How to Play NYT Pips — Rules, Tips, Strategies & FAQs

How to Play (Step by Step)

1. Open the NYT Pips game page and pick a difficulty (Easy, Medium, or Hard).
2. Look at the grid — note the colored regions and the rule shown in each one.
3. Review the dominoes available below the board.
4. Click a domino to rotate it. Drag it onto the grid to place it.
5. A single domino can span two colored regions — each half satisfies the rule for its own region.
6. Every domino must be used and every cell must be filled.
7. You win when all regions are satisfied. There is no timer and no penalty for mistakes.

Proven Strategies

• Start with corners and edges. Edge dominoes have only two possible orientations (horizontal or vertical), compared to four for interior pieces. Locking the border first dramatically reduces the remaining possibilities.
• Identify forced moves. Single-cell regions, strict equality zones, and very low/high sum targets usually have only one valid domino. Do those first.
• Think about where a domino cannot go. Elimination is often faster than trial and error.
• Save high-value dominoes (5s and 6s). These are the most constrained pieces — don't waste them on regions that accept anything.
• Memorize common totals. Sums like 7 (6+1, 5+2, 4+3), 8, 10, and 12 come up frequently.

Difficulty Levels Explained

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Enjoy other NYT daily games? See our Wordle hints, Connections hints, and Strands hints.