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Pips hints — Saturday, January 24, 2026

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

Saturday, January 24, 2026Archived board

Today's Easy board has 5 dominoes across 7 regions, mixing greater-than, less-than, all-equal and target-sum 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
The purple region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be less than 2. Only 2 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
The 3–1 belongs down column 5, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to less than 2. The 3 half sits in the slate region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — January 24, 2026

23
43
66
31
33

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>2 — Be more than 21
Purple<2 — Be less than 21
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber7 — Add up to exactly 72
Orange<3 — Be less than 31
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2
TealTake any value it likes1

Today's Medium board has 7 dominoes across 8 regions, mixing 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

Medium
The teal region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be less than 4. Only 4 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
The 5–4 belongs across row 2, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 6.

Hint 3

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 1–6: down column 3, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 6.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — January 24, 2026

54
30
36
40
16
00
44

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

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 cell3
Purple6 — Add up to exactly 62
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange6 — Add up to exactly 62
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal<4 — Be less than 41
Pink6 — Add up to exactly 62

Today's Hard board has 16 dominoes across 15 regions, mixing target-sum, all-equal and greater-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.

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
The brown region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be exactly 0. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
The 0–6 belongs across row 5, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to exactly 0. The 0 half sits in the brown region, which must be exactly 0.

Hint 3

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 0–1: down column 1, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 1. The 0 half sits in the slate region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 4

Hard
Lay the 2–5 down column 7, rows 1–2 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 10. The 2 half sits in the amber region, which must add up to exactly 6.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — January 24, 2026

35
00
05
34
22
01
56
03
11
15
02
16
33
25
06
13

blue (=1): 0 · 1 | purple: 3 | green (=2): 1 · 1 | amber (=6): 2 · 2 · 2 | orange (=10): 5 · 5 | slate (=): 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | teal (=): 3 · 3 · 3 · 3 | pink: 4 | lime: 1 | brown (=0): 0 | blue (>21): 6 · 5 · 5 · 6 | purple (=5): 2 · 3 | green (=2): 1 · 1 | amber (>10): 6 · 5 | orange (=0): 0

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue1 — Add up to exactly 12
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green2 — Add up to exactly 22
Amber6 — Add up to exactly 63
Orange10 — Add up to exactly 102
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell4
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell4
PinkTake any value it likes1
LimeTake any value it likes1
Brown0 — Be exactly 01
Blue>21 — Add up to more than 214
Purple5 — Add up to exactly 52
Green2 — Add up to exactly 22
Amber>10 — Add up to more than 102
Orange0 — Be exactly 01
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →