Pips Hint for Sunday, August 31, 2025
Complete NYT Pips puzzle solution with interactive board and expert analysis.
Reveal by clicking a domino below OR a cell on the board
Expert Puzzle Analysis
Deep insights from puzzle experts
Nyt Pips easy answer for 2025-08-31
Answer for 2025-08-31
I approached the August 31st Pips set by Ian Livengood and Rodolfo Kurchan with my usual strategy: find the anchors first. In the Easy puzzle, the 'Sum 10' region at [2,1] and [2,2] was my immediate target. Looking at my available dominoes, I saw the [5,6] and [5,2].
To hit a 10 with just two cells, I needed two 5s or a 4 and a 6. The solution path revealed itself once I placed the [5,2] and [5,6] tiles so their 5s sat in those sum cells. Moving to the
Nyt Pips medium answer for 2025-08-31
Answer for 2025-08-31
Medium puzzle, the 'Greater than 6' and 'Greater than 4' constraints acted as the walls of the maze.
I knew the [1,6] and [5,4] tiles had to be the workhorses there. The 'Equals' region at [2,0] and [2,1] meant those two cells had to be identical, which narrowed down my placement of the [2,1] tile significantly.
Nyt Pips hard answer for 2025-08-31
Answer for 2025-08-31
Finally, the Hard puzzle was a beautiful challenge. I started with the 'Sum 0' regions at [0,6] and [6,2]. These are gifts because they have to be the 0-pip sides of tiles like [1,0] or [4,0].
Then I tackled the massive 'Sum 24' constraint across four cells. To get to 24 with four cells, you need an average of 6 per cell. This essentially forced the [6,6] and other high-value pips like the 6 from [4,6] or [5,6] into that specific area. Once the high numbers were locked in, the 'Sum 5' and 'Sum 4' regions fell into place like a zipper closing up.
What I Learned
This puzzle set really reinforced how 'Empty' cells and 'Sum 0' cells are the most powerful starting points. They act as fixed constants that dictate where the zero-value ends of dominoes must go. I also learned a lot about the 'Sum 24' pattern in a 4-cell region.
In a game where the highest pip is 6, a sum of 24 is the maximum possible value for 4 cells (6+6+6+6). This is a 'maximum constraint' that leaves zero room for error, making it much easier to solve than a smaller sum like 12 which has dozens of combinations. I also found the 'Equals' region spanning across different dominoes to be a clever way to link the movement of the entire board together.