Pips Answer for Friday, December 12, 2025
Complete NYT Pips puzzle solution with interactive board and expert analysis.
Click a domino or a cell to reveal the answer
Solution & Analysis
Complete answers and solving insights for 2025-12-12
NYT Pips easy answer for 2025-12-12
NYT Pips easy answer for 2025-12-12
Complete answer for 2025-12-12 (Easy)
Solving this set of Pips puzzles felt like a fun morning workout for my brain. I started with the Easy puzzle by Ian Livengood. The first thing I noticed was the empty cell at [1,1] and the single-cell region at [1,0] that had to be a 6. Looking at the dominoes, the only ones with a 6 were [1,6] and [6,6].
I tried [6,6] there because it also filled the empty spot naturally. Then I looked at the sum regions. The sum of 10 for three cells [0,1], [0,2], [0,3] seemed like a lot, but since I only had [5,5], [0,0], [0,4], and [1,6] left, it started to click. I placed the [5,5] across [0,1] and [0,2], which gave me a 10 right there, meaning the next cell had to be a 0. Moving on to the
NYT Pips medium answer for 2025-12-12
NYT Pips medium answer for 2025-12-12
Complete answer for 2025-12-12 (Medium)
Medium puzzle by Rodolfo Kurchan, I immediately looked for the smallest sums. The region requiring a sum of 2 at [0,1] and [0,2] was a huge hint. Since the dominoes were fixed, I looked for combinations that added up to 2.
It had to be part of the [1,3] and [4,1] dominoes. I spent a lot of time balancing the sum of 9 and sum of 7 in the bottom row. Kurchan loves to use those middle-range sums to keep you guessing.
NYT Pips hard answer for 2025-12-12
NYT Pips hard answer for 2025-12-12
Complete answer for 2025-12-12 (Hard)
Finally, the Hard puzzle was a real beast. That massive 6-cell 'equals' region in the second column was the key. I realized that whatever number went into [0,1] had to be the same all the way down to [5,1].
By checking the available dominoes like [2,2], [2,5], [2,0], and [2,1], I saw that the number 2 appeared most frequently in the spots I needed. Once I locked in the 2s for that column, the rest of the board started falling into place like a row of literal dominoes. I used the sum of 10 at the bottom [6,0] and [6,1] to confirm my theory, and it worked out perfectly.
What I Learned
This set really taught me the value of looking at the 'frequency' of numbers in the domino list. Especially in the Hard puzzle, if you see a region where six cells must be equal, you should immediately count how many times each number appears in your list of dominoes.
If a number only appears twice, it can't possibly fill a six-cell equal region. I also noticed a tricky pattern in the Medium puzzle where the constraints were tightly packed, forcing you to think about the 'leftover' side of the domino before you even place the first side. It’s not just about satisfying one region; it’s about making sure the other half of the domino doesn't break a neighbor's rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to start a Pips puzzle?
What does the 'equals' region type mean?
How do you handle the 'empty' regions?
Why did the Hard puzzle have so many 2s?
How to Use This Board
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