NYT Pips hints and answers for July 13, 2026
Guide and strategies for the Pips puzzle game
1Introduction to Pips
Launched by The New York Times in August 2025, Pips offers a unique single-player puzzle experience based on dominoes. Unlike traditional dominoes, it features color-coded areas with special mathematical conditions to fulfill. Currently, the game only provides full solutions rather than gradual hints.
2Game mechanics
In Pips, tiles are placed vertically or horizontally like dominoes but matching numbers isn't required. The key is satisfying conditions in colored areas: sum equality, inequality, greater/less than rules. Blank areas allow free placement. Only partial tiles may fall within colored zones.
3Core rules
Number conditions require tile sides in the area to sum to specified value. Equality means all halves show same pip count. Inequality demands different numbers, while greater/less than conditions compare sums to thresholds. Understanding these rules is crucial for solving daily puzzles.
4Easy level solutions
For July 13's easy level: Sum 6 requires 3-5 vertical + 2-1 horizontal. Equal 2 needs 2-1 + 2-0 horizontal. Less than 1 solution is 2-0 horizontal + 0-3 vertical + 0-5 horizontal. Greater than 3 is solved by 30-5 horizontal. Sum 3 requires 0-3 vertical placement.
5Medium/hard level hints
Medium puzzles include sum 4 solved by 1-3 horizontal, equal 5 by 5-5 vertical. Hard level challenges feature sum 8 via 6-2 vertical, equal 4 with 4-4 vertical + 5-4 horizontal, equal 5 with 5-4 + 5-2 horizontal placements. These require careful calculation of multiple conditions.
6Daily puzzle culture
Following Wordle and Strands, Pips becomes part of NYT's daily puzzle lineup. Such strategy and math-based games gain popularity for mental exercise. Platforms like Mashable offer alternatives including mahjong and sudoku, creating diverse puzzle ecosystems for enthusiasts.
Original article: Mashable — NYT Pips oyunu için ipuçları ve cevaplar