Pips answers for Tuesday, January 6, 2026

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

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Easy Pips answer — January 6, 2026

5 dominoes · 2×5 board · by Ian Livengood

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the “=” region at the top-right: 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 single-cell 1 region at the top-left: 1
  • the 4 region at the top: 0, 4
  • the “=” region at the top-right: 3, 3, 3
  • the 12 region at the bottom: 6, 6
  • the single-cell 1 region at the bottom-right: 1
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. The “=” region at the top-right needs every pip to match — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 1–3 domino vertically on row 1, column 5 and row 2, column 5.
  2. The “=” region at the top-right needs every pip to match (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 3–4 domino horizontally on row 1, column 3 and row 1, column 4.
  3. The 4 region at the top needs a total of exactly 4 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 0–1 domino horizontally on row 1, column 1 and row 1, column 2.
  4. The 12 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 12 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–6 domino horizontally on row 2, column 3 and row 2, column 4.
  5. Row 2, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 1; the 12 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 12 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 2–6 domino horizontally on row 2, column 1 and row 2, column 2.
Full answer board
14=121

Medium Pips answer — January 6, 2026

7 dominoes · 4×7 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the “=” region at the center: all 6 cells must show the same number, and only 2s appear on enough dominoes to fill it.

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

Hard Pips answer — January 6, 2026

16 dominoes · 6×8 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hint 1: where to start

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

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the 12 region at the top-left: 6, 6
  • the 6 region at the top-right: 3, 3
  • the 4 region at the top-right: 2, 2
  • the “=” region at the left: 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
  • the single-cell 0 region at the top-right: 0
  • the single-cell 0 region at the left: 0
  • the “=” region at the center: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
  • the “=” region at the bottom-left: 3, 3
  • the “=” region at the center: 2, 2
  • the 5 region at the bottom-right: 2, 3
  • the single-cell 0 region at the right: 0
  • the “=” region at the bottom-right: 1, 1
  • the 12 region at the bottom-left: 6, 6
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. The 12 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 12 — 4 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 1, column 1 and row 1, column 2.
  2. The 12 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 12 — 2 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 5, column 1 and row 6, column 1.
  3. The “=” region at the left needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 4–6 domino vertically on row 5, column 2 and row 6, column 2.
  4. The “=” region at the left needs every pip to match (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 0–4 domino vertically on row 2, column 1 and row 3, column 1.
  5. Row 4, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 2; the “=” region at the bottom-left needs every pip to match (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 3–4 domino horizontally on row 4, column 1 and row 4, column 2.
  6. The “=” region at the left needs every pip to match (3 of its 6 cells are already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 4–4 domino horizontally on row 2, column 2 and row 2, column 3.
  7. Row 3, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 3; the “=” region at the left needs every pip to match (5 of its 6 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 4–5 domino horizontally on row 3, column 2 and row 3, column 3.
  8. The “=” region at the center needs every pip to match (1 of its 6 cells is already filled) — 3 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 0–5 domino vertically on row 2, column 6 and row 3, column 6.
  9. The single-cell 0 region at the right needs a total of exactly 0 — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 0–3 domino horizontally on row 4, column 7 and row 4, column 8.
  10. The “=” region at the center needs every pip to match (2 of its 6 cells are already filled) — 3 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 2, column 8 and row 3, column 8.
  11. Row 3, column 7 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 7; the “=” region at the center needs every pip to match (3 of its 6 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 vertically on row 2, column 7 and row 3, column 7.
  12. Row 1, column 7 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 8; the 6 region at the top-right needs a total of exactly 6 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 2–3 domino horizontally on row 1, column 7 and row 1, column 8.
  13. The “=” region at the center needs every pip to match (4 of its 6 cells are 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 4 and row 3, column 5.
  14. Row 4, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 5; the “=” region at the center needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 2–2 domino horizontally on row 4, column 4 and row 4, column 5.
  15. The “=” region at the bottom-right needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 1–2 domino horizontally on row 5, column 7 and row 5, column 8.
  16. Row 6, column 8 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 6, column 7; the “=” region at the bottom-right needs every pip to match (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 1–3 domino horizontally on row 6, column 7 and row 6, column 8.
Full answer board
1264=00===50=12