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Pips hints — Monday, May 18, 2026

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

Monday, May 18, 2026Archived board

The Easy grid runs to 5 regions and 4 tiles, with target-sum and less-than rules in play. 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 two cells must add up to exactly 9. Only 4 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Lay the 5–5 across row 3, columns 2–3 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 9.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — May 18, 2026

22
55
24
12

blue (=6): 2 · 2 · 2 | purple (<5): 2 | green: 1 | amber (=9): 4 · 5 | orange: 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 63
Purple<5 — Be less than 51
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber9 — Add up to exactly 92
OrangeTake any value it likes1

The Medium grid runs to 8 regions and 7 tiles, with all-equal, no-repeats, target-sum and less-than rules in play. 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 less than 5. Only 5 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Lay the 4–3 down column 6, rows 2–3 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 8.

Hint 3

Medium
Place the 4–0 domino across row 4, columns 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 8.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — May 18, 2026

43
32
40
03
55
53
66

blue (=): 3 · 3 · 3 | purple: 5 | green: 5 | amber (≠): 5 · 6 · 3 | orange (=): 0 · 0 | slate (=8): 4 · 4 | teal: 6 | pink (<5): 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
PurpleTake any value it likes1
GreenTake any value it likes1
Amber≠ — Have no two cells showing the same number3
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate8 — Add up to exactly 82
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink<5 — Be less than 51

The Hard grid runs to 19 regions and 14 tiles, with greater-than, target-sum, less-than and all-equal rules in play. 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 brown 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

Hard
Lay the 5–3 down column 1, rows 4–5 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to exactly 3. The 5 half sits in the orange region, which must add up to exactly 11.

Hint 3

Hard
Place the 6–3 domino down column 3, rows 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to more than 11.

Hint 4

Hard
The 0–6 belongs across row 9, columns 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to less than 2. The 0 half sits in the teal region, which must be less than 2.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — May 18, 2026

53
00
62
33
52
63
55
06
44
10
46
23
40
21

blue (>1): 2 | purple (=7): 5 · 2 | green (>2): 4 | amber: 2 | orange (=11): 6 · 5 | slate (>11): 6 · 6 | teal (>2): 4 | pink (<2): 0 | lime (=7): 1 · 3 · 3 | brown (=3): 3 | blue (=3): 3 | purple: 2 | green (=3): 3 | amber (=14): 5 · 5 · 4 | orange (=): 0 · 0 · 0 | slate (>4): 6 | teal (<2): 0 | pink: 4 | lime: 1

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
Purple7 — Add up to exactly 72
Green>2 — Be more than 21
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange11 — Add up to exactly 112
Slate>11 — Add up to more than 112
Teal>2 — Be more than 21
Pink<2 — Be less than 21
Lime7 — Add up to exactly 73
Brown3 — Be exactly 31
Blue3 — Be exactly 31
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green3 — Be exactly 31
Amber14 — Add up to exactly 143
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell3
Slate>4 — Be more than 41
Teal<2 — Be less than 21
PinkTake any value it likes1
LimeTake any value it likes1
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