Pips Puzzle FAQ

Pips are the dots on each half of a domino, the numbers from 0 to 6. In dotio, you place dominoes so their pip values satisfy the rules on the grid.

Drag dominoes from the drawer onto the grid. Each domino has two pip values and covers two cells. Coloured regions have rules about the pips they contain (like 'pips must sum to 10' or 'all pips must be equal'). Place all dominoes so every rule is satisfied. Try it now or read the full tutorial.

Never. Every puzzle can be solved through logic alone. If you're stuck, there's always a deduction you haven't spotted yet.

The main techniques are Naked Singles (a cell only one domino can reach), Rule Forces Domino (a rule that specifies exactly one domino), Hidden Singles (a domino that can only go in one position), Rule Elimination (narrowing options by checking rules), and Implication Chains (tracing consequences of hypothetical placements). See the full solving tutorial for worked examples of each.

The Pip Counter is a built-in tool that totals the pip values in each coloured region on the grid. It saves you from counting pips manually, so you can focus on the logic instead of the arithmetic.

Hints guide you toward the solution without spoiling it. The first hint highlights any dominoes with incorrect pip values. Further hints help you find the next logical move. See our tips and strategies page for more ways to improve.

dotio is a logic puzzle game where you place dominoes on a grid to satisfy rules about their pip values. Every puzzle has exactly one solution that can be found through logic. No guessing required. You can try it right now in your browser.

Yes. If you enjoy NYT Pips, you'll love dotio. Same idea: place dominoes on a grid and match pip values to coloured region rules. dotio has 4,800+ puzzles, daily challenges with leaderboards, and tools like the Pip Counter. Play pips in your browser to see for yourself.

Every day you get three new puzzles: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Complete all three to maintain your streak. Daily puzzles are the same for everyone worldwide. Download dotio to start your streak.

Expert is the hardest difficulty, featuring larger grids and more complex logic. Unlock it by completing Hard puzzles.

Expert is unlocked by completing Hard puzzles. Once unlocked, you'll have access to the largest grids and deepest logic challenges in dotio: multi-step implication chains, careful pip tracking, and puzzles that reward patience.

Ghost Mode is a timed challenge where the rules gradually fade away. Race against the clock. Can you remember the rules once they've vanished? Learn more about how pips works.

When you complete a daily puzzle, your time is submitted to a global leaderboard. You're shown as a randomly generated anonymous name (like "Fuzzy Otter") so no personal information is displayed. You can see your percentile ranking, showing how you compare to every other player that day.

Friend groups let you compete privately with people you know. Create a group, share the invite code, and compare daily completion times. You can set a nickname and emoji that are only visible to members of your group.

Yes! Create a private friend group, share the invite code, and compare daily completion times. You can set a nickname and emoji visible only to your group members. See who conquers each difficulty and who's on the longest streak.

dotio is a one-time purchase with no subscription, no ads, and no in-app purchases. You pay once and get all 4,800+ puzzles, daily challenges, leaderboards, and every future update. Check the App Store or Google Play for current pricing in your region.

No. dotio has no ads, no interruptions, and no in-app purchases. You pay once and get the full game forever.

dotio is available for iPhone and iPad (iOS 15.1 or later) and Android devices. See full platform details.

Yes, on iOS. Your streaks, stats and completed puzzles sync automatically between iPhone and iPad through iCloud, and restore by themselves if you reinstall the app or move to a new phone. There is no account to create. On Android, progress is backed up with your Google account and restores when you reinstall or switch devices.

Yes! All puzzles are included in the app. Play anywhere without an internet connection.

The full game is a native app for iOS and Android. You can try a free demo in your browser to get a feel for it, but the complete collection of 4,800+ puzzles, daily challenges and leaderboards lives in the app.