NYT Pips Answer Yesterday — Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Puzzle #1149 • Difficulty 7/10
Yesterday's NYT Pips Answer
Yesterday's NYT Pips Puzzle
Click a domino to reveal its placement
Deep Dive
Grid Dimensions
| Difficulty | Grid | Dominoes | Cells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 4×3 | 5 | 10 |
| Medium | 5×3 | 7 | 14 |
| Hard | 9×9 | 16 | 32 |
Constraint Breakdown (Medium)
Domino Pool (Medium)
Total pip count
43
Average per domino
6.1
Highest domino
[3|6] = 9
Lowest domino
[2|1] = 3
Constructor
Created by: [object Object]
Puzzle Analysis
The Pips puzzle presented a moderate challenge. The core insight involved recognizing that the larger domino counts for the medium and hard grids forced specific arrangements. The medium grid's seven dominoes quickly constrained possibilities. The hard grid's sixteen dominoes were the main hurdle. This puzzle's difficulty felt about right at 7/10. It required careful placement and a bit of trial and error, especially on the larger grids. The solution wasn't immediately obvious but unfolded with persistent logic.
How to Play NYT Pips
NYT Pips presents a grid with colored constraint regions. Your goal is to place all dominoes from the pool so every constraint is satisfied.
Each domino has two halves showing pip values (0–6 dots). Place them horizontally or vertically on the grid so adjacent cells form valid domino pairs.
Regions impose constraints: 'greater than' (>), 'less than' (<), 'equals' (=), or 'sum'. All cells in a region must satisfy its constraint using the pip values.
Three difficulty levels are available each day: Easy (small grid, few dominoes), Medium (moderate), and Hard (large grid, many dominoes). A new puzzle is available daily at midnight ET.
Play at nytimes.com/games/pips. A new puzzle is available every day.
Tips & Strategy
- Start with the Easy puzzle to learn the constraint types, then work up to Medium and Hard.
- Look for regions with 'equals' constraints first. They restrict which domino pairs can go where most tightly.
- Count how many times each pip value appears in the domino pool. Match these counts against constraint targets to find forced placements.
- On Hard mode, start from corners and edges where dominoes have fewer valid orientations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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More Special Games
Looking for more puzzles? Try Contexto answer and hints, NYT Mini Crossword help, or today's Nerdle.