Wednesday brings a fresh set of NYT Pips puzzles. Today's set features identical zone layouts across all difficulty levels, creating a unique challenge where strategy matters more than complexity. 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 (=) zones are your structural anchors - solve these first to create stable foundations.
Key Insight: You'll need to carefully allocate high-value dominoes between the teal (23) and pink (7) zones while respecting the orange (<5) restriction.
Watch Out For: The orange (<5) zone only accepts dominoes with values less than 5 - this restricts which dominoes can connect to adjacent zones.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
- 1.Establish your foundation with the 4/4 domino placed vertically in the purple (=) zone.
- 2.Connect the purple (=) and pink (4) zones using the 4/1 domino horizontally - this satisfies both zone requirements.
- 3.Bridge the pink (4) and teal (23) zones with the 3/5 domino horizontally. The 5 contributes significantly to the teal total.
- 4.Add the 4/0 domino vertically to the purple (=) zone, maintaining consistency in your matching set.
- 5.Place the 4/5 domino vertically to link the purple (=) and navy (=) zones, creating another matching pair.
- 6.Position the 0/3 domino vertically in the purple (4) zone - this helps reach the exact 4 requirement while keeping values low.
- 7.Complete the navy (=) zone with the 5/5 domino placed vertically, establishing a solid matching set.
- 8.Use the 1/3 domino horizontally to connect the purple (4) and teal (=) zones - note how this domino respects both conditions.
- 9.Bridge the teal (=) and pink (7) zones with the 3/2 domino placed horizontally, contributing to both totals.
- 10.Add the 6/6 domino vertically to the teal (23) zone - this gives you 12 pips toward your 23 goal in one move.
- 11.Place the 0/5 domino vertically to satisfy the orange (<5) condition (the 0 qualifies) while connecting to the green (=) zone.
- 12.Connect the green (=) and pink (7) zones with the 5/1 domino placed vertically - this adds to both zone totals.
- 13.Add the 6/5 domino vertically to bridge the teal (23) and green (=) zones. This domino contributes 11 total pips, crucial for reaching 23.
- 14.Finish with the 2/2 domino vertically in the pink (7) zone to complete the exact number requirement without overshooting.
Hard Pips Solution
Last chance to solve independently
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- 1.Place the 4/4 domino vertically in the purple (=) zone
- 2.Place the 4/1 domino horizontally in the purple (=) zone and pink (4) zone
- 3.Place the 3/5 domino horizontally in the pink (4) zone and teal (23) zone
- 4.Place the 4/0 domino vertically in the purple (=) zone
- 5.Place the 4/5 domino vertically in the purple (=) zone and navy (=) zone
- 6.Place the 0/3 domino vertically in the purple (4) zone
- 7.Place the 5/5 domino vertically in the navy (=) zone
- 8.Place the 1/3 domino horizontally in the purple (4) zone and teal (=) zone
- 9.Place the 3/2 domino horizontally in the teal (=) zone and pink (7) zone
- 10.Place the 6/6 domino vertically in the teal (23) zone
- 11.Place the 0/5 domino vertically in the orange (<5) zone and green (=) zone
- 12.Place the 5/1 domino vertically in the green (=) zone and pink (7) zone
- 13.Place the 6/5 domino vertically in the teal (23) zone and green (=) zone
- 14.Place the 2/2 domino vertically in the pink (7) zone
Puzzle Debrief
Overall Difficulty: Moderate challenge with identical layouts across difficulties
Trickiest Puzzle: Hard - despite identical layouts, the mental challenge increases with complexity expectations, making the orange (<5) restriction feel more constraining.
Our Take: Today's identical zone layouts across all difficulty levels create an interesting psychological challenge. The solution requires careful domino allocation between high-demand zones like teal (23) and pink (7) while respecting the orange (<5) restriction. The key lesson: identical layouts don't mean identical difficulty - your approach and strategic thinking determine the challenge level.
Tomorrow's Pips drops at midnight. See you then.
