NYT Pips Hint, Answer & Solution for November 21, 2025

Nov 21, 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

Friday, November 21, 2025, delivers a tightly structured trio of Pips NYT puzzles—perfect for solvers who enjoy measurable progress, clean grid analysis, and the satisfaction of data-backed logic.

Guided by editor Ian Livengood, today’s lineup includes:

Easy #322 (5 dominoes), Medium #323 (7 dominoes), and Hard #324 (11 dominoes), constructed by Ian Livengood and Rodolfo Kurchan.

Each puzzle is built around clear, testable constraints that reward pattern recognition:

• Easy #322 uses compact equals clusters, a tidy sum-2 region, and straightforward inequality logic—ideal for warming up your deduction skills.

• Medium #323 introduces sharper structure with 12-sum regions, unequal-pair interactions, and position-based logic that tests your ability to read grid flow.

• Hard #324 elevates the challenge with multiple 13-sum groups, equal-value blocks, and stacked greater-than conditions that reshape the puzzle as each domino is placed.

Track your solving time, study how each ID handles domino distribution, and use today’s Pips Hint cues to refine your strategy.

If you’re a solver who thrives on structure, analytics, and performance metrics, November 21 offers a complete logic workout from first move to final solution.

Written by Mark

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 - Red Equal

The domino halves in this space must be 0.

💡 Hint #1 - Red Number (12)

Need one domino with the same number placed in this region. The domino halves in this region must be 4.

💡 Hint #1 - Step 1

Dominoes Include: [6-6], [6-4], [6-3], [6-2], [6-0], [5-3], [4-4], [4-3], [4-1], [3-1], [1-0].

💡 Hint #2 - Step 2: Number (0)

Only 2 dominoes with 0 pips. Confirmed by the dominoes and relative position. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 0-1, placed vertically.

💡 Hint #3 - Step 3: Red Equal

One domino with the same number must placed in this region. Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes. The domino halves in this region must be 4. The answer is 4-4 (can't chooes 6-6, not more enough 6 pips for this puzzle), placed horizontally; 3-4, placed vertically.

💡 Hint #4 - Step 4: Yellow Equal

Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes and step 3. The domino halves in this region must be 3. The answer is 5-3 (can't chooes 6-3, not more enough 6 pips for Number (13) region), placed horizontally; 1-3 (can't chooes 6-3, no domino sum to 7 that for the Red Number (13) region), placed vertically.

💡 Hint #5 - Step 5: Red Number (13)

Everything in this region must add up to 13. Confirmed by step 4 and remaining dominoes, need one domino sum to 12. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.

💡 Hint #6 - Step 6: Green Number (13)

Everything in this region must add up to 13. Confirmed by neighboring region and remaining dominoes, only 3 domino halves left that contain 6 pips, only one domino half left that contain 1 pips. The domino halves in this region must be 6+6+1. There is no single correct answer to this puzzle. e.g: The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 4-6, placed horizontally; 4-1, placed horizontally.

💡 Hint #7 - Step 7: Light Blue Number (13) + Blue Number (13)

The answer is 6-3, placed vertically.

🎨 Pips Solver

Nov 21, 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 November 21, 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 November 21, 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: Count Your 0-Pips

Dominoes: 3-0, 2-0, 1-1, 1-0, 0-0. Key observation: four dominoes contain 0-pips, giving you eight 0-pip halves total (3-0, 2-0, 1-0, and both sides of 0-0). The large Pink Equal region clearly wants all these blanks. Pips Hint: when one pip value dominates your set, it's destined for the biggest equal region.

2

Step 2: Pink Equal Region (The 0-Pip Home)

This region needs all matching domino halves. Place all four 0-pip dominoes: 2-0 horizontally, 3-0 horizontally, 1-0 horizontally, and 0-0 horizontally—all showing blanks in the region. The 2, 3, and 1 sides extend to neighboring constraints. Pips Hint: sweeping all copies of one pip value into an equal region is a classic easy puzzle pattern.

3

Step 3: Purple Equal Region

Last domino: 1-1. Place it horizontally in the Purple Equal region. Both sides match perfectly—done! Pips Hint: doubles make perfect finishers since they automatically satisfy equal constraints.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Medium Level

1

Step 1: The All-12s Pattern

Dominoes: 6-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-3, 4-4, 4-3, 2-0. Breakthrough observation: three regions all target 12 (Orange, Pink, Purple). With high-value dominoes like 6-6, 6-4, and 4-4 in your set, these regions will consume your biggest pips. Pips Hint: when multiple regions share the same target, allocate your doubles and high-value pairs strategically.

2

Step 2: Orange Number 12 Region

This region needs 12 total. The 6-6 double placed vertically hits exactly 12 (6+6=12). Perfect single-domino solution. Pips Hint: doubles that match sum targets exactly are instant placements—grab them when you see them.

3

Step 3: Pink Number 12 Region

Another 12 region, but 6-6 is gone. You need a double or matching pair. Testing: 4-4 gives 8, so you need 4 more. Place 4-4 horizontally and 6-4 horizontally, both contributing 4s (total: 4+4+4=12). Pips Hint: when doubles fall short of the target, pair them with dominoes sharing the same pip value.

4

Step 4: Purple Number 12 Region

Third 12 region. Remaining high-value dominoes: 6-3. From neighboring regions, this area needs 6s. Place 6-3 horizontally with the 6-side contributing. Check adjacent placements to verify the total reaches 12. Pips Hint: late-stage 12 regions often aggregate pips from multiple neighboring dominoes.

5

Step 5: Navy Less Than 2 Region

This region needs all pips less than 2. Remaining dominoes: 2-0, 5-3, 4-3. Only the 0 from 2-0 satisfies <2. Place 2-0 horizontally with the 0-side in this region. Pips Hint: 'less than 2' means only 0 or 1 work—look for blanks or single pips.

6

Step 6: Teal Not Equal Region

Last two dominoes: 5-3 and 4-3. This region demands all different pip values. Place 5-3 vertically and 4-3 horizontally. Actually, position them so different values show: 5, 3, 4 creates diversity. Pips Hint: not-equal regions require careful orientation to avoid duplicate visible pips.

🔧 Step-by-Step Answer Walkthrough For Hard Level

1

Step 1: Survey Your High-Value Arsenal

Dominoes: 6-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0, 5-3, 4-4, 4-3, 4-1, 3-1, 1-0. Notice the abundance of 6-pips (five dominoes!) and the pattern of four regions all targeting 13. With limited 0-pips (only 6-0 and 1-0), the Purple Number 0 region is immediately constrained. Pips Hint: in hard puzzles with repeated sum targets, map out where your high-value 6s must go before placing anything.

2

Step 2: Purple Number 0 Region (The Anchor)

This region needs exactly 0 pips—meaning only blanks allowed. You have just two dominoes with 0-pips: 6-0 and 1-0. Place both vertically with their 0-sides in this region. The 6 and 1 extend to neighboring areas. Pips Hint: extreme constraints (like needing 0) with scarce resources create your first guaranteed placements.

3

Step 3: Orange Equal Region (Choose Wisely)

This region needs matching domino halves. You could use 6-6 or 4-4 as doubles. Strategic decision: save 6-6 for a 13-region (since 6+6=12 gets close). Use 4-4 here instead. Place 4-4 horizontally and 4-3 vertically, both showing 4s. Pips Hint: when multiple doubles are available, reserve the highest-value one for sum regions—it's more versatile there.

4

Step 4: Olive Equal Region (Strategic Elimination)

This region needs matching halves. You could use 5-3 or 6-3. Here's the key: if you use 6-3, you lose a critical 6 needed for multiple 13-regions. Use 5-3 instead. Place 5-3 horizontally and 3-1 vertically, both showing 3s. Pips Hint: test 'what-if' scenarios—if using a domino here breaks future 13-regions, choose an alternative.

5

Step 5: Top Pink Number 13 Region

This region needs 13 total. From Step 4's elimination logic, you preserved 6-6 for exactly this purpose. Place 6-6 horizontally (6+6=12), plus contributions from neighboring dominoes to reach 13. Pips Hint: the double-6 is your heaviest hitter—deploy it where sum targets are highest.

6

Step 6: Olive Number 13 Region (Multiple Solutions)

This region needs 13 total. You have three 6-pips remaining (from 6-4, 6-2, 6-3) and one 1-pip (from 4-1). The formula: 6+6+1=13. Multiple valid arrangements exist. Example: place 6-2 horizontally, 6-4 horizontally, and 4-1 horizontally. Pips Hint: when multiple solutions exist, any valid arrangement works—focus on satisfying the constraint, not finding 'the' answer.

7

Step 7: Teal & Navy Number 13 Regions (The Final Link)

Last domino: 6-3. This piece must satisfy both the Teal and Navy 13-regions simultaneously. Place 6-3 vertically, with one half contributing to each region. Verify both regions now total 13. Pips Hint: final placements in hard puzzles often serve dual purposes—if they don't fit cleanly, backtrack to Step 4's strategic choices.

🎥 Unlock the Key Move in Today’s Pips NYT Puzzle! | November 21 2025

Whether you’re tackling Easy #322, Medium #323 or Hard #324, this clip gives you a sharp Pips Hint for cracking the pattern.

💡 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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