Friday brings a fresh set of NYT Pips puzzles. Today's set features a mix of straightforward placements and some clever zone interactions that will test your domino logic. We've got hints, step-by-step walkthroughs, and full solutions for Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty levels.
How to Play Pips
Pips is a domino placement puzzle where you fill a grid of color-coded zones. Each zone has a condition you must satisfy using the pip values on your dominoes. The twist: you must use every domino and meet every condition to win.
Zone Conditions:
- = All pips in this zone must equal the same number
- Not Equal All pips must be different numbers
- > Pips must be greater than the listed number
- < Pips must be less than the listed number
- Exact Number Pips must total that exact value
- No Color Free space, any domino value works
Click or tap dominoes to rotate them. Each puzzle has one or more valid solutions.
Today's Easy Pips
Quick Hints (No Spoilers)
Starting Point: Begin with the pink (0) zone - it requires a domino with at least one zero, which severely limits your options.
Key Insight: The teal (=) zone needs identical numbers on both halves, so look for dominoes where both ends match.
Easy Pips Solution
Scroll past if you want to keep trying
---
---
---
---
---
- 1.Place the 2/2 domino vertically in the purple (<6) zone
- 2.Place the 0/3 domino horizontally in the pink (0) zone
- 3.Place the 6/5 domino horizontally in the teal (=) zone
- 4.Place the 6/0 domino horizontally in the teal (=) zone and orange (0) zone
- 5.Place the 4/3 domino vertically in the navy (<4) zone
Today's Medium Pips
Quick Hints (No Spoilers)
Starting Point: Focus on the pink (20) zone first - it's the largest total requirement and will dictate several domino placements.
Key Insight: The teal (=) zones need dominoes with matching numbers, which creates natural pairings you can work with.
Medium Pips Solution
Scroll past if you want to keep trying
---
---
---
---
---
- 1.Place the 1/5 domino horizontally in the purple (4) zone and pink (20) zone
- 2.Place the 3/2 domino vertically in the purple (4) zone and green (2) zone
- 3.Place the 5/5 domino vertically in the pink (20) zone
- 4.Place the 4/5 domino vertically in the teal (=) zone and pink (20) zone
- 5.Place the 4/2 domino horizontally in the teal (=) zone and orange (2) zone
- 6.Place the 6/4 domino horizontally in the purple (10) zone
- 7.Place the 2/1 domino horizontally in the teal (2) zone and navy (3) zone
- 8.Place the 1/1 domino vertically in the navy (3) zone
Today's Hard Pips
Quick Hints (No Spoilers)
Starting Point: Begin with the orange (=) zones - there are three of them, and they'll help establish matching number patterns.
Key Insight: The multiple "equal" zones create a domino chain where matching numbers propagate through the grid.
Watch Out For: The pink (8) and teal (8) zones require exactly 8 pips each, not matching numbers. Don't confuse them with the "=" zones.
Hard Pips Solution
Last chance to solve independently
---
---
---
---
---
- 1.Place the 2/1 domino vertically in the purple (=) zone and orange (=) zone
- 2.Place the 2/5 domino horizontally in the purple (=) zone and pink (8) zone
- 3.Place the 3/2 domino horizontally in the pink (8) zone and teal (8) zone
- 4.Place the 1/1 domino vertically in the orange (=) zone
- 5.Place the 1/5 domino vertically in the orange (=) zone and teal (=) zone
- 6.Place the 5/5 domino horizontally in the teal (=) zone
- 7.Place the 5/3 domino horizontally in the teal (=) zone and orange (=) zone
- 8.Place the 3/3 domino horizontally in the orange (=) zone
- 9.Place the 6/0 domino vertically in the teal (8) zone and navy (=) zone
- 10.Place the 0/4 domino vertically in the navy (=) zone and purple (8) zone
- 11.Place the 4/6 domino vertically in the purple (8) zone
- 12.Place the 6/6 domino horizontally in the green (=) zone
- 13.Place the 4/4 domino vertically in the purple (8) zone
Puzzle Debrief
Overall Difficulty: Moderate challenge with a clear progression from simple to complex logic.
Trickiest Puzzle: Hard - the mix of "equal" zones and exact number zones creates subtle distinctions that are easy to misinterpret.
Our Take: Today's puzzles demonstrate how Pips evolves from basic placement to interconnected zone logic. The Hard puzzle's clever use of both "=" and exact number conditions in similar colors is a classic Pips trick that separates casual players from experts. Medium offers the most satisfying solve with its balanced mix of zone types.
Tomorrow's Pips drops at midnight. See you then.
