NYT Pips Hints and Answers for August 20, 2025
If you got stuck on NYT Pips today, you’re not alone. Here’s what worked for me, plus small nudges so you can keep your streak alive. Sometimes I needed a hint after staring at those colored spaces for too long—my coffee didn’t help, my cat didn’t help, but these hints did.
NYT Pips (Easy) Solution for August 20, 2025
Puzzle image for Easy:
Easy mode got things rolling, but it wasn’t all brainless.
-
Yes, the Number (4) space needed a 6-4 tile, placed vertically.
-
For the Number (0) zone? Toss down a 0-0, horizontally, and maybe a 0-1, vertically.
-
The Number (2) required both 5-1 horizontal and 0-1 vertical action.
If you got tripped up by that last bit, don’t sweat, I did too the first time and had to double-check the color zones. Dominoes, but with a twist.
NYT Pips (Medium) Solution for August 20, 2025
Puzzle image for Medium:
Medium-level answers came down to:
-
Equal (6): Every domino half is 6 pips, so use 3-6 horizontally, 2-6 vertically, and 6-6.
-
Number (3): 3-6 tile, horizontal. Sharp eyes are needed here.
-
Number (2): 2-6 vertically. Not quite what I expected.
-
Red Number (2): Simple 1-1 vertically. I admit I forgot about the color until a second pass.
-
Equal (3): 3-3 vertically. That one feels classic.
I lost a few minutes here trying to match every side exactly. Honestly, the color coding tripped me up. The Number zones and Equal zones sometimes blend. Staring at it over breakfast did not help.
NYT Pips (Hard) Solution for August 20, 2025
Puzzle image for Hard:
Hard mode is where things get spicy. You need:
-
Number (6): 6-1 vertically.
-
Number (2): Two options—6-1 vertically; 1-2 vertically.
-
Number (4): 3-2 horizontally or 2-5 horizontally, depending on which zone is active.
-
Equal (4): Pop in a 6-4 vertically or stick with 4-4 vertically. Double-check they’re equal!
-
Equal (5): Go with a 2-5 horizontal, or try 5-5 and 5-6 vertical if space lets you.
-
Equal (6): Either 5-6 or 6-6, but yes, both vertically.
If you found yourself second-guessing the Equal zones, same here; a moment of self-doubt always pops up when every domino looks the same.
How to Play Pips?
If you’ve ever played dominoes, Pips will feel familiar, but it makes you think in color-coded patterns. Tiles go vertically or horizontally, connecting to each other, but the NYT twist comes from colored zones with conditions: numbers, equality, less than, greater than, or “not equal.” Sometimes only half a domino sits in a colored area, so you’ve got to add fast and stay sharp.
No color zone? No string attached. Toss down any tile, stretch your brain, and hope for that sweet win screen. I’ve already added Pips to my morning routine, right between Wordle and looking for the keys I lost yesterday.
