TodayHint

Pips October 13, 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 6 regions. The medium board adds complexity with 7 dominoes and varied constraints. The hard board is the most challenging, with 12 dominoes and 15 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 · 6 regions

6–66–13–61–36–0

  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 6.
  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 6.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 2.

Small number of dominoes and simple constraints make this easy.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 8 regions

0–10–01–54–34–23–50–2

  • one cell: more than 3.
  • one cell: exactly 3.
  • two cells: exactly 3.
  • two cells: more than 3.
  • three cells: under 2.
  • two cells: more than 8.
  • two cells: under 4.
  • one cell: exactly 2.

More dominoes and varied constraints increase the challenge.

Hard board · 12 dominoes · 15 regions

4–32–56–10–63–12–22–63–54–63–32–44–1

  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 4.
  • one cell: under 2.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • two cells: exactly 7.
  • three cells: all different.
  • one cell: more than 2.
  • one cell: under 3.
  • two cells: exactly 8.
  • two cells: exactly 10.
  • one cell: under 5.
  • two cells: exactly 4.

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 (5 sum, 1 equals)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 8 regions (3 greater, 3 sum, 2 less)
    Hard board
    12 dominoes, 15 regions (7 sum, 3 less, 2 equals, 1 empty, 1 greater, 1 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 unique constraints.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    A region that requires a sum of 6 over 1 cell.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with strict constraints like greater 3 over 1 cell or sum 3 over 1 cell to start.

    A region with a greater constraint over 1 cell.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with multiple constraints or limited domino combinations.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    A region requiring a sum of 4 over 1 cell.

    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 6/0 domino first, as it only fits in one spot. Then, focus on regions with sum 6 over 2 cells, using the 6/6 and 3/6 dominoes. The 1/3 domino helps with the equals constraint over 2 cells. The remaining dominoes fall into place easily.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin with the 0/1 domino in a region that requires a small number. Use the 1/5 and 4/3 dominoes to satisfy the sum 3 over 2 cells and greater 3 over 2 cells constraints. Continue placing dominoes to meet the less 2 over 3 cells and greater 8 over 2 cells constraints. The 0/2 and 4/2 dominoes help with the remaining regions.

  • Hard board · 12 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing the 0/6 domino to satisfy the empty over 1 cell constraint. Use the 4/3 and 2/5 dominoes to meet the sum 4 over 1 cell and sum 7 over 2 cells constraints. The 6/1 domino helps with the less 2 over 1 cell constraint. Continue with the 3/1 and 2/2 dominoes for the equals over 2 cells and sum 4 over 1 cell constraints. Place the 2/6 and 3/5 dominoes to satisfy the greater 2 over 1 cell and less 3 over 1 cell constraints. The 4/6 domino fits into a region with the sum 8 over 2 cells constraint. Use the remaining dominoes to meet the unequal over 3 cells, sum 10 over 2 cells, and less 5 over 1 cell constraints.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
24 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 6 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 8 regions
Hard board
12 dominoes · 15 regions

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