If you’re searching for help with today’s Easy, Medium, and Hard NYT Pips puzzles, you’re in the right place. Whether you just want a small hint or you’re ready to check your work, this guide covers what you need for all three versions of today’s game, along with a complete walkthrough for the Hard puzzle.
It’s Tuesday, a day traditionally linked to Tyr, the Norse and Germanic god the weekday is named for. Tyr was associated with war, though no, that doesn’t really mean most wars begin on Tuesdays. What it does mean is that it’s time to tackle another set of Pips puzzles and start placing dominoes.
If you’re trying to catch up on Monday’s Pips, you can find that guide here.
How To Play Pips
In Pips, players work through a grid made up of differently colored sections. Each color marks a separate condition that must be satisfied, and you’re given a limited set of dominoes to fill the board. To solve the puzzle, every domino must be used and each color-based requirement must be completed correctly. The game includes Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty levels.
You can also find Puzzles & Games on Forbes.
Here’s an example of what a Hard-tier Pips puzzle looks like:
Pips example
Screenshot: Erik Kain
As you can see, the grid has a bunch of symbols and numbers with each color. On the far left, the three purple squares must not equal one another (hence the equal sign crossed out). The two pink squares next to that must equal a total of 0. The zig-zagging blue squares all must equal one another. You click on dominoes to rotate them, and will need to since they have to be rotated to fit where they belong.
Not shown on this grid are other conditions, such as “less than” or “greater than.” If there are multiple tiles with > or < signs, the total of those tiles must be greater or less than the listed number. It varies by grid. Blank spaces can have anything. The various possible conditions are:
- = All pips must equal one another in this group.
- ≠ All pips must not equal one another in this group.
- > The pip in this tile (or tiles) must be greater than the listed number.
- < The pip in this tile must be less than the listed number.
- An exact number (like 6) The pip must equal this exact number.
- Tiles with no conditions can be anything.
In order to win, you have to use up all your dominoes by filling in all the squares, making sure to fit each condition. Sometimes there’s only one way to solve the puzzle. Other times, there can be two or more different solutions. Play today’s Pips puzzle here.
Today’s Pips Solutions And Walkthrough
Below are the solutions for the Easy and Medium tier Pips. After that, I’ll walk you through the Hard puzzle. Spoilers ahead.
Today’s Easy Pips
Easy Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Today’s Medium Pips
Medium Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Hard Pips Walkthrough And Solution
Here’s today’s Hard Pips:
Hard Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Today’s Hard Pips is the word “TWO” and there are, indeed, many 2-tiles on the grid. 2 and >2 and < 2 and even a 22 group. There’s no obvious place to begin, to be honest, though we can guess that several of our 6’s will be used in the 22 group. Three 6’s + a 4 should do the trick, so we’ll begin there.
Step 1
Place the 2/4 domino from Dark Blue 2 into Pink 22 and the 6/6 domino next to that. Next, move up to the “T” and place the 1/0 from Pink < 2 into Purple = and the 0/0 domino in the next two Purple = tiles. The 0/2 domino goes from Purple = into Blue 2.
Hard Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Step 2
Move back to the “0” and place the 6/0 domino from Pink 22 into Purple 2 into Blue = and the 2/1 domino from Green 2 into Blue =.
Hard Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Solution
Place the 4/1 domino from Orange = into Blue = and the 4/0 from Orange = into the first free tile. Place the 5/3 domino from Orange = on the other side of the “W” into the second free tile and the 2/6 domino from Dark Blue 2 into the third free tile. Finally, place the 3/0 domino from the last free tile (in the “T”) into Purple = and you’re done.
Hard Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Have a great Tuesday, Pipsqueaks!
How’d you do on today’s Pips?
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