TodayHint

Pips November 5, 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 to satisfy 5 regions. The medium board adds more complexity with 7 dominoes and 8 regions. The hard board is the most challenging, with 15 dominoes and 16 regions that require 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 · 5 regions

6–06–65–24–45–1

  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 11.
  • four cells: exactly 14.
  • one cell: under 2.
  • one cell: under 3.

This board is relatively straightforward due to the small number of dominoes and simple constraints.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 8 regions

5–34–05–12–31–24–13–3

  • one cell: more than 0.
  • two cells: exactly 6.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: more than 4.
  • one cell: exactly 2.
  • two cells: all different.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • three cells: exactly 8.

This board requires more strategic thinking due to the variety of constraints and dominoes.

Hard board · 15 dominoes · 16 regions

2–14–06–25–36–46–53–63–30–51–46–64–53–41–12–3

  • one cell: more than 4.
  • three cells: more than 17.
  • two cells: exactly 2.
  • two cells: exactly 5.
  • three cells: exactly 16.
  • three cells: all different.
  • four cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 3.
  • one cell: under 3.
  • three cells: exactly 10.
  • one cell: under 2.
  • one cell: exactly 2.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • 3 ×one cell: left uncovered.

This board is the most challenging due to the large number of dominoes and 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, 5 regions (3 sum, 2 less)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 8 regions (4 sum, 2 greater, 1 equals, 1 unequal)
    Hard board
    15 dominoes, 16 regions (6 sum, 3 empty, 3 greater, 2 less, 1 equals, 1 unequal)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with the fewest possible domino combinations, focusing on comparisons and small sums.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that requires a sum of 14 over 4 cells, as it has the most constraints.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with unique constraints, such as the equals condition, and try to satisfy those first.

    Focus on the region with the equals condition over 2 cells, as it has a limited set of possible domino combinations.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Begin by identifying areas with the most constraints, such as the regions with sum and comparison conditions, and look for dominoes that can satisfy multiple conditions at once.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Start with a region that has a comparison condition and a limited number of possible domino combinations.

    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 6/6 domino first, as it has the most constraints. Then, fit in the 6/0 and 5/1 dominoes around it. Use the comparisons to guide the 4/4 and 5/2 dominoes.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Start by placing dominoes that satisfy the equals and sum conditions. Use the comparisons to guide the placement of the remaining dominoes, working from the most constrained regions.

  • Hard board · 15 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Begin by placing the 6/6 domino, which has a high number of constraints. Then, work on satisfying the sum conditions for the regions with 3 cells. Use the comparisons to guide the placement of dominoes in the remaining regions. Focus on one area at a time, using the process of elimination to narrow down the possible placements. As the board starts to fill in, revisit earlier regions to ensure that all conditions are met. Continue this process until all dominoes are placed.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
27 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 5 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 8 regions
Hard board
15 dominoes · 16 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