Pips Puzzle Walkthrough

Hey everyone! It looks like we’ve got another tough NYT Pips puzzle on our hands today. These puzzles have definitely been a challenge lately, but don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with a detailed guide. I tackled the easy, medium, and hard Pips puzzles this sunny October Thursday. With Halloween just around the corner and the lovely autumn air, it feels like the perfect time for a puzzle break. Let’s dive right in!

Curious about Wednesday’s Pips? Check out the guide here.

How to Play Pips

Pips consists of a grid made up of multicolored boxes, with each color signifying a different condition you need to meet. The goal is to fill the grid using the designated number of dominoes while ensuring all conditions are satisfied. There are varying difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard.

Here’s what a tougher Pips setup might look like:

In the grid, you’ll find various symbols and numbers. For instance, the three purple squares on the left can’t be identical (which is indicated by the strikethrough equal signs). The pink squares must add up to zero, and all the blue squares in a zigzag pattern have to be the same. You can click on dominoes to rotate them into the proper position.

Some useful conditions include:

• = All pips in this group must be equal.
• ≠ All pips in this group must not be equal.
• > Pips in this group must exceed the number listed.
• An exact number (like 6) must equal this specific number.
• Any tile without specific conditions can be used as needed.

Ultimately, you need to fill the grid and use every domino while fulfilling all conditions. Play today’s Pips puzzle here.

Today’s Pips Solution and Walkthrough

Here are the solutions for the Easy and Medium puzzles. Spoiler alert for those who want to tackle the hard puzzles later!

Easy Pips Today

Pips Today

Hard Pips Walkthrough and Solution

Today’s hard puzzle is pretty intricate. There are 16 dominoes and a variety of conditions to meet. A few observations to note:

• For the purple squares, the total should equal three.
• To fill the Dark Blue 24 group, you need four out of six pieces, while the leftover pieces should complete the Green 26.
• Purple = 24 Dark Blue, and each orange tile must be a double.

Step 1

Let’s start with the purple group, which must total three. Place a 3/3 domino first, then a 3/2 domino on the orange 2 tile, followed by a 3/0 domino on the pink spot.

Step 2

Next, put a 6/6 domino to the right of the dark blue 24 and a 6/4 domino from dark blue 24 onto the pink tile.

Step 3

Now, place a 5/1 domino from the green 26 to the pink tile.

Solution

We’re almost at the end! The domino with a 0/0 goes into the two lower orange 1 tiles, and a 1/4 domino fits into the last free orange 1 tile. This leaves a double-sided domino, 4/4, to complete the pink group. And that’s it! You’re done!

I initially struggled with placing a 6/2 domino on pink. If you have insights or experiences to share, feel free to reach out!