New York Times’ latest puzzler, Pips, blends dominoes with a colorful twist and a fresh single-player format that could become a daily habit for puzzle fans. Released in August 2025, Pips challenges players to solve grid-based tile layouts using color-coded spaces that introduce new conditions beyond traditional domino matching.
How to play Pips
– If you’ve played dominoes, you’ll recognize the basic tile-deck idea, but the game adds color-coded zones that impose rules rather than simply requiring matching ends.
– Tiles may be placed vertically or horizontally, and touching sides do not have to match.
– The color-coded spaces specify how the domino halves must relate to the rule in that region. If a space has no color coding, there are no conditions for the tiles inside it.
– Common condition types include:
– Number: All pips in the space must add up to the specified number.
– Equal: Every domino half in the space must show the same number of pips.
– Not Equal: Each domino half in the space must differ from the others.
– Less than: The sum of each domino half in the space must be less than the specified number.
– Greater than: The sum must be greater than the specified number.
– It’s common for only part of a tile to fall inside a color-coded area, adding an extra layer of strategy.
Daily hints and solutions (Aug. 20)
Easy difficulty hints
– Number (4): All pips must total 4. The solution is 6-4, placed vertically.
– Number (0): All pips must total 0. The solution is 0-0, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed vertically.
– Number (2): All pips must total 2. The solution is 5-1, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed vertically.
Medium difficulty hints
– Equal (6): Every domino half in this space must contain 6 pips. The solution is 3-6, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed horizontally.
– Number (3): The halves must add up to 3. The solution is 3-6, placed horizontally.
– Number (2): The halves must add up to 2. The solution is 2-6, placed vertically.
– Number (2): The red space must add up to 2. The solution is 1-1, placed vertically.
– Equal (3): Every domino half must contain 3 pips. The solution is 3-3, placed vertically.
Hard difficulty hints
– Number (6): The halves must add up to 6. The solution is 6-1, placed vertically.
– Number (2): The halves must add up to 2. The solution is 6-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.
– Number (4): The halves must add up to 4. The solution is 3-2, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed horizontally.
– Equal (4): The halves must equal 4. The solution is 6-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.
– Equal (5): The halves must equal 5. The solution is 2-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.
– Equal (6): The halves must equal 6. The solution is 5-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.
What this means for players
– Pips offers a thoughtful, color-driven take on a classic format, with daily puzzles that scale in difficulty and a built-in hint system that reveals solutions only when you’re ready to move on.
– For fans of logic games and pattern recognition, it provides a fresh, approachable way to exercise deduction and spatial planning.
Additional notes
– While the game currently includes daily solutions and hints to help you progress through Easy, Medium, and Hard, the core appeal lies in mastering how color-coded zones interact with tile placement. Take your time to map out how each tile’s pips contribute to the totals in each colored space.
– If you’re hungry for more puzzles, explore a broader games hub offering Mahjong, Sudoku, crosswords, and other brain teasers to keep your puzzle streak alive.
Summary
Pips introduces a vibrant, rule-based twist on dominoes that emphasizes strategic placement within color-coded zones. The day’s hints for August 20 provide concrete paths through Easy, Medium, and Hard challenges, giving players a supportive nudge while still rewarding thoughtful planning and pattern recognition.
Positive note
The game’s structured difficulty and step-by-step hints can help players build confidence and gradually improve their deduction skills, making Pips a promising addition to any puzzle-curious gamer’s routine.