Guide
Pips Rules: How to Play
Pips is a logic puzzle played with dominoes. There is no arithmetic beyond adding small numbers, and no guessing is needed once you know what each symbol asks for.
The goal
You get a board made of square cells and a tray of dominoes. Put every domino on the board so that:
- each domino covers exactly two cells that share an edge,
- no cell is left empty and no domino is left over,
- every coloured region's rule is true.
Each half of a domino shows between 0 and 6 pips. A blank half counts as 0. Dominoes can be turned in any of four directions.
What the region symbols mean
| Symbol | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | The pips in the region add up to exactly this number. | Two cells marked 8 could hold 2+6, 3+5 or 4+4. |
| = | All cells in the region show the same number. | Three cells could be 2, 2, 2. |
| ≠ | All cells in the region show different numbers. | Three cells could be 0, 3, 5 but not 3, 3, 5. |
| <4 | The pips add up to less than this number. | One cell marked <4 is 0, 1, 2 or 3. |
| >4 | The pips add up to more than this number. | One cell marked >4 is 5 or 6. |
| no symbol | No rule. Any number can go here. | Use these cells to park awkward halves. |
A rule covers the whole region, however many cells it has. A single domino can lie across two different regions, with one half counted in each.
Easy, Medium and Hard
NYT Pips publishes three puzzles a day. Easy boards usually have four to six dominoes and can be finished in under a minute. Medium boards add more dominoes and vaguer rules. Hard boards are the largest, often 12 to 16 dominoes, and need you to think a few placements ahead.
How to solve a Pips puzzle
- Start with certainties. A single cell with an exact number has one possible value. So does “>5” (it must be 6) and “<1” (it must be blank).
- Check the tray. If a cell must be 6 and only one domino has a 6, you know which domino goes there. The only question left is which way it points.
- Use extreme totals. Two cells adding up to 12 are both 6. Three cells adding up to 0 are all blank.
- Count halves for “=”. Four matching cells need a number that appears on at least four domino halves.
- Follow the shape. A cell with one open neighbour forces the direction of the domino that covers it.
- Keep doubles in mind. A double fills two cells with the same number, which “=” regions like and “≠” regions forbid.
- Test before you commit. When two dominoes fit, look one or two moves ahead. One of them usually leaves a cell that nothing can cover.
Common questions about the rules
Do I have to use every domino?
Yes. The board has exactly twice as many cells as there are dominoes, so every domino is needed.
Can a domino cross from one region into another?
Yes, and most do. Each half counts toward the region it sits in.
Does a blank count as zero?
Yes. A blank half adds 0 to a total, and it matches other blanks in an “=” region.
Is there only one solution?
Usually, but not always. Some daily puzzles accept more than one arrangement. Any arrangement that meets every rule is accepted.
Try the rules out
Practise on generated boards with instant feedback on every region.
Playing today's puzzle? Get today's Pips hints, the hard Pips hint or the answers.