TodayHint

Pips November 6, 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 5 regions with simple constraints. The medium board introduces more complex constraints and 7 dominoes across 6 regions. The hard board features 14 dominoes and 18 regions with a wide range of constraints, making it the most challenging.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 5 regions

5–32–66–30–01–1

  • 3 ×two cells: all matching.
  • three cells: exactly 4.
  • one cell: more than 4.

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

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 6 regions

2–45–04–14–32–02–24–4

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

This board introduces more complex constraints, making it moderately challenging.

Hard board · 14 dominoes · 18 regions

1–42–25–41–12–15–16–46–34–42–53–02–34–30–0

  • one cell: exactly 2.
  • 2 ×two cells: all different.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 3.
  • one cell: exactly 3.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 4.
  • one cell: under 4.
  • one cell: exactly 5.
  • one cell: more than 2.
  • two cells: exactly 5.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • three cells: more than 9.
  • one cell: exactly 6.
  • two cells: exactly 6.
  • one cell: more than 4.
  • one cell: under 2.

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 equals, 1 greater, 1 sum)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 6 regions (1 empty, 1 equals, 1 greater, 1 less, 1 sum, 1 unequal)
    Hard board
    14 dominoes, 18 regions (9 sum, 3 greater, 2 equals, 2 less, 2 unequal)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with limited possibilities, focusing on those with specific numerical constraints.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that requires a sum of 4 over 3 cells.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with tight constraints, such as the less 10 over 3 cell(s) region, to make initial placements. Consider how dominoes can be combined to meet multiple constraints simultaneously.

    Focus on the region with an unequal constraint over 3 cells.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Start by identifying regions with very tight constraints, such as the sum 2 over 1 cell(s) region. Look for dominoes that can be placed in multiple regions to satisfy several constraints at once.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with a region that has a sum constraint over a small number of 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 0/0 domino first, as it will help to anchor other pieces. The equals over 2 cell(s) regions will likely be key to solving the puzzle. Use the process of elimination to place the remaining dominoes, working from the most constrained regions.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing dominoes that satisfy the most constrained regions. The sum 5 over 2 cell(s) region will likely require careful placement. Use the process of elimination and consider the dominoes that can be placed in multiple regions.

  • Hard board · 14 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    The key to solving this board is to carefully manage the dominoes that can be placed in multiple regions. Start by placing dominoes that satisfy the most constrained regions, such as the sum 2 over 1 cell(s) and sum 3 over 1 cell(s) regions. Use the process of elimination to narrow down the possibilities for each region. The equals over 3 cell(s) and greater 9 over 3 cell(s) regions will likely require careful consideration. As the board starts to fill in, focus on satisfying the sum and greater constraints.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Friday, November 6, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
26 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 5 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 6 regions
Hard board
14 dominoes · 18 regions

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