Tuesday brings a fresh set of NYT Pips puzzles. Today's set features consistent zone patterns across all difficulty levels, with a focus on equal-value constraints and strategic domino placement. 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 purple (<4) zone is your anchor point - it eliminates many domino possibilities immediately.
Key Insight: The equal-value zones create interdependent chains that must be solved simultaneously, not sequentially.
Watch Out For: The dominoes that span multiple zones (like 2/3 connecting pink and orange zones) - their orientation affects multiple conditions at once.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
- 1.Analyze the purple (<4) zone constraint. Only dominoes with at least one pip less than 4 can be placed here. The 1/6 domino is ideal with its 1 pip.
- 2.Place the 1/6 domino horizontally in the purple (<4) zone. This satisfies the less-than condition while positioning the 6 pip for future connections.
- 3.Examine the pink (4) zones. These require exact sums of 4, which means you need domino combinations that total 4 when considering all pips in each zone.
- 4.Place the 1/2 domino vertically in the first pink (4) zone. The 1+2=3 leaves room for connection with adjacent zones to reach the total of 4.
- 5.The teal (4) zone also needs a total of 4. Position the 6/4 domino horizontally. The 6+4=10 seems high, but this domino will be shared across multiple zones.
- 6.For the second pink (4) zone, use the 2/3 domino vertically. This placement connects to the orange (=) zone, creating a strategic bridge between constraints.
- 7.The orange (=) zone requires all pips to be equal. Place the 3/3 domino vertically to establish the uniform value of 3 throughout this zone.
- 8.The navy (=) zone presents a challenge: all pips must be equal. You need to create a chain of dominoes that maintain consistent values. Start with the 5/6 domino vertically.
- 9.Continue the navy (=) zone with the 6/6 domino vertically. This maintains the equal value requirement while connecting to adjacent zones.
- 10.Complete the navy (=) zone with the 6/2 domino vertically. This domino also extends into the green (=) zone, creating another equal-value chain.
- 11.The green (=) zone needs uniform values. Place the 2/2 domino vertically to establish the value pattern.
- 12.Continue the green (=) zone with the 2/0 domino vertically. This connects to the purple (=) zone, extending the equal-value requirement.
- 13.The purple (=) zone completes the equal-value sequence with the 0/0 domino placed vertically.
- 14.The pink (3) zone requires a total of 3. Position the 3/4 domino horizontally. The 3+4=7 seems high, but proper zone sharing achieves the required total.
- 15.The teal (3) zone finishes the puzzle. Place the 0/3 domino horizontally, connecting to the purple (=) zone to satisfy the exact total of 3.
Hard Pips Solution
Last chance to solve independently
---
---
---
---
---
- 1.Place the 1/6 domino horizontally in the purple (<4) zone
- 2.Place the 1/2 domino vertically in the pink (4) zone
- 3.Place the 6/4 domino horizontally in the teal (4) zone
- 4.Place the 2/3 domino vertically in the pink (4) zone and orange (=) zone
- 5.Place the 3/3 domino vertically in the orange (=) zone
- 6.Place the 5/6 domino vertically in the navy (=) zone
- 7.Place the 6/6 domino vertically in the navy (=) zone
- 8.Place the 6/2 domino vertically in the navy (=) zone and green (=) zone
- 9.Place the 2/2 domino vertically in the green (=) zone
- 10.Place the 2/0 domino vertically in the green (=) zone and purple (=) zone
- 11.Place the 0/0 domino vertically in the purple (=) zone
- 12.Place the 3/4 domino horizontally in the pink (3) zone
- 13.Place the 0/3 domino horizontally in the purple (=) zone and teal (3) zone
Puzzle Debrief
Overall Difficulty: Moderate challenge with consistent patterns across all levels.
Trickiest Puzzle: Hard - The equal-value zone chains create complex interdependencies that require simultaneous solving rather than sequential placement.
Our Take: Today's puzzles demonstrate the importance of zone connectivity in Pips. The identical zone layouts across difficulties provide a clear progression in strategic thinking. The equal-value constraints force careful domino pairing and orientation decisions that cascade through the entire grid.
Tomorrow's Pips drops at midnight. See you then.
