NYT Pips Hints and Answers for Aug 23, 2025

NYT Pips launched on August 18, 2025, as The New York Times' first-ever original logic puzzle. Created by puzzle editor Ian Livengood and the NYT Games team, it brings a nostalgic twist to digital gaming by combining dominoes with mathematical logic.

Unlike the word-focused Wordle and Connections, Pips challenges players with spatial reasoning and number patterns. Every puzzle is handcrafted by human editors, ensuring each challenge feels unique and thoughtfully designed rather than algorithm-generated.

Easy Difficulty Pips Hints and Answers for Aug 23, 2025

Pips Hints

The equals regions help determine which dominoes must be placed where

Pips Answers

Medium Difficulty Pips Hints and Answers for Aug 23, 2025

Pips Hints

Less than 2 constraint severely limits domino options for that cell

Pips Answers

Hard Difficulty Pips Hints and Answers for Aug 23, 2025

Pips Hints

The less than 6 region spanning four cells needs low-value dominoes

Multiple specific sum constraints create a logical chain

Pips Answers

How to Play NYT Pips

Your mission: fit all dominoes on the board while satisfying every region's conditions.

Understanding the Board

The game grid contains colored regions with rules displayed in their corners, plus unrestricted blank spaces. Each puzzle provides a specific set of dominoes to place.

Placing Dominoes

• Drag and drop dominoes from the tray to the board
• Tap once on any domino to rotate it 90 degrees
• Each domino must cover two adjacent squares

Regional Conditions

Sum (number): All pips within the region must total this exact value

Equal (=): All domino halves in this region must display identical pip counts

Not Equal (≠): All domino halves must show different pip values

Greater Than (>): Each domino half must have more pips than the specified number

Less Than (<): Each domino half must have fewer pips than the specified number

Important Note

When a domino bridges two regions, each half must independently satisfy its respective region's rule. Dominoes don't need to match where they touch—this isn't traditional dominoes!

Solving Strategies

Begin with Constraints

Target the most restrictive regions first. Areas with exact sum requirements or equality conditions typically have limited valid placements, giving you solid starting points.

Embrace Trial and Error

Pips doesn't penalize mistakes, so experiment freely. Try different arrangements until something clicks—there's no rush.

Leverage Zero Pips

Blank domino halves are strategic goldmines. They're perfect for "less than" regions and help you hit precise sum targets without overshooting.

Consider Boundary Placement

Dominoes spanning multiple regions must satisfy both rules simultaneously. These cross-regional placements often hold the key to solving seemingly impossible configurations.