NYT Pips
Pips is the New York Times domino puzzle. You get a set of dominoes and a board split into colored regions, and every domino must fit so each region's rule is true.
Opens the real game on nytimes.com. Free, in a new tab.
- Pieces
- A set of dominoes, all of them used
- Board
- Cells grouped into colored regions
- Region rules
- A sum, equal, not equal, greater than, less than or none
- Levels
- Easy, Medium and Hard each day
- Made by
- The New York Times
- Plays on
- nytimes.com/games
- Category
- Logic and mystery games, logic boards
How to play NYT Pips
- Look at the regions
Each colored region has a rule, such as a number its pips must add up to, or an equals sign.
- Place a domino
Drag a domino onto two cells next to each other. Rotate it if needed.
- Check each rule
Equal means every half in the region shows the same number, not equal means all different, and a number means the pips add up to it.
- Use every piece
The puzzle is solved when all dominoes are placed and every region's rule holds.
- Pick your level
Each day has an Easy, a Medium and a Hard board.
The region symbols
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A number | The pips in the region add up to it |
| = | Every half in the region shows the same number |
| ≠ | Every half in the region shows a different number |
| > or < | Greater or less than the number shown |
| Blank | No rule |
How to start a Hard board
Find the cells with the fewest choices. A one cell region with a high sum can only take a six or a five. A long equal region needs several halves with the same number, so look at which numbers you have enough of. Place those certain pieces first, then let the leftover dominoes tell you where the rest go. Guessing works on Easy but quickly fails on Hard, where one wrong domino ruins everything after it.
Regions to solve first
- Sum regions with a very small or very large total
- Equal regions with only two cells
- Greater than or less than regions next to a wall
NYT Pips tips
- Start with the strictest regions, such as a one cell region with a number or a large equal region.
- Blank regions have no rule. Leave them for the leftover pieces.
- Count how many of each number you have. Doubles and blanks are often the key.
NYT Pips questions
How many Pips puzzles are there a day?
Three: Easy, Medium and Hard. The rules are the same, the boards get tighter.
What does a blank region mean in Pips?
It has no condition. Any pips can go there.
Is Pips free?
Pips can be played on the New York Times Games site. Some NYT games need a subscription for full access, so check the site for current terms.
Where are NYT Pips hints today?
Our Pips answers today page has one placed domino per level as a hint, then the solved Easy, Medium and Hard boards.
Is the NYT Pips game the same every day?
No. There are new Easy, Medium and Hard boards daily.
Facts checked on 2026-11-09. NYT Pips belongs to The New York Times. Megadle is not linked to it.