Archive

Fri · Nov 6, 2026 · Puzzle #446

Pips hints & answers for today

shown for your local date — new puzzle at your midnight

Hard · 14 dominoes · by Rodolfo Kurchan

edited by Ian Livengood

How the region rules work

  • A number — the pips in that region add up to it.

  • > or < — the total is more than / less than the number.

  • Equals — every square shows the same number.

  • Not equal — every square is different, not just "not all the same".

  • Blank — anything goes.

  • Easy to miss: "<2" includes 0, and check which way > and < point.

Ways to get unstuck

works on any day

  1. Look for a spot only one domino can fill — a double, a corner, or a two-square region that adds up to 12 or 0.
  2. Count the pips you have left. If only two dominoes carry a 3, an "=" region can't use four 3s.
  3. Place 0s and 6s early; they have the fewest places to go.
  4. Nearly done but one square is wrong? Don't clear the board — look for two dominoes to swap.

Questions

Why is my puzzle number one day off?

Players around the world see Pips switch to a new puzzle at midnight on their own device, so people in different time zones can be on different days. This page follows your local date — use "Yesterday" if you need the one before.

My answer looks different. Is it still right?

Yes, if every region's rule holds. Many puzzles have more than one solution; we show how many and the one the game uses. Two boards count as different if any square's number or any domino's position differs.

Is there an archive of old puzzles?

The New York Times doesn't currently offer a Pips archive you can play. Our archive lists the answers for every day since this site started, but you can't play puzzles here.

Is today's puzzle broken?

Very unlikely — we check every official answer against each region's rule. If you're stuck, open hint 1; "impossible" boards often come from reading > and < the wrong way round or forgetting that blank halves count as 0. If the game itself won't load, that's on The New York Times' side, and we can't fix it here.

Is Pips free? Is this site part of The New York Times?

Pips is part of NYT Games; whether it's free for you depends on The New York Times' current offer, so check their site. Pips Hint is an independent site and is not affiliated with The New York Times.

When did Pips come out?

The New York Times launched Pips on August 18, 2025.