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Pips hints — Tuesday, March 3, 2026

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

Tuesday, March 3, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 7 regions and 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

Easy
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the slate region, where one cell must be exactly 3. 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 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 3. The 0 half sits in the orange region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — March 3, 2026

10
45
03
53
13

blue: 5 | purple: 5 | green (=7): 4 · 3 | amber (=4): 1 · 3 | orange (=): 0 · 0 | slate (=3): 3 | teal (=1): 1

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
Green7 — Add up to exactly 72
Amber4 — Add up to exactly 42
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate3 — Be exactly 31
Teal1 — Be exactly 11

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 8 regions and target-sum and less-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

Medium
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the blue region, where one cell must be exactly 3. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 3–4 domino across row 1, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 3. The 3 half sits in the blue region, which must be exactly 3.

Hint 3

Medium
The 0–5 belongs down column 2, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 5. The 0 half sits in the teal region, which must be less than 2.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — March 3, 2026

31
46
25
12
33
05
34

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue3 — Be exactly 31
Purple8 — Add up to exactly 82
Green8 — Add up to exactly 82
Amber8 — Add up to exactly 83
Orange5 — Be exactly 51
Slate2 — Add up to exactly 22
Teal<2 — Be less than 21
Pink8 — Add up to exactly 82

Hard today: 15 dominoes, 26 regions and target-sum 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
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
Place the 2–4 domino across row 1, columns 1–2. 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
The 0–2 belongs across row 1, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 0. The 0 half sits in the green region, which must be exactly 0.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 2–3: across row 1, columns 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 2. The 2 half sits in the orange region, which must be exactly 2.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — March 3, 2026

01
02
03
04
05
12
13
14
15
23
24
25
34
35
45

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue2 — Be exactly 21
Purple4 — Be exactly 41
Green0 — Be exactly 01
Amber2 — Be exactly 21
Orange2 — Be exactly 21
Slate3 — Be exactly 31
Teal4 — Be exactly 41
Pink3 — Be exactly 31
LimeTake any value it likes1
Brown2 — Be exactly 21
Blue4 — Be exactly 41
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green0 — Be exactly 01
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange5 — Add up to exactly 55
Slate0 — Be exactly 01
Teal0 — Be exactly 01
Pink3 — Be exactly 31
Lime0 — Be exactly 01
Brown4 — Be exactly 41
Blue3 — Be exactly 31
Purple4 — Be exactly 41
Green3 — Be exactly 31
Amber2 — Be exactly 21
OrangeTake any value it likes1
SlateTake any value it likes1
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →