NYT Pips Hint, Answer & Solution for December 17, 2025

Dec 17, 2025

🚨 SPOILER WARNING

This page contains the final **answer** and the complete **solution** to today's NYT Pips puzzle. If you haven't attempted the puzzle yet and want to try solving it yourself first, now's your chance!

Click here to play today's official NYT Pips game first.

Want hints instead? Scroll down for progressive clues that won't spoil the fun.

🎲 Today's Puzzle Overview

On December 17, 2025 (Wednesday), the NYT Pips release edited by Ian Livengood arrives mid-week with a clean, tiered logic workout — perfect for solvers who enjoy measuring progress, refining technique, and testing their skills one constraint at a time.

Easy #428 opens the day with a compact, approachable grid built around 5 dominoes.

Two-cell equals regions, sum-5 and sum-6 targets, and carefully placed empty spaces create a puzzle that’s ideal for fast calibration. This is the kind of grid where an early Pips Hint — spotting how the equals region narrows domino orientation — can unlock smooth, efficient progress and set a confident tone for the session.

Medium #432, constructed by Rodolfo Kurchan, raises the analytical bar with a denser rule set.

Stacked sum regions (6, 10, and 12), paired equals blocks, and a tighter grid demand disciplined constraint tracking. Here, success comes from managing domino distribution carefully, comparing regions side by side, and using mid-game Pips hints to eliminate false paths before they slow you down.

Hard #439 pushes the logic curve further and rewards patience.

With 12 dominoes, multiple large equals regions, zero-sum zones, unequal rules, and layered comparison constraints, this puzzle is built for systematic decomposition. Careful sequencing, step-by-step breakdowns, and long-range planning are essential — making the final solution especially satisfying to review and analyze.

Track each puzzle by ID, study how domino availability shapes each grid, and revisit your solution paths for deeper insight.

This Wednesday set offers a focused, data-driven NYT Pips experience — rich with learning moments, advanced Pips hints, and plenty of material for solvers who love turning logic into measurable improvement.

Written by anna

Puzzle Analyst – Sophia

💡 Progressive Hints

Try these hints one at a time. Each hint becomes more specific to help you solve it yourself!

💡 Hint #1 - Observe

Dominoes Include: [6-6], [6-5], [6-1], [4-1], [0-0]. Only keep the domino halves in Light Blue 5 region might be 5+0 or 1+4. There is no single placement to this puzzle.

💡 Hint #1 - Inventory Scan

Begin by listing all available dominoes and identifying rare pip values. With only one domino containing a 3 pip (3-2), that value becomes immediately constrained, narrowing placement options before any regions are solved.

💡 Hint #2 - Forced Blank Placement

When a blank cell can only accept a single rare pip, lock it in early. Here, the scarcity of 3 forces the 3-2 domino into the left blank, fixing both orientation and the adjacent Red 6 region in one move.

💡 Hint #3 - High-Sum Lock

Large sum regions act as anchors. A sum of 12 with limited remaining dominoes can only be satisfied by 6-6, allowing you to secure an entire region instantly and reduce uncertainty across the grid.

💡 Hint #4 - Cascade Resolution

Once multiple Equal and Sum regions intersect, solve them together as a system. Identifying fixed values for Equal regions (0 and 6 here) and exact totals for sum regions (Red 6, Blue 10) creates a cascading effect where several dominoes fall into place without guesswork.

💡 Hint #1 - Single-Value Lock

When a numbered region requires a value that appears on only one domino half, that region is immediately locked. Here, the scarcity of 4-pips forces the Blue 4 region to depend on a single candidate, narrowing all future placements.

💡 Hint #2 - Equal Region Anchor

An Equal region touching both a fixed-number region and a comparison region should be solved first. Limited 2-pip availability anchors the Equal region at 2, creating a cascade of forced orientations across adjacent regions.

💡 Hint #3 - Zero Placement Confirmation

When a region demands 0 and only one zero domino remains, placement is guaranteed. Use surrounding constraints to confirm orientation, then lock it in to simplify the remaining grid.

💡 Hint #4 - Multi-Region Value Synchronization

When several regions resolve simultaneously (sum + equal chains), solve them together. Matching Red 10, Purple Equal, and Yellow Equal regions allows pip values to synchronize, eliminating ambiguity and accelerating the midgame.

💡 Hint #5 - Last Candidate Resolution

Once a region has only one domino candidate left, placement becomes mechanical. Use neighboring blanks to determine orientation rather than rechecking sums.

💡 Hint #6 - Final Not-Equal Closure

In the endgame, a Not Equal region combined with a single remaining domino fixes both values and direction. Let inequality rules decide orientation and close the puzzle cleanly.

🎨 Pips Solver

Dec 17, 2025

Click a domino to place it on the board. You can also click the board, and the correct domino will appear.

✅ Final Answer & Complete Solution For Hard Level

The key to solving today's hard puzzle was identifying the placement for the critical dominoes highlighted in the starting grid. Once those were in place, the rest of the puzzle could be solved logically. See the final grid below to compare your solution.

Starting Position & Key First Steps

Pips hint for December 17, 2025 – hard level puzzle grid with critical first placements and strategy

This image shows the initial puzzle grid for the hard level, with a few critical first placements highlighted.

Final Answer: The Solved Grid for Hard Mode

NYT Pips December 17, 2025 hard puzzle full solution grid showing final answer with hints

Compare this final grid with your own solution to see the correct placement of all dominoes.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Easy Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-6], [6-5], [6-1], [4-1], [0-0]. The domino halves in Light Blue 5 region might be 5+0 or 1+4. There is no single placement to this puzzle.

2

Step 2: Blue 6 + Light Blue 5 + Red <4 --(Arrows ①②)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. e.g: The domino halves in Light Blue 5 region must be 5+0. The answer is 6-5 (6 into Blue 6 region), placed vertically; 0-0 (one 0s left into Red <4 region), placed horizontally.

3

Step 3: Purple Equal --(Arrows ③)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-6, 6-1, 4-1). The answer is 6-6 (whole domino), placed vertically.

4

Step 4: Yellow 6 --(Arrows ④)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-1, 4-1). The answer is 6-1 (1 up into blank ), placed vertically.

5

Step 5: Top Blank --(Arrows ⑤)

The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-6], [6-2], [6-0], [5-4], [5-0], [3-2], [2-0].

2

Step 2: Left Blank --(Arrows ①)

Confirmed by all regions and step 1. Only one domino with 3 pips (3-2), 3 pips must placed in Left Blank and the domino must placed vertically. The answer is 3-2 (3 into blank, 2 into Red 6 region), placed vertically.

3

Step 3: Purple 12 --(Arrows ②)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes. Need one domino sum to 12 placed in this region. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.

4

Step 4: Yellow Equal + Red 6 + Light Blue Equal + Blue 10 --(Arrows ③④⑤⑥⑦)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-2, 6-0, 5-4, 5-0, 2-0). The domino halves in Yellow Equal region must be 0. The domino halves in Red 6 region must be 2+2+2. The domino halves in Light Blue Equal region must be 6. The domino halves in Blue 10 region must be 5+5. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 2-6, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally; 0-5 (5 into Blue 10 region), placed horizontally; 5-4 (4 up into blank), placed vertically.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1

Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-5], [6-2], [5-3], [5-2], [5-1], [4-2], [3-2], [3-1], [3-0], [2-2], [1-1], [0-0]. Only one domino with 4 pips (4-2) for Blue 4 region.

2

Step 2: Light Blue Equal + Purple 5 + Red <4 --(Arrows ①②③④)

Confirmed by neighboring region and step 1 and relative position. The domino halves in Light Blue Equal region must be 2. The answer is 2-2 (whole domino), placed horizontally; 2-5 (5 into purple 5 region), placed vertically; 2-3 (3 into Red <4 region), placed vertically; 2-6 (6 into Green Not Equal region), placed vertically.

3

Step 3: Light Blue 0 --(Arrows ⑤)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-5, 5-3, 5-1, 4-2, 3-1, 3-0, 1-1, 0-0). 0-0 must be placed in this region. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

4

Step 4: Red 10 + Purple Equal + Yellow Equal --(Arrows ⑥⑦⑧⑨⑩)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-5, 5-3, 5-1, 4-2, 3-1, 3-0, 1-1). The domino halves in Red 10 region must be 5+5. The domino halves in Purple Equal region must be 3. The domino halves in Yellow Equal region must be 1. The answer is 5-1 (1 into Yellow Equal region), placed horizontally; 5-3 (3 into Purple Equal region), placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically; 3-0 (0 down into blank), placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically.

5

Step 5: Blue 4 --(Arrows ⑪)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-5, 4-2). The answer is 4-2 (2 down into blank), placed vertically.

6

Step 6: Green Not Equal --(Arrows ⑫)

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes (6-5) and step 2. The domino halves in this region must be 6+5. The answer is 5-6 (6 left into blank), placed horizontally.

🎥 NYTpips Trade Logic 📊 | Entry, Exit & Pips-Based Strategy Explained

Whether you’re scanning setups or refining your approach, this clip offers clear logic cues worth noting.

💡 Pro Tips for Similar Puzzles

Start with Constraints

Always begin with the most constrained regions - sum regions with small numbers or tight spaces.

Use Equal Regions

Use "equal" regions as anchors - they eliminate many possibilities quickly.

Work Systematically

Let the rules guide your placement rather than guessing randomly.

Double-Check

Verify each region's rules are satisfied before moving to the next.

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