How to play
How to play Pips
Pips is dominoes meets logic: place every domino so that each coloured region obeys its rule. Here are the rules, what the badges mean, and a few tricks.
Look at the regions
The board is split into coloured regions. Each region's badge shows its rule: a number is a target sum, = means every pip count in the region is the same, ≠ means they are all different, <7 means the total must be under 7, >3 over 3. A region with no badge has no rule.
Drag dominoes onto the board
Every domino in the tray must end up on the board, covering two cells. Drag one over the board; a green outline shows where it will land. Tap a domino in the tray to rotate it by 90°.
Watch the badges
As you fill a region its badge shows the running count, for example 7 | 10. Gold means the region is satisfied. Red means it can no longer work: the total is already too high, or two pips that must be equal aren't.
Fix what's red, then fill the rest
Tap a placed domino to send it back to the tray, or drag it somewhere else. Undo takes back your last move.
Stuck? Use a hint
You have three per puzzle. If your board can't be finished from where it is, the hint shakes the dominoes that block it and returns them. Otherwise it places one correct domino.
The five rules
| Badge | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | The pips in the region add up to exactly 12. | Four cells: 6 + 3 + 2 + 1. |
| = | Every cell in the region has the same number of pips. | Three cells: 4, 4, 4. Blanks (0) count too. |
| ≠ | Every cell in the region has a different number of pips. | Three cells: 0, 2, 5. |
| <7 | The region's total is less than 7. | Two cells: 3 + 2 = 5. |
| >5 | The region's total is more than 5. | Two cells: 4 + 4 = 8. |
Strategy tips
- Start with the tightest region. A 1-cell region with a number, or a big region with a small sum, has very few options. Blanks (zero pips) are your best friend for small sums.
- Count the dominoes. The total pips in the tray is fixed. If the sum regions account for most of it, the leftover cells must take the blanks.
- Use "=" regions to pin doubles. A two-cell = region that a single domino covers needs a double (3|3, 5|5…). If no double fits, two different dominoes must each contribute one cell.
- Watch the shape. Cells with only one free neighbour force where a domino goes. Fill dead ends first.
- Red is information. A red badge tells you which region broke; undo one move and try the other orientation.
Daily, unlimited and archive
Every day at local midnight there are three new puzzles: Easy (5 dominoes), Medium (7) and Hard (10). Finish all three to extend your streak. Unlimited serves puzzles from a separate pool with no limit, and the archive keeps every past day playable.
How is this different from NYT Pips?
The rules are the same. The New York Times offers one free puzzle a day and puts its archive behind a subscription; Puzzlune generates its own boards, gives you three a day plus unlimited mode and a free archive, shows live badge feedback while you place, and adds hints and undo. Puzzlune is not affiliated with The New York Times.