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Pips hints — Saturday, January 3, 2026

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

Saturday, January 3, 2026Archived board

Today's Easy board has 6 dominoes across 8 regions, mixing greater-than, all-equal, target-sum and less-than rules. 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 orange region, where one cell must be less than 1. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 0–3 domino across row 3, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to less than 1. The 0 half sits in the orange region, which must be less than 1.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — January 3, 2026

03
44
64
26
13
45

blue (>1): 2 | purple (=): 6 · 6 | green (=7): 4 · 3 | amber: 1 | orange (<1): 0 | slate: 3 | teal (=5): 5 | pink (=): 4 · 4 · 4

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>1 — Be more than 11
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green7 — Add up to exactly 72
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange<1 — Be less than 11
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal5 — Be exactly 51
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell3

Today's Medium board has 8 dominoes across 9 regions, mixing greater-than and all-equal rules. 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 purple region, where one cell must be more than 2. Only 4 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 0–5 domino across row 4, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to more than 1. The 0 half sits in the amber region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Medium
The 1–0 belongs down column 2, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because green must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — January 3, 2026

05
10
53
14
52
34
15
21

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>1 — Be more than 11
Purple>2 — Be more than 21
Green= — Show the same number on every cell4
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell3
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2
Teal>1 — Be more than 11
PinkTake any value it likes1
LimeTake any value it likes1

Today's Hard board has 13 dominoes across 14 regions, mixing target-sum, greater-than and no-repeats rules. 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 teal region, where one cell must be exactly 0. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 5–0 domino across row 4, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to exactly 0. The 5 half sits in the amber region, which must add up to exactly 10.

Hint 3

Hard
The 5–4 belongs down column 1, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 10.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 6–2: down column 4, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 10.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — January 3, 2026

41
50
62
44
01
63
31
40
61
11
54
23
12

blue (=10): 6 · 4 | purple (>0): 1 | green (=10): 2 · 4 · 4 | amber (=10): 5 · 5 | orange (=10): 6 · 4 | slate (=2): 1 · 0 · 1 | teal (=0): 0 | pink (=5): 3 · 2 | lime (=5): 3 · 2 | brown (>2): 3 | blue (=10): 6 · 4 | purple (≠): 1 · 0 | green (=2): 1 · 1 | amber: 1

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue10 — Add up to exactly 102
Purple>0 — Be more than 01
Green10 — Add up to exactly 103
Amber10 — Add up to exactly 102
Orange10 — Add up to exactly 102
Slate2 — Add up to exactly 23
Teal0 — Be exactly 01
Pink5 — Add up to exactly 52
Lime5 — Add up to exactly 52
Brown>2 — Be more than 21
Blue10 — Add up to exactly 102
Purple≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number2
Green2 — Add up to exactly 22
AmberTake any value it likes1
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