Pips answers for Saturday, November 1, 2025

Hints first, answers last — open only what you need. Puzzles edited by Ian Livengood.

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Easy Pips answer — November 1, 2025

4 dominoes · 3×5 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the “=” region at the top-left: all 3 cells must show the same number, and only 3s appear on enough dominoes to fill it.

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the “=” region at the top-left: 3, 3, 3
  • the “=” region at the top-right: 6, 6
  • the single-cell 4 region at the bottom: 4
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. Row 1, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 2; the “=” region at the top-left needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 3–3 domino horizontally on row 1, column 1 and row 1, column 2.
  2. The “=” region at the top-left needs every pip to match (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 3–6 domino horizontally on row 1, column 3 and row 1, column 4.
  3. The “=” region at the top-right needs every pip to match (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 5–6 domino horizontally on row 2, column 4 and row 2, column 5.
  4. Row 3, column 3 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 3; the single-cell 4 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–4 domino vertically on row 2, column 3 and row 3, column 3.
Full answer board
==4

Medium Pips answer — November 1, 2025

8 dominoes · 4×6 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the 12 region at the left: the only way to make it with these dominoes is 6 + 6.

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the “=” region at the top-left: 4, 4, 4
  • the 12 region at the left: 6, 6
  • the 12 region at the left: 3, 3, 6
  • the 5 region at the center: 2, 3
  • the single-cell 6 region at the right: 6
  • the single-cell 0 region at the center: 0
  • the single-cell 1 region at the right: 1
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. The single-cell 0 region at the center needs a total of exactly 0 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–3 domino vertically on row 3, column 3 and row 4, column 3.
  2. The single-cell 1 region at the right needs a total of exactly 1 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–2 domino horizontally on row 3, column 4 and row 3, column 5.
  3. The single-cell 6 region at the right needs a total of exactly 6 — 3 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 3–6 domino horizontally on row 2, column 5 and row 2, column 6.
  4. The 12 region at the left needs a total of exactly 12 — 3 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 6–6 domino vertically on row 2, column 1 and row 3, column 1.
  5. Row 1, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 2; the “=” region at the top-left needs every pip to match — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 4–4 domino horizontally on row 1, column 1 and row 1, column 2.
  6. The “=” region at the top-left needs every pip to match (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 4–6 domino vertically on row 1, column 3 and row 2, column 3.
  7. Row 2, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 2; the 12 region at the left needs a total of exactly 12 (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 3–3 domino vertically on row 2, column 2 and row 3, column 2.
  8. Row 2, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 4; the 5 region at the center needs a total of exactly 5 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 2–3 domino vertically on row 1, column 4 and row 2, column 4.

This board has more than one valid layout; the steps follow the official answer.

Full answer board
=12125601

Hard Pips answer — November 1, 2025

14 dominoes · 5×8 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the 3 region at the top-left: only 0 + 0 + 3, or 0 + 1 + 2 can make it with these dominoes.

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the 3 region at the top-left: 0, 0, 3
  • the 4 region at the top: 2, 2
  • the “=” region at the top-right: 3, 3, 3
  • the “=” region at the left: 6, 6, 6, 6
  • the “=” region at the right: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • the “=” region at the bottom-left: 2, 2, 2
  • the single-cell 3 region at the bottom: 3
  • the single-cell 1 region at the bottom-left: 1
  • the “=” region at the bottom: 4, 4, 4, 4
  • the single-cell 2 region at the bottom-right: 2
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. The single-cell 1 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 1 — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 1–2 domino vertically on row 4, column 2 and row 5, column 2.
  2. Row 1, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 1; the 3 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 3 — 3 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 0–0 domino vertically on row 1, column 1 and row 2, column 1.
  3. The “=” region at the left needs every pip to match — 4 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 3–6 domino horizontally on row 3, column 1 and row 3, column 2.
  4. The “=” region at the left needs every pip to match (1 of its 4 cells is already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 6–6 domino horizontally on row 3, column 3 and row 3, column 4.
  5. The “=” region at the left needs every pip to match (3 of its 4 cells are already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 2–6 domino horizontally on row 2, column 4 and row 2, column 5.
  6. Row 1, column 5 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 4; the 4 region at the top needs a total of exactly 4 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — 3 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 0–2 domino horizontally on row 1, column 4 and row 1, column 5.
  7. The “=” region at the bottom-left needs every pip to match (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — 3 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 2–2 domino horizontally on row 4, column 3 and row 4, column 4.
  8. The single-cell 2 region at the bottom-right needs a total of exactly 2 — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 2–5 domino vertically on row 4, column 7 and row 5, column 7.
  9. The “=” region at the right needs every pip to match (1 of its 5 cells is already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 5–5 domino horizontally on row 3, column 5 and row 3, column 6.
  10. Row 3, column 7 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 8; the “=” region at the right needs every pip to match (3 of its 5 cells are already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 3–5 domino horizontally on row 3, column 7 and row 3, column 8.
  11. Row 1, column 8 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 8; the “=” region at the top-right needs every pip to match (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 3–3 domino vertically on row 1, column 8 and row 2, column 8.
  12. The single-cell 3 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–4 domino vertically on row 4, column 5 and row 5, column 5.
  13. Row 4, column 6 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 5, column 6; the “=” region at the right needs every pip to match (4 of its 5 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 4–5 domino vertically on row 4, column 6 and row 5, column 6.
  14. Row 5, column 3 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 5, column 4; the “=” region at the bottom needs every pip to match (2 of its 4 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 4–4 domino horizontally on row 5, column 3 and row 5, column 4.
Full answer board
34====31=2