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Pips hints — Tuesday, September 9, 2025

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

Tuesday, September 9, 2025Archived board

The Easy grid runs to 5 regions and 4 tiles, with target-sum rules in play. 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
The orange region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be exactly 3. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
There is exactly one home for the 3–3: down column 4, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 3. The 3 half sits in the amber region, which must add up to exactly 3.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — September 9, 2025

10
11
00
33

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
BlueTake any value it likes1
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green3 — Add up to exactly 33
Amber3 — Add up to exactly 32
Orange3 — Be exactly 31

The Medium grid runs to 13 regions and 10 tiles, with target-sum and no-repeats rules in play. 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
The blue region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be exactly 2. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 6–2: down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 2. The 6 half sits in the amber region, which must add up to exactly 17.

Hint 3

Medium
Lay the 0–3 down column 1, rows 5–6 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 3. The 0 half sits in the teal region, which must add up to exactly 1.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — September 9, 2025

44
03
40
46
15
62
66
41
53
20

blue (=2): 2 | purple (=3): 3 | green: 4 | amber (=17): 6 · 5 · 6 | orange (≠): 5 · 6 · 4 | slate (≠): 6 · 4 | teal (=1): 1 · 0 | pink (=0): 0 · 0 | lime (=1): 1 | brown: 4 | blue (=3): 3 | purple (=2): 2 | green: 4

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue2 — Be exactly 21
Purple3 — Be exactly 31
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber17 — Add up to exactly 173
Orange≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number3
Slate≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number2
Teal1 — Add up to exactly 12
Pink0 — Add up to exactly 02
Lime1 — Be exactly 11
BrownTake any value it likes1
Blue3 — Be exactly 31
Purple2 — Be exactly 21
GreenTake any value it likes1

The Hard grid runs to 10 regions and 13 tiles, with all-equal, target-sum and no-repeats rules in play. 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
The slate region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be exactly 1. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 1–3: across row 3, columns 7–8. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 1. The 1 half sits in the slate region, which must be exactly 1.

Hint 3

Hard
Lay the 2–6 down column 1, rows 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must add up to exactly 2. The 2 half sits in the pink region, which must be exactly 2.

Hint 4

Hard
Place the 5–6 domino down column 2, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 12. The 5 half sits in the lime region, which must add up to exactly 20.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — September 9, 2025

66
56
55
45
44
26
16
23
34
12
11
13
36

blue (=): 4 · 4 · 4 | purple (=3): 1 · 1 · 1 | green (=12): 6 · 6 | amber: 3 · 2 · 4 · 1 | orange (≠): 3 · 2 | slate (=1): 1 | teal (=6): 3 · 3 | pink (=2): 2 | lime (=20): 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 | brown (=24): 6 · 6 · 6 · 6

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue= — Show the same number on every cell3
Purple3 — Add up to exactly 33
Green12 — Add up to exactly 122
AmberTake any values it likes4
Orange≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number2
Slate1 — Be exactly 11
Teal6 — Add up to exactly 62
Pink2 — Be exactly 21
Lime20 — Add up to exactly 204
Brown24 — Add up to exactly 244
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