Pips is the newest member of the New York Times gaming collection. Introduced in August 2025, this fresh game presents a distinctive take on dominoes, offering an enjoyable solo gameplay experience that could turn into your upcoming daily gaming routine.

As it stands, if you find yourself at an impasse, the game only permits you to uncover the entire puzzle, compelling you to advance to the next difficulty level and restart. Nevertheless, we have your back! Below are incremental answers that will act as hints to assist you in maneuvering through each difficulty tier.

How to engage with Pips

If you have ever played dominoes, you will have a fundamental grasp of how Pips operates. Like traditional dominoes, tiles are arranged either vertically or horizontally and interconnect with one another. The primary distinction between classic dominoes and Pips lies in the color-coded conditions you need to fulfill. The adjacent tiles do not necessarily need to correspond.

The requirements you need to satisfy are determined by the color-coded spaces. For instance, if a single numeral is specified, all sides of a tile in that space must total the indicated number. It is feasible—and typical—for only a portion of a tile to reside within a color-coded area.

Here are frequent examples you will come across at varying difficulty levels:

– Number: All the pips in this segment must total the specified number.
– Equal: Each domino half in this section must contain the same number of pips.
– Not Equal: Each domino half in this area must show entirely different numbers of pips.
– Less than: Each domino half in this section must total less than the specified number.
– Greater than: Each domino half in this space must sum to more than the given number.

If a region lacks any color coding, it indicates that there are no stipulations for the parts of dominoes within those areas.

Easy difficulty hints, solutions for Sept. 12 Pips

– Number (8): All elements in this area must sum to 8. The solution is 2-6, set horizontally; 6-5, arranged vertically.
– Number (11): All components in this space must total 11. The solution is 2-6, placed horizontally; 11-0, arranged horizontally.
– Number (0): Everything within this segment must add up to 0. The answer is 5-0, positioned horizontally; 0-3, set horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, solutions for Sept. 12 Pips

– Less than (3): Everything in this purple region must be below 3. The solution is 2-1, arranged vertically.
– Less than (3): Everything in this space must be under 3. The answer is 2-0, set vertically.
– Number (1): Everything in this light blue area must equal 1. The solution is 2-1, positioned vertically; 1-6, aligned vertically.
– Number (0): All elements in this segment must sum to 0. The answer is 2-0, set vertically; 0-5, arranged vertically.
– Number (1): All in this green segment must total 1. The answer is 1-1, aligned vertically.
– Equal (5): All elements in this area must equal 5. The solution is 0-5, arranged vertically; 5-3, positioned vertically.
– Number (8): All items in this space must add to 8. The answer is 1-1, arranged vertically; 4-2, set vertically; 5-3, positioned vertically.
– Less than (2): All in this area must be less than 2. The answer is 4-2, set vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, solutions for Sept. 12 Pips

– Number (1): All elements in this section must total 1. The answer is 1-4, arranged vertically.
– Not Equal: All in this area must differ. The answer is 1-4, positioned vertically; 5-4, arranged horizontally; 2-5, set vertically; 3-0, placed horizontally.
– Number (4): All elements in this segment must sum to 4. The answer is 5-4, set horizontally.
– Number (0): Everything in this yellow area must equal 0. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.
– Number (20): All elements in this region must sum to 20. The answer is 2-5, positioned vertically; 5-5, arranged vertically; 5-6, set vertically.
– Equal (4): Everything in this section must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-0, arranged vertically; 4-6, set vertically.
– Number (30): All items in this area must total 30. The answer is 4-6, arranged vertically; 6-6, set vertically;