TodayHint

Pips October 16, 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 5 regions. The medium board adds more complexity with 7 dominoes and 10 regions. The hard board is the most challenging, with 14 dominoes and 17 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 · 5 regions

3–55–46–44–42–1

  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • two cells: exactly 5.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • four cells: all matching.
  • one cell: more than 1.

Small number of dominoes and regions makes it manageable.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 10 regions

1–55–44–25–50–34–01–0

  • 2 ×one cell: under 1.
  • 2 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • two cells: exactly 3.
  • one cell: more than 2.
  • two cells: exactly 1.
  • 2 ×two cells: more than 9.
  • one cell: more than 3.

More regions and dominoes increase the complexity.

Hard board · 14 dominoes · 17 regions

5–54–33–20–11–24–52–61–51–10–03–04–13–52–4

  • 4 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: exactly 4.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • three cells: more than 8.
  • 2 ×one cell: exactly 1.
  • one cell: exactly 6.
  • two cells: exactly 2.
  • one cell: exactly 5.
  • two cells: all different.
  • three cells: more than 9.
  • four cells: all matching.
  • one cell: exactly 0.
  • one cell: exactly 2.

Large number of dominoes and regions, combined with complex constraints, make it 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, 5 regions (2 equals, 1 empty, 1 greater, 1 sum)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 10 regions (4 greater, 2 empty, 2 less, 2 sum)
    Hard board
    14 dominoes, 17 regions (8 sum, 4 empty, 2 equals, 2 greater, 1 unequal)
    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 those with specific numerical constraints.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    The region with the 'greater 1 over 1 cell' constraint, as it has limited possibilities.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with multiple constraints that can be satisfied simultaneously, and prioritize dominoes with unique values.

    The region with the 'sum 3 over 2 cells' constraint, as it's likely to have limited options.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with strict constraints, such as 'equals over 3 cells' or 'sum 1 over 1 cell', and use dominoes with low values to satisfy these conditions.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    The region with the 'sum 4 over 1 cell' constraint, as it has a limited range of possibilities.

    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 2/1 domino to satisfy the 'greater 1' region. Then, use the 4/4 domino in the 'equals over 4 cells' region. Next, place the 6/4 domino, followed by the 5/4 domino in the 'sum 5 over 2 cells' region. Finally, place the 3/5 domino.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin with the 5/5 domino in a sum region. Place the 4/0 and 1/0 dominoes to satisfy comparison constraints. Use the 1/5 and 5/4 dominoes to fill in regions with specific sums. Continue with the remaining dominoes, focusing on satisfying multiple constraints at once.

  • Hard board · 14 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing dominoes with low values, such as 0/0, 0/1, and 1/1, in regions with strict constraints. Use the 5/5 domino in a sum region, and then place the 4/5 and 5/4 dominoes to satisfy comparison constraints. Continue filling in regions, prioritizing those with multiple constraints. The 2/6 domino can be used to satisfy a comparison constraint, and the 3/5 domino can be placed in a sum region. As the board fills in, focus on satisfying the remaining constraints, using dominoes like 4/3 and 3/2 to fill in gaps.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Friday, October 16, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
26 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 5 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 10 regions
Hard board
14 dominoes · 17 regions

More Pips

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

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