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Pips hints — Tuesday, June 30, 2026

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

Tuesday, June 30, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 6 regions and target-sum, all-equal 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

Easy
Start with the purple region — its one cell must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Lay the 4–0 down column 1, rows 1–2 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 4. The 4 half sits in the purple region, which must be exactly 4.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — June 30, 2026

00
65
22
51
40

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue4 — Add up to exactly 44
Purple4 — Be exactly 41
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber<2 — Be less than 21
OrangeTake any value it likes1
Slate<5 — Be less than 51

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 9 regions and less-than 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.

Hint 1 — where to start

Medium
Start with the teal region — its one cell must be less than 3. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Lay the 2–2 down column 3, rows 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to less than 3. The 2 half sits in the green region, which must add up to less than 6.

Hint 3

Medium
Place the 4–3 domino down column 5, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to less than 4. The 4 half sits in the orange region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — June 30, 2026

13
22
36
15
43
61
44

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue<6 — Be less than 61
Purple<4 — Be less than 41
Green<6 — Add up to less than 64
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate<5 — Be less than 51
Teal<3 — Be less than 31
PinkTake any value it likes1
LimeTake any value it likes1

Hard today: 14 dominoes, 14 regions and all-equal, target-sum 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.

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
Start with the lime region — its one cell must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Lay the 5–4 down column 6, rows 4–5 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because lime must add up to exactly 4. The 5 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 15.

Hint 3

Hard
Place the 4–6 domino across row 4, columns 7–8. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to exactly 4. The 4 half sits in the brown region, which must be exactly 4.

Hint 4

Hard
The 1–4 belongs down column 4, rows 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 4. The 1 half sits in the amber region, which must be less than 3.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — June 30, 2026

56
14
53
11
54
23
44
52
46
22
34
61
55
36

blue (=): 6 · 6 | purple (=8): 3 · 5 | green (=): 5 · 5 | amber (=): 3 · 3 | orange (=5): 2 · 2 · 1 | slate (=12): 6 · 6 | teal (=4): 2 · 1 · 1 | pink (=): 4 · 4 · 4 | lime (=4): 4 | brown (=4): 4 | blue (=4): 4 | purple (=15): 5 · 5 · 5 | green (=5): 3 · 2 | amber (<3): 1

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
Purple8 — Add up to exactly 82
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange5 — Add up to exactly 53
Slate12 — Add up to exactly 122
Teal4 — Add up to exactly 43
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell3
Lime4 — Be exactly 41
Brown4 — Be exactly 41
Blue4 — Be exactly 41
Purple15 — Add up to exactly 153
Green5 — Add up to exactly 52
Amber<3 — Be less than 31
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