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Pips hints — Monday, December 22, 2025

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

Monday, December 22, 2025Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 8 regions and target-sum 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
Your way in today is the amber region: one cell that must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Lay the 4–5 across row 2, columns 4–5 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 4. The 4 half sits in the amber region, which must be exactly 4.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — December 22, 2025

16
21
06
45
26

blue: 2 | purple (=6): 6 · 0 | green (=7): 6 · 1 | amber (=4): 4 | orange: 5 | slate (=1): 1 | teal: 2 | pink (>1): 6

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple6 — Add up to exactly 62
Green7 — Add up to exactly 72
Amber4 — Be exactly 41
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate1 — Be exactly 11
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink>1 — Be more than 11

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 8 regions and greater-than, no-repeats, 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

Medium
Your way in today is the blue region: one cell that must be more than 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Lay the 4–6 across row 1, columns 2–3 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to more than 5. The 4 half sits in the purple region, which must have no two cells showing the same number.

Hint 3

Medium
Place the 4–3 domino down column 1, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 4. The 4 half sits in the green region, which must be exactly 4.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — December 22, 2025

13
55
43
50
51
46
42

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>5 — Be more than 51
Purple — Have no two cells showing the same number5
Green4 — Be exactly 41
Amber>3 — Be more than 31
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate9 — Add up to exactly 92
Teal>4 — Be more than 41
Pink1 — Be exactly 11

Hard today: 16 dominoes, 14 regions and target-sum, less-than, 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
Your way in today is the green region: one cell that must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Lay the 2–4 down column 3, rows 1–2 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 4. The 2 half sits in the teal region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Hard
Place the 6–0 domino across row 1, columns 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 12.

Hint 4

Hard
The 1–6 belongs down column 5, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 12. The 1 half sits in the brown region, which must add up to exactly 4.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — December 22, 2025

11
26
22
63
00
56
24
60
33
66
10
16
25
13
02
05

blue (=0): 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | purple (<4): 1 | green (=4): 4 | amber (=0): 0 | orange (=12): 6 · 6 | slate (=0): 0 | teal (=): 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 | pink (>8): 5 · 5 | lime (<4): 3 | brown (=4): 1 · 1 · 1 · 1 | blue (=30): 6 · 6 · 6 · 6 · 6 | purple (=4): 2 · 2 | green (=): 3 · 3 · 3 | amber (>4): 5

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue0 — Add up to exactly 04
Purple<4 — Be less than 41
Green4 — Be exactly 41
Amber0 — Be exactly 01
Orange12 — Add up to exactly 122
Slate0 — Be exactly 01
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell4
Pink>8 — Add up to more than 82
Lime<4 — Be less than 41
Brown4 — Add up to exactly 44
Blue30 — Add up to exactly 305
Purple4 — Add up to exactly 42
Green= — Show the same number on every cell3
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →