# NYT Pips Hints and Answers for July 20, 2026 Your daily guide to the domino-inspired puzzle game Pips by The New York Times. - **Source:** [Mashable](https://brifing.si/source/3cd6d1d0-9c29-4750-8bc9-f2afefb52505) - **Published:** 2026-07-20 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/b9100d10-95b0-4b12-95de-ca8e69581510 ## What is Pips? Launched by The New York Times in August 2025, Pips reinvents classic dominoes with color-coded spaces, offering a single-player puzzle experience designed to become part of players' daily routines. It's the latest addition to NYT's growing games portfolio. ## Basic Gameplay In Pips, tiles are placed vertically or horizontally to connect, similar to dominoes. The key difference lies in satisfying color-coded conditions - tiles in marked spaces must meet specific requirements like matching numbers or achieving target sums, adding a strategic layer to traditional domino mechanics. ## Color-Coded Rules The game's core mechanic involves special conditions: 'Equal' spaces require uniform pip counts, 'Number' spaces demand exact sums, while 'Greater/Less Than' areas enforce value thresholds. Unmarked spaces have no restrictions, allowing flexible placement for solving adjacent challenges. ## Easy Level Tips For July 20's easy puzzles: horizontal 6-2 solves 'Greater Than 5', 0-5 works for 'Less Than 1', while 'Number 4' requires vertical 2-4 plus horizontal 3-0. These combinations help players grasp fundamental mechanics before tackling more complex challenges. ## Medium/Hard Strategies Advanced puzzles demand sophisticated solutions: vertical 0-2 + horizontal 0-5 for 'Number 0', vertical 4-6 for 'Number 10'. Large 'Equal 6' spaces require coordinated use of multiple tiles (0-6, 5-6, 6-1), demonstrating the game's evolving complexity across difficulty levels. ## Why It Matters Pips represents NYT's latest innovation in digital puzzles following Wordle and Strands success. By blending classic domino logic with modern puzzle design, it enhances strategic thinking and strengthens NYT's position in the competitive online puzzle market, appealing to both casual and dedicated players. ## Sources covering this story - https://mashable.com/entertainment/pips-nyt-games-hints-answers-easy-medium-hard-july-20-2026 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._