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NYT Pips answers — Saturday, December 13, 2025

Pips #118 · Edited by Ian Livengood · Easy by Ian Livengood · Medium by Ian Livengood · Hard by Rodolfo Kurchan

Stuck on today's New York Times Pips? Below are three progressive hints for each difficulty, then the full solution as a tap-to-reveal board. Hints first — the answer only when you want it.

Jump to: Easy · Medium · Hard

Easy Pips answer — December 13, 2025

5×3 board · 5 dominoes · 6 regions · by Ian Livengood

The easy board runs 5 rows by 3 columns: 5 dominoes to place across 6 regions. The mix is 4 sum regions, 2 free regions. The single cell at row 1, column 2 is marked 0, so it can only hold a 0. After that, the two-cell region at row 4, column 1 adds to 11: the only split is 5 + 6.. Rack check: 2 doubles, 1 blank half, 3 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 1, column 2 is marked 0, so it can only hold a 0. Find the domino with a 0 that fits there.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 6–0 domino with its 6 at row 2, column 2 and its 0 at row 1, column 2.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 5–2 goes at row 4, column 1 → row 4, column 2. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 0 must add up to 0; 7 must add up to 7; 11 must add up to 11.

0
7
7
11
Solution as text
  1. 1–1 — 1 at row 2, column 3, 1 at row 3, column 3
  2. 3–4 — 3 at row 5, column 3, 4 at row 4, column 3
  3. 5–2 — 5 at row 4, column 1, 2 at row 4, column 2
  4. 6–6 — 6 at row 5, column 1, 6 at row 5, column 2
  5. 6–0 — 6 at row 2, column 2, 0 at row 1, column 2

Medium Pips answer — December 13, 2025

5×6 board · 9 dominoes · 11 regions · by Ian Livengood

The medium board runs 5 rows by 6 columns: 9 dominoes to place across 11 regions. Rules on the board: 7 sum regions, 2 "all equal", 2 free regions. The way in: the single cell at row 3, column 1 is marked 1, so it can only hold a 1. After that, the single cell at row 5, column 6 is marked 1, so it can only hold a 1. Rack check: 2 doubles, 2 blank halves, 1 six.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The single cell at row 3, column 1 is marked 1, so it can only hold a 1. Find the domino with a 1 that fits there.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 1–3 domino with its 1 at row 3, column 1 and its 3 at row 4, column 1.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 5–1 goes at row 5, column 5 → row 5, column 6. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: 2 must add up to 2; 9 must add up to 9; 1 must add up to 1; = must all be the same number; 3 must add up to 3.

2
9
2
1
=
3
=
8
1
Solution as text
  1. 4–0 — 4 at row 5, column 2, 0 at row 5, column 1
  2. 3–4 — 3 at row 5, column 4, 4 at row 5, column 3
  3. 1–1 — 1 at row 1, column 3, 1 at row 2, column 3
  4. 1–3 — 1 at row 3, column 1, 3 at row 4, column 1
  5. 4–2 — 4 at row 4, column 6, 2 at row 3, column 6
  6. 5–1 — 5 at row 5, column 5, 1 at row 5, column 6
  7. 3–3 — 3 at row 3, column 3, 3 at row 3, column 4
  8. 3–2 — 3 at row 1, column 5, 2 at row 1, column 4
  9. 0–6 — 0 at row 2, column 6, 6 at row 1, column 6

Hard Pips answer — December 13, 2025

7×4 board · 9 dominoes · 9 regions · by Rodolfo Kurchan

9 dominoes, 9 regions, a 7×4 grid — that's the hard puzzle for December 13, 2025. You're working with 1 sum region, 4 "all equal", 1 "less than", 2 "greater than", 1 free region. The way in: the "=" region starting at row 1, column 1 has 3 cells that must all match — every 5 in the puzzle should come here.. After that, the "=" region starting at row 5, column 2 has 4 cells that must all match — every 1 in the puzzle should come here.. Rack check: 3 doubles, 2 sixes.

Hints

Hint 1 — where to start

The "=" region starting at row 1, column 1 has 3 cells that must all match — every 5 in the puzzle should come here.

Hint 2 — first domino

Place the 5–5 domino with its 5 at row 1, column 1 and its 5 at row 1, column 2.

Hint 3 — second domino

Next, the 1–2 goes at row 5, column 2 → row 4, column 2. From there the rest should fall into place.

Solution

Tap any cell to reveal its pips, or reveal the whole board. Region rules: = must all be the same number; 6 must add up to 6; <6 must add up to less than 6; >3 must add up to more than 3; >2 must add up to more than 2.

=
6
<6
=
>3
=
=
>2
Solution as text
  1. 1–2 — 1 at row 5, column 2, 2 at row 4, column 2
  2. 5–5 — 5 at row 1, column 1, 5 at row 1, column 2
  3. 3–1 — 3 at row 1, column 3, 1 at row 1, column 4
  4. 2–5 — 2 at row 3, column 2, 5 at row 2, column 2
  5. 6–3 — 6 at row 3, column 3, 3 at row 2, column 3
  6. 4–6 — 4 at row 7, column 3, 6 at row 7, column 4
  7. 1–1 — 1 at row 6, column 2, 1 at row 6, column 3
  8. 4–4 — 4 at row 7, column 1, 4 at row 7, column 2
  9. 1–4 — 1 at row 5, column 3, 4 at row 4, column 3

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