For the Sunday, December 28, 2025 NYT Pips puzzle, the key Hard-mode hint is that each of the three regions totaling 15 must contain a 4, a 5, and a 6. The full Hard placement walkthrough is below. Easy and Medium answers are not described in the available written walkthrough, so their placements are not reproduced here.
Hints for the December 28 Pips puzzle
Try these hints in order and stop when you have enough to continue:
- Start with the three 15 regions. Consider which tile values can make each total.
- Use the same trio in each region. Each 15 is made from 4, 5, and 6.
- Why that works: As Forbes’ Erik Kain explains in the Hard walkthrough, there are no 3s and not enough 5s to make all three regions from three 5s apiece. Starting at the top of the board helps establish the placements.
Hard answer and placement walkthrough
The following sequence translates Forbes’ written walkthrough. Directions such as “right,” “down,” and “first free cell” refer to the board orientation and cell ordering in its guide; use the board image there if those labels are unclear.
- Put the 1/1 domino in the two right-hand cells of the Blue-equals region.
- Place 1/6 from Blue-equals into Purple 15.
- Place 5/4 from Pink-greater-than-4 into Purple 15.
- Place 5/6 across Purple 15 into Orange 15.
- Place 4/0 from Orange 15 into Dark Blue-equals.
- Place 5/2 from Orange 15 into the first free cell.
- Place 0/5 from Dark Blue-equals into Green 15.
- Place 0/2 from Dark Blue-equals downward into Pink-equals.
- Put 2/2 in the bottom two cells of Pink-equals.
- Place 2/4 from Pink-equals into the second free cell.
- Place 4/4 from Green 15 into Purple-greater-than-3.
- Place 6/2 from Green 15 into the last free cell.
What is available for Easy and Medium?
Forbes’ page labels Easy and Medium solution images, but its accessible written text does not give their tile placements. The Hard sequence above is supported by a written walkthrough; exact Easy and Medium moves are not established here. For those tiers, consult the corresponding board images rather than inferring placements from the Hard solution.
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How Pips works
Pips is a domino-placement puzzle: fill the board with the available tiles while satisfying the conditions shown in its colored regions. A domino can cross between regions, and each half contributes according to the cell it occupies. Conditions can specify a total, equality, or a less-than or greater-than bound. The game offers Easy, Medium, and Hard tiers. Tom’s Guide provides a general, secondary overview of the rules and rotating tiles: How to play NYT Pips.
Which puzzle is this?
The date is the safest identifier. A Reddit community thread calls this puzzle #133, but it also notes that numbering may vary by location. Forbes’ walkthrough was dated December 27, 2025, at 7 p.m. EST, ahead of the Sunday puzzle date. Open the NYT Pips game and match the date and board rather than relying on the number alone.
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Sources
- Forbes: Erik Kain’s December 28 Pips hints and Hard walkthrough.
- Tom’s Guide: general Pips gameplay overview.
- r/nytpips: Sunday, December 28, 2025 community thread.
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