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Pips hints — Thursday, April 23, 2026

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

Thursday, April 23, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 7 regions and all-equal, less-than, greater-than 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.

Hint 1 — where to start

Easy
Ignore the open areas for now and go straight to the orange region, where one cell must be more than 3. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 5–1 domino down column 1, rows 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to more than 3. The 5 half sits in the orange region, which must be more than 3.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — April 23, 2026

43
63
01
33
51

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green<5 — Be less than 51
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange>3 — Be more than 31
Slate2 — Add up to exactly 22
TealTake any value it likes1

Medium today: 8 dominoes, 8 regions and target-sum, all-equal and greater-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 pink 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 3–1 domino across row 6, columns 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must add up to exactly 3. The 3 half sits in the pink region, which must be exactly 3.

Hint 3

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

Medium solution — April 23, 2026

33
31
44
11
53
43
64
24

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

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= — Show the same number on every cell4
Green>3 — Be more than 31
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell3
Teal3 — Add up to exactly 33
Pink3 — Be exactly 31

Hard today: 12 dominoes, 16 regions and target-sum, less-than, all-equal, greater-than and no-repeats 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 slate region, where one cell must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 5–4 domino down column 4, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 4. The 5 half sits in the green region, which must add up to exactly 10.

Hint 3

Hard
The 5–6 belongs down column 2, rows 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the brown region, which must be exactly 5.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 6–3: down column 4, rows 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 17.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — April 23, 2026

52
11
56
63
50
32
66
54
20
35
64
15

blue (=2): 0 · 2 · 0 | purple (<5): 3 | green (=10): 5 · 5 | amber: 5 | orange (=): 1 · 1 · 1 | slate (=4): 4 | teal (>2): 5 | pink (>3): 6 | lime (≠): 4 · 6 | brown (=5): 5 | blue (<4): 3 | purple (>3): 6 | green (=17): 6 · 5 · 6 | amber (<3): 2 | orange: 3 | slate (<3): 2

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue2 — Add up to exactly 23
Purple<5 — Be less than 51
Green10 — Add up to exactly 102
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell3
Slate4 — Be exactly 41
Teal>2 — Be more than 21
Pink>3 — Be more than 31
Lime≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number2
Brown5 — Be exactly 51
Blue<4 — Be less than 41
Purple>3 — Be more than 31
Green17 — Add up to exactly 173
Amber<3 — Be less than 31
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate<3 — Be less than 31
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