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Pips hints — Thursday, September 10, 2026

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

Thursday, September 10, 2026Archived board

Today's Easy board has 5 dominoes across 6 regions, mixing greater-than, all-equal 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
Start with the slate region — its one cell must be exactly 3. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Easy
Lay the 0–3 across row 3, columns 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because slate must be exactly 3. The 0 half sits in the orange region, which must show the same number on every cell.
Reveal the full Easy answer

Easy solution — September 10, 2026

04
65
46
16
03

blue: 1 | purple (>17): 6 · 6 · 6 | green (=): 4 · 4 | amber (>4): 5 | orange (=): 0 · 0 | slate (=3): 3

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
BlueTake any value it likes1
Purple>17 — Add up to more than 173
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber>4 — Be more than 41
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell2
Slate3 — Be exactly 31

Today's Medium board has 7 dominoes across 9 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.

Hint 1 — where to start

Medium
Start with the orange region — its one cell must be exactly 5. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Medium
Lay the 0–5 across row 2, columns 3–4 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because orange must be exactly 5. The 0 half sits in the amber region, which must show the same number on every cell.

Hint 3

Medium
Place the 4–6 domino across row 3, columns 1–2. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must be exactly 4.
Reveal the full Medium answer

Medium solution — September 10, 2026

46
00
33
01
22
05
60

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

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue4 — Add up to exactly 42
PurpleTake any value it likes1
Green= — Show the same number on every cell2
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell2
Orange5 — Be exactly 51
Slate>0 — Be more than 01
Teal4 — Be exactly 41
Pink= — Show the same number on every cell2
Lime6 — Add up to exactly 62

Today's Hard board has 14 dominoes across 17 regions, mixing target-sum, less-than, greater-than 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.

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 blue region — its one cell must be exactly 0. Only 1 pip combination fits it at all, which is why it gives way first.

Hint 2

Hard
Lay the 0–6 across row 1, columns 2–3 — no guesswork needed. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must be exactly 0.

Hint 3

Hard
Place the 1–5 domino down column 9, rows 8–9. It is the only tile that works there, because teal must be exactly 1.

Hint 4

Hard
The 0–1 belongs across row 7, columns 2–3. It is the only tile that works there, because blue must add up to exactly 0.
Reveal the full Hard answer

Hard solution — September 10, 2026

13
54
15
00
12
30
62
01
22
06
55
20
44
50

blue (=0): 0 | purple (=15): 6 · 5 · 4 | green (<3): 2 | amber (>3): 6 | orange (=0): 0 | slate (>2): 3 | teal (=0): 0 | pink (>4): 5 | lime (<4): 0 · 0 | brown (=2): 1 · 1 | blue (=0): 0 · 0 | purple (<3): 1 | green (=3): 3 | amber (=): 5 · 5 · 5 | orange (=): 2 · 2 · 2 · 2 | slate (=8): 4 · 4 | teal (=1): 1

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

What each region asks for

RegionRuleCells
Blue0 — Be exactly 01
Purple15 — Add up to exactly 153
Green<3 — Be less than 31
Amber>3 — Be more than 31
Orange0 — Be exactly 01
Slate>2 — Be more than 21
Teal0 — Be exactly 01
Pink>4 — Be more than 41
Lime<4 — Add up to less than 42
Brown2 — Add up to exactly 22
Blue0 — Add up to exactly 02
Purple<3 — Be less than 31
Green3 — Be exactly 31
Amber= — Show the same number on every cell3
Orange= — Show the same number on every cell4
Slate8 — Add up to exactly 82
Teal1 — Be exactly 11
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