TodayHint

Pips July 17, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The easy board requires strategic placement of 5 dominoes across 7 regions. The medium board adds more complexity with 7 dominoes and 8 regions. The hard board challenges solvers with 15 dominoes and 15 regions, requiring careful consideration of multiple constraints.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 7 regions

1–24–63–35–16–5

  • one cell: under 3.
  • 3 ×two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 5.

Small number of dominoes and regions makes it manageable.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 8 regions

0–02–62–46–42–02–20–1

  • 2 ×one cell: more than 2.
  • 2 ×two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: under 1.
  • 2 ×three cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 1.

More dominoes and regions than easy, with varied constraints.

Hard board · 15 dominoes · 15 regions

3–46–03–25–63–34–16–60–36–12–40–51–24–61–16–2

  • three cells: exactly 7.
  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 5.
  • 3 ×two cells: exactly 10.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 2.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 5.
  • one cell: exactly 6.
  • two cells: exactly 8.
  • one cell: exactly 4.
  • four cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 2.

Large number of dominoes and regions with complex constraints.

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, 7 regions (3 equals, 2 sum, 1 greater, 1 less)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 8 regions (4 equals, 2 greater, 1 less, 1 sum)
    Hard board
    15 dominoes, 15 regions (12 sum, 3 equals)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with unique constraints, focusing on those that limit domino placement.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with a region that has a sum constraint over a single cell.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with constraints that can be satisfied by a single domino, then build from there.

    Start with a region that has a sum constraint over one cell.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with sum constraints and try to satisfy them first, then use equals and other constraints to narrow down placements.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with a region that has a sum constraint over three cells.

    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 3/3 domino first, as it can only fit in one region. Then, use the equals constraints to place the 1/2 and 6/5 dominoes. Next, place the 4/6 domino in a region with a greater constraint. The 5/1 domino can then be placed in a region with a less constraint. Finally, adjust the placements to satisfy all constraints.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing the 0/0 domino, which can only go in one region. Use the equals constraints to place the 2/2 and 2/4 dominoes. Then, place the 2/6 domino in a region with a greater constraint. The 6/4 domino can be placed in a region with an equals constraint. Next, use the less constraint to place the 0/1 domino. Finally, adjust the placements to satisfy the remaining constraints.

  • Hard board · 15 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing dominoes that satisfy sum constraints over multiple cells. Use the equals constraints to link regions together. For example, place the 3/4 and 6/0 dominoes in regions with sum constraints. Then, use the 3/2 and 5/6 dominoes to satisfy other sum constraints. Continue this process, using the equals and other constraints to guide the placements. As the board fills, adjust the placements to ensure all constraints are satisfied. The 6/6 and 0/3 dominoes can be placed in regions with equals constraints. Finally, use the remaining dominoes to satisfy the last constraints.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Friday, July 17, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
27 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 7 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 8 regions
Hard board
15 dominoes · 15 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