The New York Times has introduced a new game, Pips, which launched in August 2025. This innovative twist on traditional dominoes offers players a captivating single-player experience, quickly gaining popularity among puzzle enthusiasts. As players dive into this engaging game, they may encounter challenges, particularly when trying to solve puzzles on December 29, 2025. To assist, this article provides hints and strategies tailored to various difficulty levels.
Understanding the Game Mechanics
Pips retains the essence of dominoes while adding unique elements that enhance gameplay. Players arrange tiles either vertically or horizontally, connecting them in a manner similar to dominoes. The primary distinction lies in the color-coded conditions that dictate the placement of tiles. Unlike standard dominoes, the tiles in Pips do not need to match. Instead, players must meet specific numerical conditions associated with the color-coded spaces. For example, if a space requires a single number, all sides of any tile within that space must sum up to that number. It is common for only part of a tile to occupy a color-coded area, adding an extra layer of strategy to the game.
Hints for December 29, 2025
For those facing difficulties, here are hints categorized by difficulty levels for the puzzles on December 29. This guidance will help players navigate through the challenges while enhancing their skills.
Easy Difficulty:
- Greater Than (5): Place 6-4 horizontally.
- Number (1): Place 4-1 vertically.
- Number (8): Place 4-4 horizontally.
- Less Than (3): Place 2-4 horizontally.
- Equal (4): Place 6-4 horizontally.
- Equal (5): Place 5-5 horizontally.
Medium Difficulty:
- Greater Than (0): Place 1-5 horizontally.
- Number (10): For dark blue, place 1-5 horizontally and 5-0 vertically.
- Number (10): For purple, place 6-4 horizontally and 4-0 vertically.
- Number (10): For red, place 6-4 horizontally and 6-6 vertically.
- Number (10): For green, place 6-6 vertically and 4-3 horizontally.
- Number (10): For light blue, place 5-2 vertically and 4-3 horizontally.
Hard Difficulty:
- Number (3): Place 2-3 horizontally.
- Equal (2): Place 2-3 horizontally and 2-2 horizontally.
- Number (12): Place 6-2 horizontally and 6-3 vertically.
- Less Than (3): Place 6-2 horizontally.
- Number (3): Place 1-1 vertically and 3-1 horizontally.
- Greater Than (3): Place 3-4 horizontally.
- Equal (3): Place 6-3 vertically, 3-1 horizontally, 3-4 horizontally, and 3-3 horizontally.
- Not Equal: Place 2-5 horizontally, 0-5 vertically, and 1-6 vertically.
- Number (6): Place 1-6 vertically.
- Number (20): Place 0-5 vertically, 5-5 horizontally, and 5-6 vertically.
- Greater Than (3): Place 4-6 vertically.
- Number (12): Place 4-6 vertically and 5-6 vertically.
- Not Equal: Place 4-2 horizontally and 1-5 horizontally.
For those looking for additional challenges, platforms like Mashable offer a variety of games, including Mahjong and Sudoku. Engaging with these puzzles can further enhance your gaming skills and provide hours of entertainment.
Pips continues to establish itself as a favorite among puzzle aficionados. With its innovative gameplay and strategic challenges, it is poised to become a staple in daily gaming routines. Players are encouraged to utilize the hints provided to improve their skills and enjoy the game even more.
