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Pips hints — Thursday, December 18, 2025

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

Thursday, December 18, 2025Archived board

The Easy grid runs to 7 regions and 5 tiles, with all-equal, target-sum 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

Easy
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the amber region, where one cell must be more than 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Lay the 3–6 across row 3, columns 1–2 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to more than 5. The 3 half sits in the orange region, which must add up to exactly 5.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — December 18, 2025

22
36
43
66
54

blue (=): 4 · 4 | purple: 5 | green (=9): 3 · 6 | amber (>5): 6 | orange (=5): 3 · 2 | slate: 2 | teal (>5): 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 cell2
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green9 — Add up to exactly 92
Amber>5 — Be more than 51
Orange5 — Add up to exactly 52
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal>5 — Be more than 51

The Medium grid runs to 9 regions and 7 tiles, with target-sum 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
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the teal region, where one cell must be exactly 6. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

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

Hint 3

Medium
Place the 1–4 domino down column 3, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must add up to exactly 8. The 1 half sits in the orange region, which must add up to exactly 3.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — December 18, 2025

61
33
36
43
15
20
14

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue8 — Add up to exactly 83
Purple>4 — Be more than 41
GreenTake any value it likes1
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange3 — Add up to exactly 33
Slate>4 — Be more than 41
Teal6 — Be exactly 61
Pink8 — Add up to exactly 82
LimeTake any value it likes1

The Hard grid runs to 17 regions and 13 tiles, with target-sum, greater-than, no-repeats 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
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the blue region, where one cell must be exactly 2. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

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

Hint 3

Hard
Place the 5–5 domino down column 4, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the purple region, which must be exactly 5.

Hint 4

Hard
The 3–0 belongs down column 7, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 0. The 3 half sits in the teal region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — December 18, 2025

55
13
44
30
24
33
10
61
12
35
43
46
22

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue2 — Be exactly 21
Purple5 — Be exactly 51
Green0 — Be exactly 01
Amber>2 — Be more than 21
Orange4 — Be exactly 41
Slate≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number6
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell3
PinkTake any value it likes1
Lime1 — Be exactly 11
Brown5 — Be exactly 51
Blue3 — Be exactly 31
Purple6 — Be exactly 61
Green2 — Be exactly 21
Amber2 — Add up to exactly 22
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate6 — Be exactly 61
Teal3 — Be exactly 31
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