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Pips hints — Saturday, March 28, 2026

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

Saturday, March 28, 2026Archived board

Today's Easy board has 5 dominoes across 7 regions, mixing greater-than, 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
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the amber 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
The 4–3 belongs down column 3, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 3. The 4 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 10.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — March 28, 2026

43
66
50
26
35

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

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
Purple10 — Add up to exactly 102
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber3 — Be exactly 31
Orange>1 — Be more than 11
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal10 — Add up to exactly 102

Today's Medium board has 8 dominoes across 9 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
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the teal region, where one cell must be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
The 5–3 belongs down column 4, rows 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the teal region, which must be exactly 5.

Hint 3

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 1–0: down column 2, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — March 28, 2026

10
33
40
63
24
31
53
61

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

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 cell2
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell3
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell3
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2
Teal5 — Be exactly 51
Pink<4 — Be less than 41
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell2

Today's Hard board has 15 dominoes across 14 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.

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 slate region, where one cell must be exactly 6. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
The 0–6 belongs across row 3, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 6. The 0 half sits in the teal region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 6–5: down column 1, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 11.

Hint 4

Hard
Lay the 1–5 across row 1, columns 1–2 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 11. The 1 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 5.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — March 28, 2026

36
42
65
55
23
61
03
14
06
45
21
33
15
34
02

blue (=11): 5 · 6 | purple (=5): 1 · 4 | green (=4): 1 · 3 | amber (=): 2 · 2 | orange (=11): 5 · 6 | slate (=6): 6 | teal (=): 0 · 0 · 0 | pink (=): 3 · 3 · 3 | lime (=5): 3 · 2 | brown (=): 5 · 5 · 5 | blue (=8): 4 · 4 | purple (=10): 4 · 6 | green (=2): 1 · 1 | amber (=5): 2 · 3

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue11 — Add up to exactly 112
Purple5 — Add up to exactly 52
Green4 — Add up to exactly 42
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange11 — Add up to exactly 112
Slate6 — Be exactly 61
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell3
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell3
Lime5 — Add up to exactly 52
Brown= — Show the same number on every cell3
Blue8 — Add up to exactly 82
Purple10 — Add up to exactly 102
Green2 — Add up to exactly 22
Amber5 — Add up to exactly 52
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →