TodayHint

Pips October 21, 2026: Hints & Answers

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

Recap

The easy board requires strategic placement to satisfy simple constraints. The medium board adds complexity with more dominoes and constraints. The hard board demands careful planning to fit many restrictive conditions.

The three boards that day

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

Easy board · 5 dominoes · 7 regions

3–62–41–06–64–0

  • 2 ×one cell: left uncovered.
  • 2 ×two cells: exactly 10.
  • one cell: more than 4.
  • two cells: exactly 5.
  • one cell: under 1.

Small number of dominoes and simple constraints make this easy.

Medium board · 7 dominoes · 8 regions

2–61–13–41–54–41–02–5

  • one cell: more than 4.
  • three cells: all different.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • two cells: more than 7.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • two cells: more than 5.
  • one cell: exactly 6.
  • two cells: exactly 8.

More dominoes and complex constraints make this medium difficulty.

Hard board · 16 dominoes · 22 regions

4–34–42–21–32–04–01–42–43–50–05–42–11–55–52–53–6

  • one cell: under 3.
  • one cell: more than 3.
  • three cells: all matching.
  • 4 ×one cell: exactly 5.
  • one cell: more than 1.
  • one cell: exactly 2.
  • two cells: under 3.
  • one cell: exactly 1.
  • two cells: all matching.
  • one cell: left uncovered.
  • one cell: more than 0.
  • 3 ×one cell: exactly 3.
  • two cells: exactly 9.
  • three cells: exactly 7.
  • two cells: all different.
  • two cells: exactly 3.
  • two cells: exactly 0.

Large number of 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, 7 regions (3 sum, 2 empty, 1 greater, 1 less)
    Medium board
    7 dominoes, 8 regions (3 greater, 2 sum, 1 empty, 1 equals, 1 unequal)
    Hard board
    16 dominoes, 22 regions (13 sum, 3 greater, 2 equals, 2 less, 1 empty, 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 sums and comparisons.

  3. Easy board: where to start

    One region named by its constraint.

    Begin with the region that must be empty over 1 cell.

  4. Medium board: approach and first region

    The same two steps, one difficulty up.

    Look for regions with strict constraints like equals or specific sums, and try to place dominoes that satisfy multiple conditions at once.

    Start with the region that requires a sum of 6 over 1 cell.

  5. Hard board: how to approach it

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

    Focus on regions with the most restrictive constraints, like specific sums or comparisons, and try to build from there.

  6. Hard board: where to start

    The last rung before the full walkthroughs.

    Begin with a region that has a sum constraint 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 6/6 domino, then the 4/0 and 1/0 dominoes in a way that satisfies the sum 10 constraints. Next, place the 3/6 and 2/4 dominoes, ensuring the greater 4 and sum 5 conditions are met. Finally, adjust to fit the less 1 condition.

  • Medium board · 7 dominoes

    Medium board walkthrough

    Begin by placing the 1/0 domino to satisfy the empty condition. Then, place the 2/6 and 1/1 dominoes to meet the greater 4 and unequal conditions. Continue with the 3/4 and 4/4 dominoes, ensuring the greater 7 and sum 8 conditions are satisfied. Finish with the remaining dominoes, adjusting to fit the greater 5 and sum 6 conditions.

  • Hard board · 16 dominoes

    Hard board walkthrough

    Start by placing the 0/0 domino to satisfy the empty condition. Then, place the 1/3 and 2/2 dominoes to meet some of the comparison conditions. Continue with the 4/3 and 4/4 dominoes, ensuring the sum and equals conditions are satisfied. Next, place the 2/0 and 2/1 dominoes to fit the less 3 and greater 1 conditions. Then, adjust the 3/5, 5/4, and 5/5 dominoes to satisfy the sum 5 and greater 0 conditions. Finish with the remaining dominoes, carefully satisfying the sum 9, sum 7, and unequal conditions.

Those boards by the numbers

Date
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Boards
3 — easy, medium, hard
Dominoes in play
28 across the three boards
Easy board
5 dominoes · 7 regions
Medium board
7 dominoes · 8 regions
Hard board
16 dominoes · 22 regions

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