Pips answers for Thursday, December 18, 2025

Start with the 5 region at the center: the only way to make it with these dominoes is 2 + 3.

• the “=” region at the top-right: 4, 4
• the 9 region at the right: 3, 6
• the single-cell “>5” region at the left: 6
• the 5 region at the center: 2, 3
• the single-cell “>5” region at the bottom-right: 6

1. Row 3, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 2; the single-cell “>5” region at the left must total more than 5 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–6 domino horizontally on row 3, column 1 and row 3, column 2.
2. Row 3, column 3 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, 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 2–2 domino horizontally on row 3, column 3 and row 3, column 4.
3. The 9 region at the right needs a total of exactly 9 — nothing else fits. Place the 6–6 domino vertically on row 3, column 5 and row 4, column 5.
4. The “=” region at the top-right needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 3–4 domino vertically on row 1, column 5 and row 2, column 5.
5. Row 1, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 4; the “=” region at the top-right needs every pip to match (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 4–5 domino vertically on row 1, column 4 and row 2, column 4.

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

• the 8 region at the top: 2, 3, 3
• the single-cell “>4” region at the left: 6
• the 3 region at the center: 1, 1, 1
• the single-cell “>4” region at the right: 5
• the single-cell 6 region at the bottom-left: 6
• the 8 region at the bottom: 4, 4

1. Row 2, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 1; the single-cell “>4” region at the left must total more than 4 — 3 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 3–6 domino vertically on row 2, column 1 and row 3, column 1.
2. The single-cell 6 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 6 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–6 domino vertically on row 3, column 2 and row 4, column 2.
3. The 8 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 8 — 3 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 1–4 domino vertically on row 3, column 3 and row 4, column 3.
4. The 8 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 8 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 3–4 domino horizontally on row 4, column 4 and row 4, column 5.
5. The 3 region at the center needs a total of exactly 3 (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 1–5 domino horizontally on row 3, column 4 and row 3, column 5.
6. Row 1, column 3 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 3; the 8 region at the top needs a total of exactly 8 — 3 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 3–3 domino vertically on row 1, column 3 and row 2, column 3.
7. Row 2, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 5; the 8 region at the top needs a total of exactly 8 (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 0–2 domino horizontally on row 2, column 4 and row 2, column 5.

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

• the single-cell 2 region at the top-left: 2
• the single-cell 5 region at the top: 5
• the single-cell 0 region at the top-right: 0
• the single-cell “>2” region at the top-left: 4
• the single-cell 4 region at the top-left: 4
• the “≠” region at the center: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• the “=” region at the right: 3, 3, 3
• the single-cell 1 region at the center: 1
• the single-cell 5 region at the right: 5
• the single-cell 3 region at the bottom-left: 3
• the single-cell 6 region at the bottom: 6
• the single-cell 2 region at the bottom: 2
• the 2 region at the bottom-right: 1, 1
• the “=” region at the bottom-left: 4, 4
• the single-cell 6 region at the bottom: 6
• the single-cell 3 region at the bottom: 3

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