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Pips answers — Saturday, January 3, 2026

The finished Easy, Medium and Hard boards for this day, with every region rule satisfied.

Easy #486

Easy

blue (>1): 2 | purple (=): 6 · 6 | green (=7): 4 · 3 | amber: 1 | orange (<1): 0 | slate: 3 | teal (=5): 5 | pink (=): 4 · 4 · 4

Medium #492

Medium

blue (>1): 2 | purple (>2): 4 | green (=): 1 · 1 · 1 · 1 | amber (=): 0 · 0 | orange (=): 5 · 5 · 5 | slate (=): 3 · 3 | teal (>1): 5 | pink: 2 | lime: 4

Hard #496

Hard

blue (=10): 6 · 4 | purple (>0): 1 | green (=10): 2 · 4 · 4 | amber (=10): 5 · 5 | orange (=10): 6 · 4 | slate (=2): 1 · 0 · 1 | teal (=0): 0 | pink (=5): 3 · 2 | lime (=5): 3 · 2 | brown (>2): 3 | blue (=10): 6 · 4 | purple (≠): 1 · 0 | green (=2): 1 · 1 | amber: 1

Spoiler note: this page shows the finished boards. Want only a nudge instead? Open thehints for January 3, where the answer stays behind one extra click.

Easy board — region rules

RegionRuleCells
Blue>1 — Be more than 11
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green7 — Add up to exactly 72
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange<1 — Be less than 11
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal5 — Be exactly 51
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell3

Medium board — region rules

RegionRuleCells
Blue>1 — Be more than 11
Purple>2 — Be more than 21
Green= — Show the same number on every cell4
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell3
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2
Teal>1 — Be more than 11
PinkTake any value it likes1
LimeTake any value it likes1

Hard board — region rules

RegionRuleCells
Blue10 — Add up to exactly 102
Purple>0 — Be more than 01
Green10 — Add up to exactly 103
Amber10 — Add up to exactly 102
Orange10 — Add up to exactly 102
Slate2 — Add up to exactly 23
Teal0 — Be exactly 01
Pink5 — Add up to exactly 52
Lime5 — Add up to exactly 52
Brown>2 — Be more than 21
Blue10 — Add up to exactly 102
Purple — Have no two cells showing the same number2
Green2 — Add up to exactly 22
AmberTake any value it likes1
All of 2026Hints for this dayJun 28 →