TodayHint

Pips October 18, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The easy board requires logical placement of 5 dominoes. The medium board adds complexity with 7 dominoes and varied constraints. The hard board demands strategic thinking with 15 dominoes and 16 regions.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 5 regions

6–14–31–51–14–1

  • five cells: exactly 5.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • one cell: exactly 5.
  • two cells: exactly 9.
  • one cell: left uncovered.

Small number of dominoes and simple constraints make this easy.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 7 regions

6–34–26–45–32–14–42–5

  • two cells: more than 7.
  • one cell: exactly 4.
  • four cells: all different.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • one cell: under 2.
  • two cells: exactly 10.
  • one cell: under 5.

More dominoes and varied constraints increase the challenge.

Hard board · 15 dominoes · 16 regions

6–33–26–21–32–00–31–42–43–44–66–65–32–52–22–1

  • two cells: exactly 2.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • three cells: exactly 12.
  • 2 ×one cell: under 2.
  • 3 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • four cells: all matching.
  • three cells: under 9.
  • two cells: under 5.
  • one cell: more than 4.
  • one cell: exactly 5.
  • two cells: under 7.
  • two cells: exactly 3.
  • two cells: exactly 9.

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, 5 regions (3 sum, 1 empty, 1 greater)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 7 regions (2 less, 2 sum, 1 equals, 1 greater, 1 unequal)
    Hard board
    15 dominoes, 16 regions (5 less, 5 sum, 3 empty, 2 equals, 1 greater)
    Back to the board inventories
  2. Easy board: how to approach it

    Method only.

    Start by identifying regions with unique constraints, then look for dominoes that can only fit in one place.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    The region that must be empty.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with strict constraints, such as equals or less than, to place dominoes first.

    The region with the equals constraint over 3 cells.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Begin with regions that have limited possibilities, such as the sum 2 over 2 cells or empty regions.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    One of the empty regions.

    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 1/1 domino in the empty region. Then, use the sum 5 over 5 cells region to place the 6/1 and 4/3 dominoes. Next, place the 1/5 domino in the sum 5 over 1 cell region. Finally, place the 4/1 domino in the sum 9 over 2 cells region.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Place the 4/4 domino in the equals over 3 cells region. Then, use the less 2 over 1 cell region to place the 2/1 domino. Next, place the 6/3 and 6/4 dominoes in the greater 7 over 2 cells region. Continue with the remaining dominoes, using the sum and unequal constraints to guide placements.

  • Hard board · 15 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Place the 0/3 domino in one empty region. Then, place the 2/0 domino in the other empty region. Next, use the sum 2 over 2 cells region to place the 1/1 and 2/1 dominoes, but be careful of the less 2 over 1 cell constraint. Continue placing dominoes, focusing on regions with strict constraints like equals and sum 12. Use the process of elimination to place the remaining dominoes, taking into account the greater 4 over 1 cell and less 7 over 2 cells constraints. Finally, adjust placements as needed to satisfy all constraints.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
27 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 5 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 7 regions
Hard board
15 dominoes · 16 regions

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