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Pips Answer for Thursday, December 25, 2025

Complete NYT Pips puzzle solution with interactive board and expert analysis.

Today's Answer Back to Archive
Progress 0/5 dominoes
2
12
10
>1
<1

Click a domino or a cell to reveal the answer

Solution & Analysis

Complete answers and solving insights for 2025-12-25

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NYT Pips easy answer for 2025-12-25

NYT Pips easy answer for 2025-12-25

2
12
10
>1
<1

Complete answer for 2025-12-25 (Easy)

Solving the Christmas Day Pips puzzles was a great way to spend my morning. I always start with the Easy grid to get my brain in gear. I immediately looked for the largest sum which was 12 at the coordinates (2,0) and (3,0). Since the only way to get 12 with standard dominoes is a double-six, I placed that down first. That helped me figure out the bottom of the grid where (5,0) had to be greater than 1 and (5,1) had to be less than 1. I used the 5-0 domino there, putting the 5 at (5,0) and the 0 at (4,0) to satisfy the empty cell requirement. The rest of the Easy grid fell into place once I used the 4-2 domino to hit that sum target of 2 at (0,0).

Moving on to the

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NYT Pips medium answer for 2025-12-25

NYT Pips medium answer for 2025-12-25

<3
>3
10
5
10
=
5
=
<3

Complete answer for 2025-12-25 (Medium)

Medium puzzle, I looked for the Equals constraints because they are huge time-savers. I saw that (4,0) and (4,1) had to be identical, which meant that the domino covering them had to be a double. I checked my list and saw 1-1 and 6-6. At the same time, I saw a sum of 10 at (0,4) and (0,5). I played around with the 0-5 and 1-1 dominoes and realized that the 0-5 had to be split across the right edge to satisfy that sum of 10 combined with a pip from the 6-6 domino. The trickiest part was the 'less than 3' area at the top left, but once I had the 1-1 domino locked in, the 0-1 and 0-2 pieces filled the remaining gaps.

Finally, I hit the

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NYT Pips hard answer for 2025-12-25

NYT Pips hard answer for 2025-12-25

6
=
=
12
15
1
0
4
10
12
≠

Complete answer for 2025-12-25 (Hard)

Hard puzzle. This one was a monster with 15 dominoes. I started with the most restrictive spots: the sum of 0 at (5,3) and (5,4) and the sum of 15 at (3,5), (4,5), and (4,6). For the sum of 0, both cells had to be zeros, which meant I needed to position my 1-0 and 0-3 dominoes so their zero ends touched those spots.

For the sum of 15, I knew I needed high numbers like 6, 5, and 4. I eventually worked out that the 6-6 and 1-5 dominoes were the keys there. The big 'Equals' block in the center-left was the final anchor. I counted how many 3s and 4s were available in my remaining dominoes and realized the only way to satisfy that four-cell block was to use 3s. Once those central 3s were placed, the rest of the board was just a matter of connecting the dots.

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What I Learned

I learned that when you have a sum of zero across multiple cells, it's a massive gift because every single cell in that region must be a zero, which drastically limits your domino choices.

I also noticed a pattern in the Hard grid where the Equals regions were strategically placed to force you to use up specific values like 3s and 4s early on. Another interesting thing I found is that high sums (like 15 in a 3-cell region) almost always require a 6-6 or 6-5 domino to be involved, so I always check those first to see where they can fit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does an empty region type mean in Pips?
An empty region doesn't have a specific mathematical rule like a sum or an 'equals' constraint. It basically acts as a placeholder where any pip value can go, though it's often used to make the rest of the puzzle's logic work by narrowing down which dominoes can fit in the adjacent spots.
Can a domino be placed vertically or horizontally?
Yes, dominoes can be placed in either orientation. In this puzzle, I had to flip several dominoes vertically to satisfy the sum constraints that spanned across different rows.
How do the 'greater than' and 'less than' targets work?
These targets apply to the total sum of the pips in that specific region. If a region has one cell and a 'less than 1' target, that cell must be a 0. If it has multiple cells, the sum of all pips in those cells must be less than the target number.
What happens if I have two 'Equals' regions near each other?
This is actually helpful! It means you're looking for values that appear frequently in your domino set. If you see two different Equals regions, they don't have to be the same number as each other, but all cells within one specific colored region must match.

How to Use This Board

1

Select a Domino

Tap any domino from the tray below the board to select it

2

Place on Board

Tap a cell on the board where you think it belongs. If correct, both cells reveal!

3

Rotate if Needed

Tap a selected domino again to rotate it, or use the rotate button

4

Use Hints

Stuck? Use the Hint button to reveal one domino, or Solve All to see everything