Sunday brings a fresh set of NYT Pips puzzles. Today's set leans toward the approachable side, with zone conditions that reward methodical placement over brute-force trial and error. 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
Today's Medium Pips
Today's Hard Pips
Quick Hints (No Spoilers)
Starting Point: The navy (=) zone is the structural backbone of this puzzle. Solve its three crossing dominoes first to anchor the rest of the grid.
Key Insight: The teal (>10) and teal (<2) zones are your hardest constraints. Only one domino fits each, so place them early and build around them.
Watch Out For: The orange (>3) zone requires every pip to be greater than 3. Do not place a domino with a 1, 2, or 3 here or you will break the condition and have to backtrack.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
- 1.Identify the purple (=) zone. The equals condition means all pips inside must be the same number. Only the 2/2 domino qualifies. Place it vertically to lock in this zone.
- 2.The purple (=) zone still has open cells. The 2/5 domino fits here with the 2 side inside purple and the 5 crossing into pink (8). Place it horizontally.
- 3.Now the teal (>10) zone. The only domino that sums to more than 10 is 6/6 at 12. Place it horizontally. This is non-negotiable -- no other domino works here.
- 4.The navy (=) zone is next. It needs exactly three dominoes with matching values that cross into adjacent zones. The 3/2, 3/1, and 3/0 dominoes all have a 3 on one side. Place 3/2 horizontally across navy and the uncolored zone. Place 3/1 horizontally across navy and purple (1). Place 3/0 horizontally across navy and teal (<2).
- 5.The teal (<2) zone now has the 0 from 3/0. It needs another domino with both values under 2. Only 0/0 works. Place it horizontally.
- 6.Move to the pink (8) zone. It already contains a 2 and 5 from the 2/5 domino. You need 1 more pip to reach 8. The 3/4 domino placed vertically with the 3 in pink and 4 in orange (>3) does it. Both values are above 3, satisfying orange.
- 7.Place 5/6 horizontally in green (11). Sum of 11 is an exact match.
- 8.Place 5/3 horizontally in green (8). Exact match at 8.
- 9.Place 2/6 horizontally across purple (<3) and pink (6). The 2 is under 3, and the 6 brings pink to its exact total.
- 10.Place 1/6 vertically across pink (1) and orange (10). Both exact number conditions are met.
- 11.Place 4/6 horizontally across orange (10) and teal (6). This closes out the remaining orange and teal zones. All conditions satisfied.
Hard Pips Solution
Last chance to solve independently
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- 1.Place the 2/2 domino vertically in the purple (=) zone
- 2.Place the 2/5 domino horizontally in the purple (=) zone and pink (8) zone
- 3.Place the 6/6 domino horizontally in the teal (>10) zone
- 4.Place the 3/4 domino vertically in the pink (8) zone and orange (>3) zone
- 5.Place the 3/2 domino horizontally in the navy (=) zone and uncolored (no condition) zone
- 6.Place the 3/1 domino horizontally in the navy (=) zone and purple (1) zone
- 7.Place the 3/0 domino horizontally in the navy (=) zone and teal (<2) zone
- 8.Place the 0/0 domino horizontally in the teal (<2) zone
- 9.Place the 5/6 domino horizontally in the green (11) zone
- 10.Place the 2/6 domino horizontally in the purple (<3) zone and pink (6) zone
- 11.Place the 5/3 domino horizontally in the green (8) zone
- 12.Place the 1/6 domino vertically in the pink (1) zone and orange (10) zone
- 13.Place the 4/6 domino horizontally in the orange (10) zone and teal (6) zone
Puzzle Debrief
Overall Difficulty: Moderate challenge. The zone conditions are well-balanced with clear constraint anchors in the teal and navy zones, but the layout rewards systematic thinking over guesswork.
Trickiest Puzzle: Hard - The navy (=) zone is the real puzzle here. Three dominoes must cross it with matching values while also satisfying the conditions in three different adjacent zones. Misplace one and the whole chain breaks.
Our Take: This is a solid Sunday set that demonstrates good puzzle design. The equals conditions and exact number requirements create clear forcing moves, while the greater-than and less-than zones add just enough friction to keep it interesting. The navy zone triple-crossing is the highlight -- satisfying to solve and easy to verify.
Tomorrow's Pips drops at midnight. See you then.
