The New York Times released a new single-player puzzle game called Pips in August 2025, which is based on domino mechanics. The game is part of the publication’s expanding digital games catalog, which includes popular titles like Wordle and the Mini Crossword.
Pips presents players with a grid-based puzzle where they must place domino tiles to match numbered hints on the board. The game offers three difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard. As of February 20, 2026, players seeking assistance for the daily puzzle can find hints and solutions from third-party sources, as the game itself does not provide an integrated hint system.
Gameplay Mechanics and Design
The core gameplay of Pips involves strategic tile placement. Players receive a set of domino tiles and a grid with numbered clues at the edges. These numbers indicate how many pips, or dots, must be present in the corresponding row or column. The objective is to fill the grid correctly using all provided tiles without overlaps or gaps.
This design creates a logic-based challenge distinct from the newspaper’s word puzzles. It requires spatial reasoning and deduction, appealing to an audience interested in non-verbal brain teasers. The game is available through The New York Times Games platform, which is accessible via web browsers and mobile applications.
Context Within NYT Games Strategy
The introduction of Pips aligns with The New York Times Company’s stated strategy to grow its digital subscription base through engaging, habit-forming games. The games portfolio is reported to be a significant driver of subscriber retention and engagement for the media company.
Industry analysts note that puzzle games have high daily active user rates, which increase platform stickiness. The New York Times does not break out specific subscriber numbers for its games segment, but it has publicly credited its games with attracting and retaining millions of digital subscribers.
Player Resources and Community
While the official Pips game interface lacks a built-in hint feature, a community of players has emerged online. Dedicated forums and gaming websites often publish daily guides, answer keys, and solving strategies for those who are stuck. This mirrors the community support seen for other daily puzzle games like Wordle.
The absence of official hints within the game is a deliberate design choice, according to statements from the development team. It is intended to preserve the challenge and satisfaction of solving the puzzle independently. However, the external ecosystem of guides ensures that all players can progress if they choose to seek help.
Future Developments and Updates
The New York Times Games division typically updates its puzzle roster and features based on player feedback and engagement metrics. While no official roadmap for Pips has been published, historical patterns suggest the company may consider adding new puzzle modes, difficulty variations, or social sharing features in future updates to maintain long-term player interest.
Further integration with the broader NYT Games subscription bundle is also a possibility. The company continues to evaluate the performance of new titles against established ones, with successful games receiving ongoing support and development resources.
Source: Mashable
