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Pips hints — Friday, July 17, 2026

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

Friday, July 17, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 7 regions and less-than, all-equal, 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
Your way in today is the slate region: one cell that must be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
There is exactly one home for the 5–1: across row 3, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the slate region, which must be exactly 5.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — July 17, 2026

12
46
33
51
65

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue<3 — Be less than 31
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green>3 — Be more than 31
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate5 — Be exactly 51
Teal5 — Be exactly 51

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 8 regions and greater-than, all-equal, less-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

Medium
Your way in today is the green region: one cell that must be less than 1. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
There is exactly one home for the 2–0: down column 5, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to less than 1. The 2 half sits in the slate region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Medium
Lay the 0–1 across row 3, columns 4–5 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because pink must add up to exactly 1. The 0 half sits in the teal region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — July 17, 2026

00
26
24
64
20
22
01

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue>2 — Be more than 21
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green<1 — Be less than 11
Amber>2 — Be more than 21
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate= — Show the same number on every cell3
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell3
Pink1 — Be exactly 11

Hard today: 15 dominoes, 15 regions and target-sum 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
Your way in today is the brown region: one cell that must be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 0–5: across row 5, columns 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to exactly 5. The 0 half sits in the lime region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Hard
Lay the 5–6 across row 6, columns 1–2 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 6. The 5 half sits in the purple region, which must add up to exactly 8.

Hint 4

Hard
Place the 4–1 domino down column 8, rows 6–7. It is the only tile that works there, because green must add up to exactly 4. The 4 half sits in the green region, which must be exactly 4.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — July 17, 2026

34
60
32
56
33
41
66
03
61
24
05
12
46
11
62

blue (=7): 1 · 3 · 3 | purple (=5): 3 · 2 | green (=5): 3 · 2 | amber (=10): 6 · 4 | orange (=10): 4 · 6 | slate (=10): 6 · 4 | teal (=): 6 · 6 · 6 | pink (=2): 2 · 0 | lime (=): 0 · 0 | brown (=5): 5 | blue (=6): 6 | purple (=8): 5 · 3 | green (=4): 4 | amber (=): 1 · 1 · 1 · 1 | orange (=2): 2

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue7 — Add up to exactly 73
Purple5 — Add up to exactly 52
Green5 — Add up to exactly 52
Amber10 — Add up to exactly 102
Orange10 — Add up to exactly 102
Slate10 — Add up to exactly 102
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell3
Pink2 — Add up to exactly 22
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell2
Brown5 — Be exactly 51
Blue6 — Be exactly 61
Purple8 — Add up to exactly 82
Green4 — Be exactly 41
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell4
Orange2 — Be exactly 21
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