NYT Pips · Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Pips Hint Today
Spoiler-free hints for today's NYT Pips. Pick a difficulty and tap any spot on the board to reveal only the domino that goes there. The rest stays hidden until you ask for it. Today's puzzles: Easy #1531 · Medium #1542 · Hard #1499.
Easy Pips hints
Tap any cell to reveal the domino on it.
Medium Pips hints
Tap any cell to reveal the domino on it.
This board has more than one valid answer. These hints follow the official one, so your own solution can differ and still be right.
Hard Pips hints
Tap any cell to reveal the domino on it.
Finished today's Pips?
Pips Unlimited gives you a new domino puzzle whenever you want one. Three sizes, same rules, no waiting for midnight.
How to use a Pips hint
The board above is the real puzzle with every domino hidden. There are three controls:
- Tap to reveal is on by default. Tap a cell and the one domino covering it appears. Tap that domino again to hide it.
- Show all fills in the whole answer. You have to tap twice, so it cannot happen by accident.
- Hide all clears the board so you can go back to solving.
Stuck on one corner? Reveal a single domino there and work outwards from it. Under the board you will see where that domino sits, row and column, so you can copy it into the game.
Only want the solution? The Pips answers page shows all three solved boards. Stuck on the big one? See the hard Pips hint.
Where to look before you take a Pips hint
Most boards open up from one or two forced placements. Before you reveal anything, check these spots. If none of them gives you a start, that is the right moment for a Pips hint.
- Small sums and big sums. A region that must total 0 or 1 can only hold blanks and ones. A two-cell region that must total 12 needs two sixes. Find which dominoes in the tray can supply those numbers.
- Single-cell regions. A one-cell region with a number tells you exactly which pip goes there, so only a few dominoes fit.
- Equal regions. Every cell shows the same number, so count how many halves of each number the tray has. A four-cell “=” region needs four matching halves, which usually leaves one candidate.
- Dead ends. A cell with only one free neighbour must pair with that neighbour. Corners and narrow corridors often place a domino before you read any rule.
- Doubles. A double puts the same number in two cells. It fits neatly inside an “=” region and can never sit entirely inside a “≠” region.
If you do take a hint, take the smallest one that helps. Reveal one domino in the area you are stuck on, hide the board again, and see how far that single placement carries you. On Hard, one domino in the largest region is usually enough to unlock the rest.
Pips rules in one minute
Place every domino from the tray onto the board so that each one covers two neighbouring cells. Coloured regions carry a rule that the numbers inside must meet:
| 10 | The pips in the region add up to exactly that number. |
| = | Every cell in the region shows the same number. |
| ≠ | Every cell in the region shows a different number. |
| <3 | The pips add up to less than the number. |
| >7 | The pips add up to more than the number. |
Cells without a colour take any number. A domino can sit across two regions. More detail and worked examples are in the Pips rules guide.
More about Pips
Pips hint FAQ
When do today's Pips hints update?
A new set of Easy, Medium and Hard puzzles arrives every day at midnight in your own time zone. This page changes over at midnight Eastern Time. If you are still on the previous day's puzzle, use the date buttons above the board to go back to it.
Will the hints spoil the answer?
Not unless you ask them to. The board starts empty. A domino only appears when you tap its spot, and the full answer needs a second tap to confirm.
What is the best Pips hint for a beginner?
Start with Easy and reveal a domino in a corner or a small region. Then look at why it fits: which rule it satisfies and which dominoes it rules out for the cells next to it. That teaches you more than reading the full answer.
Is there a Pips hint for every difficulty?
Yes. Easy, Medium and Hard each have their own board on this page. Use the tabs to switch, and each board keeps its own revealed dominoes.
Does using a Pips hint here affect my NYT game?
No. This site is separate from the game. Nothing you reveal here is sent to The New York Times, and your streak and solve time are not touched.
My solution is different from yours. Is it wrong?
Not necessarily. Some Pips boards have more than one valid answer. When that is the case the hint panel says so. If the game accepts your board, it is correct.
Can I see hints for yesterday's Pips?
Yes. The date buttons above the board cover the last seven days.
Is Pips Hints connected to The New York Times?
No. This is an independent fan site. Pips is published by The New York Times, and you can only play the official daily puzzles on their site or in the NYT Games app.