Saturday brings a fresh set of NYT Pips puzzles. May 23 delivers a well-balanced spread across Easy, Medium, and Hard -- all three share the same zone layout but demand progressively sharper logic. We've got hints, step-by-step walkthroughs, and full solutions for all three 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
Today's Medium Pips
Today's Hard Pips
Quick Hints (No Spoilers)
Starting Point: The purple (12) zone is the most locked-in constraint. Only two specific domino combinations can satisfy it alongside the pink (3) zone directly below.
Key Insight: Watch how the teal zone splits into two distinct sub-zones with opposite conditions -- (=) requires uniformity while (not-equal) demands diversity. Dominoes cannot cross between these sub-zones, so plan your placements accordingly.
Watch Out For: The orange (<1) zone is extremely restrictive -- only dominoes containing a 0 can go there. The 0/0 and 5/0 placements are your only options, and one of them must share a border with pink (5). Get this wrong and the whole grid locks up.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
- 1.Begin with the purple (12) zone. It spans two dominoes that must total 12 within the purple border. The 6/3 domino placed vertically drops a 6 into purple and a 3 into the pink (3) zone below -- that's an exact hit for pink's condition. This is your only viable top-left anchor.
- 2.Place the 6/5 domino vertically next to it, with the 6 in purple (12) to complete the sum (6+6=12). The 5 falls into the teal (=) zone below, which will eventually hold only matching-value dominoes.
- 3.Move to the orange (5) zone. Place 5/2 horizontally so the 5 lands in orange (exact match) and the 2 crosses into navy (<7). The 2 is under 7, so this is clean.
- 4.Place 2/2 vertically in the navy (<7) zone. Both 2s satisfy the less-than condition.
- 5.Place 1/3 horizontally across green (<4) and purple (<13). Both values are under their respective caps.
- 6.Place 5/5 vertically in the teal (=) zone. This is one of the matching-value dominoes the (=) condition requires.
- 7.Now handle the critical orange (<1) zone. Only a 0 can go here. Place 5/0 vertically so the 0 lands in orange (<1) and the 5 lands in pink (5) -- another exact match for pink. This is the only way to satisfy both zones simultaneously.
- 8.Place 1/1 horizontally in the green (<4) zone. Two 1s, both under 4.
- 9.Place 4/3 horizontally across navy (<13) and purple (<13). Both under 13.
- 10.Place 3/3 vertically in purple (<13). Both 3s under 13.
- 11.Place 0/0 vertically in orange (<1). This fills the remaining space in the orange (<1) zone with zeros.
- 12.Place 4/4 vertically in navy (<13). Both 4s under 13.
- 13.Finally, fill the teal (not-equal) zone with 0/6, 5/3, and 4/2 -- all placed vertically. Verify: the six pip values are 0, 6, 5, 3, 4, and 2. Every number is unique. The not-equal condition is satisfied.
Hard Pips Solution
Last chance to solve independently
---
---
---
---
---
- 1.Place the 6/3 domino vertically in the purple (12) zone and pink (3) zone
- 2.Place the 6/5 domino vertically in the purple (12) zone and teal (=) zone
- 3.Place the 5/2 domino horizontally in the orange (5) zone and navy (<7) zone
- 4.Place the 1/3 domino horizontally in the green (<4) zone and purple (<13) zone
- 5.Place the 2/2 domino vertically in the navy (<7) zone
- 6.Place the 5/5 domino vertically in the teal (=) zone
- 7.Place the 5/0 domino vertically in the pink (5) zone and orange (<1) zone
- 8.Place the 1/1 domino horizontally in the green (<4) zone
- 9.Place the 4/3 domino horizontally in the navy (<13) zone and purple (<13) zone
- 10.Place the 3/3 domino vertically in the purple (<13) zone
- 11.Place the 0/0 domino vertically in the orange (<1) zone
- 12.Place the 4/4 domino vertically in the navy (<13) zone
- 13.Place the 0/6 domino vertically in the teal (not-equal) zone
- 14.Place the 5/3 domino vertically in the teal (not-equal) zone
- 15.Place the 4/2 domino vertically in the teal (not-equal) zone
Puzzle Debrief
Overall Difficulty: Moderate challenge. The zone layout is consistent across all three difficulties, so solving Easy first effectively gives you a roadmap. The real test is whether you can spot the constraints without referring back.
Trickiest Puzzle: Hard - The orange (<1) zone is a trap. Novices will try to place a 1 there, not realizing that only a 0 satisfies the condition. Combined with the pink (5) zone that shares its border, you have exactly one viable domino (5/0) that solves both simultaneously.
Our Take: Today's set is a masterclass in constraint propagation. The purple (12) zone forces the top row, the orange (<1) zone locks the bottom, and the teal zone's split personality keeps you honest about which domino goes where. Solid Saturday workout without being punishing.
Tomorrow's Pips drops at midnight. See you then.
