NYT Pips Hints and Answers for Sep 18, 2025

NYT Pips joins the elite NYT Games collection as the first completely original logic puzzle, launching globally in August 2025. While Wordle and Connections dominated with words, Pips takes a different approach—using the timeless appeal of dominoes as the foundation for sophisticated mathematical puzzles.

Each puzzle is carefully crafted by human editors, never generated by algorithms. With three difficulty tiers updated daily, Pips offers a tactile, visually clear experience that respects your time—most puzzles take just minutes to complete.

Easy Difficulty Pips Hints and Answers for Sep 18, 2025

Pips Hints

Start with empty cells to eliminate placement options

Pips Answers

Medium Difficulty Pips Hints and Answers for Sep 18, 2025

Pips Hints

Identify which dominoes can satisfy multiple constraints simultaneously

Pips Answers

Hard Difficulty Pips Hints and Answers for Sep 18, 2025

Pips Hints

Multiple zero sum regions force specific domino placements immediately

Chain together multiple sum constraints to reveal the solution

Pips Answers

How NYT Pips Works

The objective: arrange all provided dominoes on the grid while meeting every regional requirement.

Setup Overview

The game board features colored zones with condition indicators in their corners, alongside unrestricted white spaces. You're given a specific domino set for each puzzle.

Player Controls

• Drag dominoes from the bottom tray to your desired board position
• Tap to rotate between vertical and horizontal placements
• Each domino tile covers precisely two adjacent squares

Condition Types

Numeric Target (e.g., "5"): All pips in the region must add up to this number exactly

Equals (=): All domino halves must show matching pip counts

Not Equals (≠): All domino halves must show non-matching pip counts

Greater (>): Each domino half must show more pips than the number

Less (<): Each domino half must show fewer pips than the number

Multi-Region Mechanic

When placing dominoes across region boundaries, each half operates under its own region's rule independently. This differs from traditional domino matching and creates unique logical challenges.

Winning Approaches

Start with High-Constraint Zones

Identify regions with the strictest conditions—exact sums or equality requirements. These areas typically have only one or two valid solutions, providing natural starting points.

Experiment Liberally

Pips removes the pressure of mistakes. Place dominoes, observe the results, and adjust freely. The learning process happens through hands-on exploration.

Strategize with Blanks

Zero-pip halves are powerful tools. They satisfy "less than" conditions easily and help achieve exact sums without exceeding targets.

Master Border Dominoes

Dominoes that span regions are often the trickiest and most important pieces. Ensuring both halves satisfy their respective conditions usually reveals the puzzle's solution.