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Pips hints — Tuesday, October 21, 2025

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

Tuesday, October 21, 2025Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 6 regions and target-sum, less-than 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.

Hint 1 — where to start

Easy
Look at the orange region first. Across one cell it has to be more than 4. Only 2 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
There is exactly one home for the 0–3: down column 1, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to less than 2.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — October 21, 2025

45
03
51
35
66

blue (=8): 5 · 3 | purple (=16): 4 · 6 · 6 | green (<2): 0 · 1 | amber: 3 | orange (>4): 5 | slate: 5

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue8 — Add up to exactly 82
Purple16 — Add up to exactly 163
Green<2 — Add up to less than 22
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange>4 — Be more than 41
SlateTake any value it likes1

Medium today: 8 dominoes, 7 regions and all-equal, target-sum and less-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.

Hint 1 — where to start

Medium
Look at the orange region first. Across one cell it has to be less than 3. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 2–6: down column 2, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to less than 3. The 2 half sits in the orange region, which must be less than 3.

Hint 3

Medium
Lay the 0–1 down column 4, rows 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to less than 3. The 0 half sits in the green region, which must add up to exactly 4.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — October 21, 2025

26
13
03
22
54
01
55
32

blue (=): 3 · 3 | purple (=21): 5 · 5 · 5 · 6 | green (=4): 0 · 4 · 0 | amber (=): 2 · 2 · 2 | orange (<3): 2 | slate (<3): 1 · 1 | teal: 3

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 cell2
Purple21 — Add up to exactly 214
Green4 — Add up to exactly 43
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell3
Orange<3 — Be less than 31
Slate<3 — Add up to less than 32
TealTake any value it likes1

Hard today: 16 dominoes, 16 regions and target-sum, all-equal, greater-than, less-than and no-repeats 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
Look at the teal region first. Across one cell it has to 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 0–1: down column 6, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to exactly 0.

Hint 3

Hard
Lay the 0–3 down column 6, rows 4–5 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to exactly 0.

Hint 4

Hard
Place the 6–1 domino down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 12.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — October 21, 2025

44
63
01
34
61
24
46
02
56
11
35
03
22
32
26
05

blue (=12): 6 · 6 | purple (=4): 2 · 2 | green (=): 3 · 3 | amber (>9): 5 · 5 | orange (<2): 1 | slate: 3 | teal (=1): 1 | pink (<3): 0 | lime (≠): 4 · 2 · 3 · 1 | brown (=0): 0 · 0 · 0 | blue (=1): 1 | purple (=18): 6 · 6 · 6 | green (=): 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 | amber (=3): 3 | orange (=): 2 · 2 · 2 | slate (>4): 5

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue12 — Add up to exactly 122
Purple4 — Add up to exactly 42
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber>9 — Add up to more than 92
Orange<2 — Be less than 21
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal1 — Be exactly 11
Pink<3 — Be less than 31
Lime≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number4
Brown0 — Add up to exactly 03
Blue1 — Be exactly 11
Purple18 — Add up to exactly 183
Green= — Show the same number on every cell4
Amber3 — Be exactly 31
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell3
Slate>4 — Be more than 41
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →