TodayHint

Pips November 11, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The three Pips boards for 2026-11-11 offer a range of challenges, from straightforward placements in the easy board to complex constraint interactions in the hard board.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 7 regions

5–12–05–36–52–1

  • 2 ×two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 10.
  • one cell: more than 4.
  • one cell: more than 1.
  • one cell: more than 0.
  • one cell: left uncovered.

This board is relatively simple due to the few dominoes and straightforward constraints.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 6 regions

2–63–16–60–33–24–16–4

  • two cells: under 2.
  • three cells: under 8.
  • two cells: exactly 10.
  • three cells: all different.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • one cell: left uncovered.

This board requires more thought due to the mix of constraints and domino values.

Hard board · 15 dominoes · 19 regions

4–53–34–21–51–12–01–43–22–64–41–22–22–54–36–4

  • two cells: exactly 5.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 3.
  • one cell: exactly 0.
  • 3 ×one cell: exactly 2.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 6.
  • 3 ×one cell: more than 4.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • 2 ×four cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 4.
  • one cell: under 4.
  • four cells: exactly 4.

This board is challenging due to the large number of dominoes and complex interplay of 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 greater, 2 equals, 1 empty, 1 sum)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 6 regions (2 less, 1 empty, 1 equals, 1 sum, 1 unequal)
    Hard board
    15 dominoes, 19 regions (12 sum, 3 equals, 3 greater, 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 equals and sum constraints.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that must have a value greater than 4 over 1 cell.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Analyze regions with sum and less constraints first, as they often have limited possibilities.

    Start with the region that has a sum of 10 over 2 cells.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with specific sum constraints and limited domino options to make initial placements.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with the region that requires a sum of 5 over 2 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 5/1 domino, then the 2/0 domino. Next, place the 2/1 domino, followed by the 5/3 domino. Finally, place the 6/5 domino, ensuring all regions meet their constraints.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing the 2/6 and 3/1 dominoes. Then, place the 6/6 domino, followed by the 0/3 domino. Continue with the 3/2 and 4/1 dominoes, and finally the 6/4 domino, ensuring all constraints are satisfied.

  • Hard board · 15 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing dominoes that satisfy sum constraints like 5 over 2 cells and 3 over 1 cell. Then, focus on regions with comparison constraints, such as greater than 4 over 1 cell. Continue placing dominoes, ensuring that all regions meet their respective constraints. For instance, place the 4/5 and 1/5 dominoes early on. As you progress, use the process of elimination to find spots for dominoes like 2/6 and 4/4. Finally, adjust placements to satisfy equals and sum constraints across multiple regions.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
27 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 7 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 6 regions
Hard board
15 dominoes · 19 regions

More Pips

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

Try another puzzle