NYT Pips #135 Answer Today (December 31, 2025)

The New York Times Pips puzzle continues to be a favorite for logic lovers, and today’s challenge is a perfect way to wrap up the year. Inspired by classic domino gameplay, Pips asks you to place dominoes on a grid so that every colored region follows its specific rule—whether that’s matching numbers, comparing values, or reaching a total.

If today’s puzzle left you double-checking placements or wondering whether a domino should be vertical or horizontal, you’re in the right place. Below, you’ll find clear solutions for Easy, Medium, and Hard, along with a simple explanation of how the game works.

NYT Pips #135 Answers for December 31, 2025

Here are the complete solutions for all three difficulty levels. Use these to confirm your answers or guide you if you got stuck.

Easy Puzzle Solution

Pink region:
- (1, 5) domino – Vertical
- (6, 3) domino – Horizontal
Purple region:
- (6, blank) domino – Horizontal
Teal region:
- (3, 3) domino – Horizontal
Yellow region:
- (6, 3) – Horizontal
- (4, 4) – Horizontal
- (6, 2) – Horizontal
Blue region:
- (4, 4) domino – Horizontal

The Easy grid focuses on clear totals and equal-pip regions, making it a good warm-up before moving on.

Medium Puzzle Solution

Pink region:
- (3, 3) domino – Vertical
- (6, 6) domino – Horizontal
Purple region:
- (blank, blank) domino – Vertical
- (1, 6) domino – Horizontal
Yellow region:
- (4, 4) – Horizontal
- (6, 6) – Horizontal
Teal region:
- (4, 4) – Horizontal
- (6, 5) – Vertical

Medium difficulty introduces more overlapping regions, where one half of a domino matters more than the other.

Hard Puzzle Solution

Pink region:
- (1, 2) – Horizontal
- (1, 3) – Horizontal
- (5, 3) – Vertical
- (6, 3) – Horizontal
Teal region:
- (3, 3) – Horizontal
- (2, 4) – Vertical
- (5, 3) – Vertical
- (4, 3) – Horizontal
- (6, 3) – Horizontal
Yellow region:
- (blank, 5) – Horizontal
- (4, 5) – Vertical
Purple region:
- (blank, 5) – Horizontal
- (1, 2) – Horizontal
- (2, 4) – Vertical
- (6, 2) – Horizontal
Blue region:
- (1, 3) – Horizontal
Green region:
- (6, 5) – Vertical
- (6, 2) – Horizontal

The Hard puzzle demands careful planning, especially where blank tiles and multi-region overlaps come into play.

How to Play NYT Pips (Beginner-Friendly Guide)

If you’re new to NYT Pips, here’s a quick and simple explanation:

The Board

A grid divided into colored regions
Each region has a rule shown in the corner

Region Rules You’ll See

= → All pips must be the same
≠ → Pips must be different
> / < → Pips must be greater or smaller than the shown number
Number → All pips must add up to that value
Blank → No rule, just placement logic

How Placement Works

Dominoes can be rotated and flipped
One domino can cover multiple regions
Only the pips inside a region count toward that rule

Winning the Puzzle

There’s no timer and no penalty
You win when all dominoes are placed correctly
If something’s wrong, you can keep adjusting until it works

Yesterday’s Puzzle

Missed it?

NYT Pips #134 Answers – December 30, 2025

Pro Tips to Get Better at Pips

Start with regions that have strict totals
Place double dominoes early—they limit options
Use blank regions as flexible buffers
If stuck, temporarily remove a few dominoes and re-build logically