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Pips hints — Sunday, August 23, 2026

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

Sunday, August 23, 2026Archived board

Today's Easy board has 5 dominoes across 8 regions, mixing all-equal, greater-than, less-than and target-sum rules. 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 orange region, where one cell must be exactly 4. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Place the 4–6 domino across row 2, columns 1–2. 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 Easy answer

Easy solution — August 23, 2026

56
23
46
52
06

blue (=): 6 · 6 | purple (>4): 5 | green (<4): 3 | amber (=): 2 · 2 | orange (=4): 4 | slate: 5 | teal: 0 | pink (>5): 6

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
Purple>4 — Be more than 41
Green<4 — Be less than 41
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange4 — Be exactly 41
SlateTake any value it likes1
TealTake any value it likes1
Pink>5 — Be more than 51

Today's Medium board has 7 dominoes across 8 regions, mixing greater-than, target-sum and all-equal rules. 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 blue region, where one cell must be more than 1. Only 5 pip combinations fit it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Place the 2–5 domino across row 1, columns 5–6. It is the only tile that works there, because purple must add up to exactly 4.

Hint 3

Medium
The 4–5 belongs down column 3, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must add up to exactly 4.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — August 23, 2026

20
45
03
11
25
33
05

blue (>1): 5 | purple (=4): 2 · 2 | green (=): 1 · 1 | amber (=): 3 · 3 · 3 | orange (=): 5 · 5 | slate: 0 | teal (=4): 4 · 0 | pink: 0

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
Purple4 — Add up to exactly 42
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell3
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
SlateTake any value it likes1
Teal4 — Add up to exactly 42
PinkTake any value it likes1

Today's Hard board has 11 dominoes across 11 regions, mixing target-sum, all-equal and greater-than rules. 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 orange region, where one cell must be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Place the 5–1 domino down column 4, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must add up to exactly 5. The 5 half sits in the orange region, which must be exactly 5.

Hint 3

Hard
The 4–2 belongs down column 6, rows 6–7. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 2. The 4 half sits in the lime region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 4

Hard
There is exactly one home for the 1–3: down column 1, rows 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because amber must add up to exactly 3.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — August 23, 2026

64
51
44
66
13
02
43
61
50
42
06

blue (=8): 5 · 3 | purple (=4): 0 · 4 | green (=7): 6 · 1 | amber (=3): 1 · 2 | orange (=5): 5 | slate (=12): 0 · 6 · 6 | teal (=12): 0 · 6 · 6 | pink (=9): 1 · 4 · 4 | lime (=): 4 · 4 | brown (>2): 3 | blue (=2): 2

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue8 — Add up to exactly 82
Purple4 — Add up to exactly 42
Green7 — Add up to exactly 72
Amber3 — Add up to exactly 32
Orange5 — Be exactly 51
Slate12 — Add up to exactly 123
Teal12 — Add up to exactly 123
Pink9 — Add up to exactly 93
Lime= — Show the same number on every cell2
Brown>2 — Be more than 21
Blue2 — Be exactly 21
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