If you like some quick and difficult puzzles to start your day, you should check out all the free games available from the New York Times Games. The site offers a variety of puzzles that don't require a login, including the Connections, Pips puzzles, and Strands.

These can get pretty hard to do alone, and you might be in search of some helpful tips. In the paragraphs below, you will find all the answers, hints for each game, and instructions for how to play.

Every Wordle Solution (2022)
Wordle Today: Every Wordle Solution for January 2026

Those having trouble solving today's Wordle should check out this guide, which contains the solutions for all of this month's NY Times Wordle puzzles.

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NYT Pips Hints and Answers

The newest free games in the NYT's arsenal of challenging daily puzzles are the Pips. Beginning with the Easy puzzle, then moving onto Medium and Hard, you will find the puzzles, some clues for those puzzles, and then the full answers in each of the galleries below.

Easy Pips Puzzle

Medium Pips Puzzle

Hard Pips Puzzle

How to Play Pips

Wondering how to complete the Pips puzzles? Below, you can find the short-hand versions of the instructions for this short puzzle game.

NYT-Pips-Puzzle-How-To-Play
  • You have to fill each space of the board and use all the dominoes.
  • You can rotate the dominoes.
  • Dominoes can be half in one section and half in another.
  • Each section has a condition that has to be met by the pips inside it.
    • Numbers: Dots in this region sum to the number provided.
    • Equal Sign: Dots in this region are all the same number.
    • Less than: Dots in this region sum to less than the number provided.
    • Greater than >: Dots in this region sum to more than the number provided.
    • Empty regions: No conditions apply.

NYT Strands Hints and Answers

The Strands puzzle has the clue "Mint Condition" today, which could refer to a whole lot of things. In the gallery below, you will find the puzzle first, then two clues, and finally the full answer to this mobile puzzle game.

How to Play Strands

The rules of how to play Strands are quite simple: first, you need to study the clue, then try to figure out some hidden words. It's a sort of amped-up word-search, and you can find all the info you need on it below.

NYT-Strands-Puzzle-How-To-Play
  • Figure out the theme by looking for words that share a category.
  • You must use every letter.
  • No words will overlap.
  • Non-themed words will each give you 1/3 of a hint.
  • You have unlimited tries.

NYT Connections Hints and Answers

The third and final game that this article will cover is Connections. This browser-based puzzle game gives you a selection of words, and you need to figure out the connections between them with fewer than four mistakes. Here are some clues and the answers.

How to Play Connections

The complete instructions according to the New York Times can be found below. For a more detailed breakdown, check out the rules of Connections article.

NYT-Connections-Puzzle-How-To-Play
  • Find groups of four words that belong together.
  • If you make more than three mistakes, you lose.
  • Puzzles only have one solution, even if some words look like they can belong in more than one category.
  • Each group has a color based on its difficulty.
    • Yellow: Easiest
    • Green: Medium
    • Blue: Hard
    • Purple: Hardest

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Connections Tag Page Cover Art

Connections
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Systems
phone transparent
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget
Released
June 12, 2023
ESRB
e
Developer(s)
The New York Times Company
Publisher(s)
The New York Times Company
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Platform(s)
Web Browser, Mobile