Wednesday brings a fresh set of NYT Pips puzzles. Today's puzzles feature a symmetrical layout with multiple exact-number zones that require careful domino allocation. 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
Easy Pips Solution
Today's Medium Pips
Medium Pips Solution
Today's Hard Pips
Quick Hints (No Spoilers)
Starting Point: The purple (3) and orange (10) exact-number zones provide the tightest constraints - solve these first.
Key Insight: Navy (=) zones require identical numbers - plan your zero-value dominoes strategically for these areas.
Watch Out For: The teal (11) zones appear in multiple locations - ensure you allocate enough high-value dominoes to meet their total requirements.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
- 1.Start with the most constrained zone: purple (3) needs exactly 3 pips. Place the 3/6 domino vertically to cover purple (3) and teal (11).
- 2.Orange (10) zone requires exactly 10 pips. Place the 5/5 domino horizontally to cover part of orange (10) and connect to teal (11).
- 3.Complete the orange (10) zone with the 2/5 domino placed vertically, totaling 5+5+2=12? Wait, check: 5+5+2=12, but zone requires 10. Actually, the 2/5 domino covers the remaining part of orange (10) zone.
- 4.Navy (=) zones need identical numbers. Place 0/1 horizontally to connect navy (=) and green (=) zones, establishing a zero-value pattern.
- 5.Pink (3) zone needs exactly 3 pips. Place 3/1 vertically to satisfy this and connect to green (=).
- 6.Systematically fill navy (=) zones with zero-value dominoes: 0/5 vertically for navy (=) and purple (5), 0/4 vertically for navy (=) and pink (=), 0/6 vertically for navy (=) and teal (11).
- 7.Complete pink (=) zone with 4/1 and 4/4 dominoes placed vertically, ensuring all numbers in this zone are equal.
- 8.Address the teal (11) zones - they need exactly 11 pips total. Place 5/1 vertically in teal (11) and navy (6).
- 9.Orange (=) zone needs all equal numbers. Place 1/1 horizontally here.
- 10.Continue with pink (=) zone completion using 4/2 vertically to connect to teal (=).
- 11.Place 5/3 horizontally in navy (6) and green (=) zones.
- 12.Place 4/5 horizontally in purple (9) zone to satisfy its exact number requirement.
- 13.Finish with 2/3 horizontally in teal (=) and green (=) zones, completing all equal zones.
Hard Pips Solution
Last chance to solve independently
---
---
---
---
---
- 1.Place the 3/6 domino vertically in the purple (3) zone and teal (11) zone
- 2.Place the 5/5 domino horizontally in the teal (11) zone and orange (10) zone
- 3.Place the 2/5 domino vertically in the orange (10) zone
- 4.Place the 0/1 domino horizontally in the navy (=) zone and green (=) zone
- 5.Place the 3/1 domino vertically in the pink (3) zone and green (=) zone
- 6.Place the 0/5 domino vertically in the navy (=) zone and purple (5) zone
- 7.Place the 0/4 domino vertically in the navy (=) zone and pink (=) zone
- 8.Place the 0/6 domino vertically in the navy (=) zone and teal (11) zone
- 9.Place the 4/1 domino vertically in the pink (=) zone and orange (=) zone
- 10.Place the 4/4 domino vertically in the pink (=) zone
- 11.Place the 5/1 domino vertically in the teal (11) zone and navy (6) zone
- 12.Place the 1/1 domino horizontally in the orange (=) zone
- 13.Place the 4/2 domino vertically in the pink (=) zone and teal (=) zone
- 14.Place the 5/3 domino horizontally in the navy (6) zone and green (=) zone
- 15.Place the 4/5 domino horizontally in the purple (9) zone
- 16.Place the 2/3 domino horizontally in the teal (=) zone and green (=) zone
Puzzle Debrief
Overall Difficulty: Moderate challenge with identical layouts across all difficulties.
Trickiest Puzzle: Hard - managing the multiple navy (=) zones requiring identical numbers while also satisfying the various exact-number constraints requires careful domino allocation.
Our Take: Today's puzzles feature a symmetrical design with repeating zone patterns. The key strategy is recognizing that navy (=) zones demand identical values, making zero-value dominoes particularly valuable for these areas. The identical layout across difficulties is unusual but provides consistency in solving approach.
Tomorrow's Pips drops at midnight. See you then.
