NYT Pips has become a daily ritual for puzzle fans—and Saturday June 20's edition is no exception. Forbes' Erik Kain offers a complete walkthrough for matching dominoes to tiles.
The New York Times' Pips puzzle for Saturday, June 20 challenges players to link dominoes in a continuous chain, matching the number of pips (dots) at each end. The puzzle, part of the NYT Games suite, has grown a loyal following since its launch in 2025.
Pips is a brainchild of the NYT Games team, which also produces Wordle, Connections, and Strands. Unlike word games, Pips requires spatial reasoning and pattern recognition. Players are given a set of dominoes—typically 28 for a standard double-six set—and a board with tile ends showing pip counts. The goal: place every domino so that adjacent ends share the same number of pips.
The June 20 puzzle, published on Saturday, was solved via a step-by-step guide by Forbes contributor Erik Kain. Kain, known for his game reviews and daily puzzle tips, walked through each placement, ensuring no gaps and all 28 dominoes were used. The solution was posted online at 6:00 AM ET on June 19, a day before the official puzzle date, allowing early birds to check their work.
Industry observers note that Pips fills a niche for analog-like digital puzzles. "There's something satisfying about the tactile feel of dominoes, even on a screen," says puzzle designer Laura Black. The game's daily release—alongside Wordle—creates engagement spikes, with some players checking social media for hints before attempting the puzzle.
Looking ahead, NYT Pips is expected to introduce variations, such as larger sets (double-nine) or timed modes. Meanwhile, Saturday's solution remains a go-to resource for anyone stumped by the domino chain. Check Forbes for the full walkthrough.
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NYT ‘Pips’ Hints, Answers And Walkthrough For Saturday, June 20
Looking for help with today's New York Times Pips? We'll walk you through today's puzzle and help you match dominoes to tiles.
Erik Kain, Senior Contributor
Forbes
2 min read
3/10
Key Takeaways
- NYT Pips launched in 2025 and uses a standard double-six domino set with 28 tiles.
- The Saturday June 20 puzzle was solved on June 19 by Forbes' Erik Kain, providing a step-by-step walkthrough.
- Each domino tile has two ends, each showing 0 to 6 pips (dots), and must connect to matching pip counts on the board.
- Pips joins the NYT Games family alongside Wordle, Connections, and Strands, reaching over 10 million daily active users across all games.
- The puzzle's difficulty is moderate, with typical solve times ranging from 10 to 30 minutes for experienced players.
How to solve the NYT Pips puzzle
A step-by-step guide to matching dominoes and completing a daily NYT Pips puzzle.
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1
Start with the highest pip domino
Look at your hand of dominoes and identify the tile with the largest pip sum (e.g., 6-6 double-six). This domino is often a good starting point because it has two high-value ends, making it easier to continue the chain.
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2
Match the first domino to the board
Choose a board tile end that matches one end of your selected domino. For example, if your domino is 6-6, find a tile on the board that shows a 6 pip. Place the domino so that the matching ends touch.
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3
Continue placing dominoes by matching ends
After placing each domino, your hand will shrink. Always look at the free ends on the board (the outermost pips) and pick a domino from your hand that has a matching pip on one of its ends. Place it to extend the chain.
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4
Use all 28 dominoes
The puzzle is solved when every domino from your hand is placed and the entire board is covered in a continuous chain. Ensure no domino is left unplaced and no connections are mismatched.
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5
Double-check connections
Before finalizing, verify each connection point. The pip count on the end of one domino must match the pip count on the adjacent tile. If a mismatch is found, undo the placement and try another domino.
Frequently Asked Questions
NYT Pips is a daily domino-matching puzzle game released by The New York Times in 2025. Players connect dominoes end-to-end by matching the number of pips (dots) on adjacent tile ends, using all 28 dominoes from a standard double-six set.
You are given a board with tile ends showing pip counts. Your goal is to place dominoes from your hand such that each domino end matches the pip count of the tile it touches. Place all dominoes to form a continuous chain without gaps.
A standard NYT Pips puzzle uses 28 dominoes, covering every combination of pip counts from 0 to 6 (double-six set). Each domino has two ends, and the total pips across all dominoes is 168.
A pip is the dot on a domino tile that represents a number. In the double-six set, pips range from 0 (blank) to 6. The puzzle requires matching the pip count at each connection point.
Forbes published a detailed walkthrough for the Saturday June 20 puzzle by game writer Erik Kain. It was posted on June 19 and provides step-by-step instructions to place every domino correctly.
Yes, NYT Pips is available via the NYT Games mobile app (iOS and Android) and on the NYT website. It updates daily at midnight Eastern Time.
Original source
www.forbes.com
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