Welcome to your guide to Pips, the newest game in the world New York Times Catalog.
Released in August 2025, Pips offers a unique twist on the game of dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that can become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you’re stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we’ve got you covered! Below are segmented answers that will serve as hints so you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play pips
If you have played dominoes before, you will have a passing knowledge of how to play dominoes a point I played. As we shared in previous Dot Tips stories, squares, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connected to each other. The main difference between a traditional domino game and a dot game is the color-coded conditions you have to address. Touching tiles do not necessarily have to match.
Wordle of the Day: Answer, Hints for January 17, 2026
The conditions you must meet are specific to color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, the sum of each tile side in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half of the tiles to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you’ll encounter across difficulty levels:
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number: All points in this space must add up to the number.
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equal: Every half of a domino in this space must have the same number of dots.
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Not equal: Each half of a domino in this space must have a completely different number of dots.
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below: Every half of a domino in this space must sum less than the number.
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Greater than: The sum of each half of the domino in this space must be more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means that there are no conditions on the dominoes within those spaces.
NYT Strands hints and answers for January 16, 2026
Easy Difficulty Hints, Answers for January 17 with Points
Less than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally.
No. (7): Everything in this space must sum to 7. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed horizontally.
No. (8): Everything in this space must have a sum of 8. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-0, in horizontal position.
No. (8): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-4, laid out horizontally.
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No. (4): Everything in this space must have a sum of 2. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.
Greater than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally
Medium difficulty hints, answers for January 17 in points
Less than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.
Greater than (16): Everything in this space must be greater than 16. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 4-6, placed horizontally.
unequal: Everything in this space should be different. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally. 4-6, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed horizontally.
Hard Difficulty Hints, Answers for January 17 with Points
No. (3): Everything in this space must equal 3. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 3-1, placed horizontally.
Number (12): Everything in this space must sum to 12. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 6-1, in horizontal position.
No. (4): Everything in this space must sum to 4. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically; 6-1, in horizontal position.
unequal: Everything in this space should be different. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must have a sum of 10. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.
Greater than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.
No. (6): Everything in this space must have a sum of 6. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.
equal (2): Everything in this space must equal 3. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 2-2, placed vertically; 3-2, placed horizontally.
equal (3): Everything in this space must equal 2. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically; 3-2, placed horizontally.
No. (4): Everything in this space must sum to 6. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable has games now! Check out our gaming center Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more.