TodayHint

Pips July 13, 2026: Hints & Answers

Constructed by Ian Livengood, Rodolfo Kurchan, Rodolfo Kurchan, edited by Ian Livengood.

Recap

The easy board requires strategic placement of 5 dominoes across 6 regions. The medium board adds more dominoes and regions, requiring careful constraint management. The hard board features 11 dominoes and 12 regions, demanding meticulous planning and constraint satisfaction.

The three boards that day

The tray and each region's rule — board data, no solutions.

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 6 regions

5–30–51–23–00–2

  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 6.
  • three cells: under 1.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • one cell: exactly 3.

Small number of dominoes and simple constraints make this easy.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 8 regions

4–10–05–26–14–21–35–5

  • 2 ×two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 4.
  • three cells: exactly 2.
  • 2 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • two cells: exactly 3.
  • one cell: exactly 6.

More dominoes and regions add complexity but constraints help guide placements.

Hard board · 11 dominoes · 12 regions

4–03–52–04–42–35–46–25–12–21–35–2

  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 4.
  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 3.
  • one cell: under 2.
  • two cells: exactly 8.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • 2 ×two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 5.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 5.

Many dominoes and complex constraints make this challenging.

Pips hints, one rung at a time

Six rungs, easy board first. The recap above already named the walkthroughs, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying the boards fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.

  1. How the three boards compared

    Sizes and constraint mixes, counted off the boards.

    Easy board
    5 dominoes, 6 regions (2 sum, 1 empty, 1 equals, 1 greater, 1 less)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 8 regions (4 sum, 2 empty, 2 equals)
    Hard board
    11 dominoes, 12 regions (8 sum, 3 equals, 1 less)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with the fewest possible placements, focusing on those with unique constraints.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that must contain a single cell with a value greater than 3.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with multiple constraints that can help narrow down domino placements.

    Start with the equals over 2 cell region, which has limited options.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

    Where the hard board differed in kind, not just size.

    Focus on regions with strict constraints like equals over 3 cells or specific sums.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with the sum 8 over 2 cell region, which has limited domino options.

    Open the full walkthroughs

Every Pips walkthrough from that day

All three walkthroughs, folded: each one places every domino on its board, one after another.

  • Easy board · 5 dominoes

    Easy board walkthrough

    Place the 3/0 domino in the greater 3 region. Then, place 0/5 in the empty over 1 cell region. Next, 1/2 goes in the less 1 over 3 cell region. The 5/3 domino fits in the sum 6 over 2 cell region. Finally, 0/2 completes the puzzle.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing 0/0 in the empty over 1 cell region. Then, 4/1 fits in one equals region. Next, 5/2 and 4/2 go in sum regions. The 1/3 domino works in another equals region. Continue with 5/5, 6/1, and finally 1/3.

  • Hard board · 11 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start with 4/4 in the equals over 2 cell region. Place 4/0 and 2/0 in sum and empty regions. Then, 5/4 and 6/2 fit in their respective sum regions. Next, place 3/5 and 2/3 in comparison regions. Continue with 5/1, 2/2, 1/3, and 5/2 dominoes. The 4/4 and 5/4 placements help constrain later moves. Finally, adjust to fit the remaining dominoes, ensuring all regions meet their constraints.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Monday, July 13, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
23 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 6 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 8 regions
Hard board
11 dominoes · 12 regions

More Pips

See the live Pips hints and answers page for the current boards, or browse every archived Pips date by month.

Try the other two puzzles