The weekend is basically here. I mean, does anybody really think about work on Friday? You’re all thinking about what you’re going to do for fun once you get out of work. Let’s have some fun solving today’s Pips before all that.
Looking for Thursday’s Pips? Read our guide right here.
How To Play Pips
In Pips, you have a grid of multicolored boxes. Each colored area represents a different “condition” that you have to achieve. You have a select number of dominoes that you have to spend filling in the grid. You must use every domino and achieve every condition properly to win. There are Easy, Medium and Difficult tiers.
Here’s an example of a difficult tier Pips:
Pips example
Screenshot: Erik Kain
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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 a mama worm and a baby worm on their way to school. We’ll start with the mama worm because the baby worm is one six-piece ≠ group and it’s impossible to say what dominos we’ll need for it, other than the basics, like no doubles.
Step 1
We do know that Blue 24 will eat up all of our 6’s, so start with the 1/6 from Pink 1 to Blue 24 and the 4/6 from the left Purple 10 group down into Blue 24. Since we know we need to use our doubles, place the 3/3 in Purple 10 and then place the 6/6 in Blue 24’s remaining tiles.
Hard Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Step 2
We need five of the same Pips in Orange = and with our 3’s gone, the only thing we have left is 4’s. Place the 4/1 from Orange = into the Dark Blue 1 tile and the 4/4 domino in the next two Orange = tiles. Place the 4/5 domino from Orange = into Purple 20 (which we know will require four 5’s) and the 4/2 domino from Orange = down into Blue 5. Place the 3/2 domino from Blue 5 over into Orange 5.
Hard Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Step 3
The 5/5 domino slots into the next two Purple 20 tiles and the 5/0 domino goes from Purple 20 into the upper Pink 0 tile. Finish off mama worm with the 3/0 domino from Orange 5 into Pink 0.
Hard Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Solution
We have three dominos left — 4/0, 2/5, and 3/1 — and they can go in any order or direction you please in the Green ≠ group. Now baby worm and mama worm can get to school in style. Have fun you two!
Hard Pips
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Have a great weekend, Pipsqueaks. I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Thanks for reading!
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2026/01/15/nyt-pips-friday/
