The New York Times released a new single-player puzzle game, Pips, in August 2025. The game is based on domino mechanics and is part of the publication’s expanding digital games catalog. For players encountering difficulty with the puzzles for February 24, 2026, a guide providing hints and solutions is now available.
Pips represents the latest addition to the New York Times Games portfolio, which includes popular titles like Wordle and the Crossword. The game was designed to offer a distinct, daily puzzle experience that differs from the newspaper’s other offerings. It adapts traditional domino gameplay into a structured logic puzzle for individual players.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The core objective of Pips involves arranging domino tiles to match a numerical pattern presented on the game board. Players receive a set of dominoes and must place them correctly to satisfy the pip count, or dot number, required in each row and column. The puzzle resets daily with a new configuration, maintaining a consistent challenge for its user base.
Currently, the in-game assistance system is limited. When players are stuck, the game provides only basic feedback or validation checks rather than step-by-step hints. This design choice has led some players to seek external resources for guidance on more challenging puzzles.
Availability and Platform
Pips is accessible through the New York Times Games website and its dedicated mobile applications. Access to the game, like most titles in the NYT Games suite, requires a subscription to the New York Times Games service or an all-access New York Times digital subscription. The game is presented in a standard digital format, optimized for both web and app interfaces.
The release of Pips follows a recognized strategy by the New York Times to grow its digital subscription base through engaging, habit-forming content. The Games section has become a significant component of the company’s digital strategy, attracting and retaining subscribers with daily puzzles.
Future Developments
The New York Times has not publicly announced specific updates or feature expansions for Pips. However, based on the development pattern of other games in its catalog, such as the introduction of hint systems or community features in Wordle, similar quality-of-life improvements could be considered for Pips in the future. The publication typically monitors player engagement and feedback to inform updates to its games platform.
As the game continues to build its audience, the demand for supplementary resources like daily answer guides is expected to persist. The ongoing development of the New York Times Games section suggests that Pips will remain a supported title, with potential for iterative updates to its gameplay and user assistance features.
