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Pips hints — Monday, December 15, 2025

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

Monday, December 15, 2025Archived board

The Easy grid runs to 5 regions and 4 tiles, with less-than, greater-than and all-equal 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
Start with the blue region — its one cell must take any value it likes. Only 7 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 0–0 domino down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to less than 5. The 0 half sits in the blue region, which must take any value it likes.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — December 15, 2025

54
22
55
00

blue: 0 | purple: 2 | green (<5): 0 · 4 | amber (>6): 5 · 2 | orange (=): 5 · 5

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
Green<5 — Add up to less than 52
Amber>6 — Add up to more than 62
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2

The Medium grid runs to 8 regions and 7 tiles, with target-sum, no-repeats and greater-than 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
Start with the blue region — its one cell must be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 2–5 domino down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 5. The 2 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 5.

Hint 3

Medium
The 2–2 belongs down column 3, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to exactly 2. The 2 half sits in the green region, which must have no two cells showing the same number.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — December 15, 2025

33
61
25
00
55
44
22

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue5 — Be exactly 51
Purple5 — Add up to exactly 52
Green≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number6
Amber>3 — Be more than 31
Orange>4 — Be more than 41
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal2 — Be exactly 21
Pink5 — Be exactly 51

The Hard grid runs to 16 regions and 12 tiles, with target-sum, greater-than, no-repeats, less-than and all-equal 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
Start with the blue region — its one cell must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 5–4 domino across row 1, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 4. The 5 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 11.

Hint 3

Hard
The 4–4 belongs across row 2, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 4. The 4 half sits in the orange region, which must have no two cells showing the same number.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 5–5: across row 3, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the teal region, which must be exactly 5.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — December 15, 2025

55
23
44
30
61
00
33
56
43
36
35
54

blue (=4): 4 | purple (=11): 5 · 6 | green (>4): 5 | amber (=3): 3 | orange (≠): 3 · 4 · 5 · 0 · 6 | slate (=4): 4 | teal (=5): 5 | pink (=2): 2 | lime (=1): 1 | brown: 3 | blue (=0): 0 | purple (=4): 4 | green (>5): 6 | amber (>4): 5 | orange (<3): 0 | slate (=): 3 · 3 · 3 · 3

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue4 — Be exactly 41
Purple11 — Add up to exactly 112
Green>4 — Be more than 41
Amber3 — Be exactly 31
Orange≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number5
Slate4 — Be exactly 41
Teal5 — Be exactly 51
Pink2 — Be exactly 21
Lime1 — Be exactly 11
BrownTake any value it likes1
Blue0 — Be exactly 01
Purple4 — Be exactly 41
Green>5 — Be more than 51
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
Orange<3 — Be less than 31
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell4
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