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Pips hints — Saturday, May 16, 2026

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

Saturday, May 16, 2026Archived board

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

Easy
Look at the purple region first. Across one cell it has to be less than 3. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

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

Easy solution — May 16, 2026

11
62
32
51
33

blue (=): 1 · 1 · 1 | purple (<3): 2 | green (=): 3 · 3 · 3 | amber (>10): 6 · 5 | orange: 2

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
Purple<3 — Be less than 31
Green= — Show the same number on every cell3
Amber>10 — Add up to more than 102
OrangeTake any value it likes1

Medium today: 9 dominoes, 13 regions and target-sum, all-equal, greater-than 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
Look at the orange region first. Across one cell it has to be exactly 6. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
The 2–6 belongs down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 6. The 2 half sits in the blue region, which must add up to exactly 6.

Hint 3

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 5–5: across row 4, columns 3–4. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the blue region, which must be exactly 5.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — May 16, 2026

12
55
46
61
53
41
26
34
65

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue6 — Add up to exactly 62
Purple2 — Add up to exactly 22
Green10 — Add up to exactly 102
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange6 — Be exactly 61
Slate11 — Add up to exactly 112
Teal2 — Be exactly 21
Pink>5 — Be more than 51
Lime<5 — Be less than 51
BrownTake any value it likes1
Blue5 — Be exactly 51
Purple5 — Be exactly 51
Green5 — Be exactly 51

Hard today: 15 dominoes, 19 regions and target-sum, less-than, no-repeats 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.

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

Hint 2

Hard
The 4–1 belongs down column 1, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 1. The 4 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 9.

Hint 3

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 5–5: down column 5, 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
Lay the 4–0 down column 4, rows 6–7 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 4. The 4 half sits in the orange region, which must be exactly 4.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — May 16, 2026

23
40
62
03
60
43
24
16
25
00
36
41
05
55
20

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue1 — Be exactly 11
Purple9 — Add up to exactly 92
Green2 — Be exactly 21
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange3 — Be exactly 31
Slate<2 — Be less than 21
Teal≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number5
Pink4 — Be exactly 41
Lime<3 — Be less than 31
Brown5 — Be exactly 51
Blue= — Show the same number on every cell6
Purple5 — Be exactly 51
Green<3 — Be less than 31
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange4 — Be exactly 41
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell2
Teal3 — Be exactly 31
Pink2 — Be exactly 21
Lime1 — Be exactly 11
All hintsFull answers for this dayJun 28 →