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Pips hints — Wednesday, August 19, 2026

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

Wednesday, August 19, 2026Archived board

Easy today: 5 dominoes, 7 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.

Hint 1 — where to start

Easy
The blue region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 6–5 domino down column 2, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 5. The 6 half sits in the purple region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — August 19, 2026

13
65
50
61
34

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue5 — Be exactly 51
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell2
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
AmberTake any value it likes1
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal5 — Be exactly 51

Medium today: 7 dominoes, 7 regions and less-than, all-equal, target-sum 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
The amber region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be more than 4. Only 2 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 4–1 domino across row 4, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must add up to more than 3. The 4 half sits in the slate region, which must be more than 3.

Hint 3

Medium
The 4–5 belongs across row 3, columns 4–5. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — August 19, 2026

30
41
34
64
45
11
40

blue (<4): 3 | purple (=): 4 · 4 · 4 | green (=3): 0 · 3 | amber (>4): 6 | orange (=9): 4 · 0 · 5 | slate (>3): 4 | teal (=): 1 · 1 · 1

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue<4 — Be less than 41
Purple= — Show the same number on every cell3
Green3 — Add up to exactly 32
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
Orange9 — Add up to exactly 93
Slate>3 — Be more than 31
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell3

Hard today: 13 dominoes, 11 regions and target-sum, greater-than, all-equal, less-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
The purple region is the anchor: one cell, and it must be more than 3. Only 3 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 5–0 domino down column 4, rows 7–8. It is the only tile that works there, because brown must add up to more than 3. The 5 half sits in the brown region, which must be more than 3.

Hint 3

Hard
The 3–5 belongs down column 2, rows 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 10. The 3 half sits in the green region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 0–3: across row 8, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to less than 2.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — August 19, 2026

50
33
56
24
03
64
35
66
45
63
41
61
23

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

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>3 — Be more than 31
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber<3 — Be less than 31
Orange — Have no two cells showing the same number6
Slate>3 — Be more than 31
Teal= — Show the same number on every cell5
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell2
Lime7 — Add up to exactly 72
Brown>3 — Be more than 31
Blue<2 — Add up to less than 23
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