this region must possess a distinctly different number of pips.

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

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

If a section lacks any color coding, it signifies that there are no requirements on the portions of dominoes within those sections.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 21 Pips

Equal (1): All elements in this area must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, oriented horizontally.

Less Than (2): All elements in this area must be less than 2. The answer is 0-1, oriented horizontally.

Greater Than (2): All elements in this area must exceed 2. The answer is 0-3, oriented horizontally.

Equal (0): All elements in this area must be equal to 0. The answers are 0-1, oriented horizontally; 0-3, oriented horizontally; 0-0, oriented vertically; 0-2, oriented vertically.

Number (2): All elements in this area must total 2. The answer is 0-2, oriented vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 21 Pips

Number (12): All elements in this red region must total 12. The answers are 4-4, oriented horizontally; 4-6, oriented horizontally.

Number (12): All elements in this purple region must total 12. The answers are 3-6, oriented horizontally; 4-6, oriented horizontally.

Number (12): All elements in this orange section must sum to 12. The answer is 6-6, oriented vertically.

Less Than (2): All elements in this area must be less than 2. The answer is 0-2, oriented horizontally.

Not Equal: All elements in this area must be distinct. The answers are 4-3, oriented horizontally; 3-5, oriented vertically.

Greater Than (4): All elements in this area