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Pips hints — Saturday, August 23, 2025

An archived puzzle. Pick your difficulty for a spoiler-safe nudge, then reveal the full board if you want it.

Saturday, August 23, 2025Archived board

Easy today: 4 dominoes, 4 regions and target-sum and all-equal constraints. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Easy
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the purple region, where two cells must add up to exactly 1. Only 2 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 3–1 domino down column 3, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 1. The 3 half sits in the green region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — August 23, 2025

00
31
33
40

blue: 0 | purple (=1): 0 · 1 | green (=): 3 · 3 · 3 | amber (=4): 4 · 0

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple1 — Add up to exactly 12
Green= — Show the same number on every cell3
Amber4 — Add up to exactly 42

Medium today: 6 dominoes, 7 regions and less-than, all-equal and target-sum constraints. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hint 1 — where to start

Medium
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the amber region, where two cells must add up to exactly 12. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 4–6 domino across row 4, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 12. The 4 half sits in the orange region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Medium
The 1–5 belongs across row 1, columns 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to less than 2. The 1 half sits in the blue region, which must be less than 2.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — August 23, 2025

63
14
15
46
55
34

blue (<2): 1 | purple (=): 5 · 5 · 5 | green: 3 | amber (=12): 6 · 6 | orange (=): 4 · 4 · 4 | slate: 3 | teal: 1

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue<2 — Be less than 21
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell3
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber12 — Add up to exactly 122
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell3
SlateTake any value it likes1
TealTake any value it likes1

Hard today: 10 dominoes, 11 regions and less-than, target-sum, all-equal and greater-than constraints. We give you a light nudge first — enough to get unstuck without spoiling the fun — and the full answer only when you ask for it.

Hard is where most players get stuck.We break it into small, spoiler-safe nudges so you can stop the moment you’re unstuck.

Hint 1 — where to start

Hard
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the amber region, where one cell must be exactly 3. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 1–3 domino across row 2, columns 7–8. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 3. The 1 half sits in the blue region, which must add up to less than 6.

Hint 3

Hard
The 6–2 belongs down column 5, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 6. The 6 half sits in the slate region, which must be exactly 6.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 6–3: across row 4, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must add up to exactly 6. The 6 half sits in the pink region, which must be exactly 6.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — August 23, 2025

10
11
16
14
13
12
63
00
06
62

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

Prefer to watch it worked out step by step? Try the Pips Solver.

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue<6 — Add up to less than 64
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green4 — Add up to exactly 44
Amber3 — Be exactly 31
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell4
Slate6 — Be exactly 61
Teal>2 — Be more than 21
Pink6 — Be exactly 61
Lime6 — Be exactly 61
Brown6 — Be exactly 61
BlueTake any value it likes1
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