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Pips hints — Monday, March 16, 2026

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

Monday, March 16, 2026Archived board

Today's Easy board has 5 dominoes across 5 regions, mixing target-sum 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

Easy
Look at the purple region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 2. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
The 5–2 belongs down column 4, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 2. The 5 half sits in the green region, which must take any value it likes.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — March 16, 2026

66
00
52
36
50

blue (=18): 6 · 6 · 0 · 6 | purple (=2): 2 | green: 5 | amber (=8): 5 · 3 | orange (=): 0 · 0

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue18 — Add up to exactly 184
Purple2 — Be exactly 21
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber8 — Add up to exactly 82
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2

Today's Medium board has 8 dominoes across 9 regions, mixing greater-than, all-equal, less-than 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

Medium
Look at the blue region first. Across one cell it has to be more than 4. Only 2 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
The 5–5 belongs across row 1, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to more than 4. The 5 half sits in the blue region, which must be more than 4.

Hint 3

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

Medium solution — March 16, 2026

63
44
60
22
13
55
02
45

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>4 — Be more than 41
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange<2 — Be less than 21
Slate6 — Add up to exactly 62
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell2
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell2
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell2

Today's Hard board has 16 dominoes across 15 regions, mixing target-sum, all-equal 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
Look at the green region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 0. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
The 0–1 belongs across row 3, columns 7–8. 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 3

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 2–3: down column 9, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 3. The 2 half sits in the teal region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 4

Hard
Lay the 2–2 across row 4, columns 1–2 — no guesswork needed. 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 16, 2026

06
14
33
01
44
25
63
21
00
65
11
54
22
46
23
15

blue (=9): 6 · 3 | purple (=): 1 · 1 · 1 · 1 · 1 | green (=0): 0 | amber (=3): 3 | orange (=2): 2 | slate (≠): 2 · 5 · 1 · 6 · 0 · 4 · 3 | teal (=): 2 · 2 · 2 | pink (=0): 0 | lime (=4): 4 | brown (=15): 5 · 5 · 5 | blue (=4): 4 | purple (=3): 3 | green (=8): 4 · 4 | amber (=6): 6 · 0 | orange (=6): 6

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue9 — Add up to exactly 92
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell5
Green0 — Be exactly 01
Amber3 — Be exactly 31
Orange2 — Be exactly 21
Slate — Have no two cells showing the same number7
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell3
Pink0 — Be exactly 01
Lime4 — Be exactly 41
Brown15 — Add up to exactly 153
Blue4 — Be exactly 41
Purple3 — Be exactly 31
Green8 — Add up to exactly 82
Amber6 — Add up to exactly 62
Orange6 — Be exactly 61
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →