Pips answers for Thursday, April 30, 2026
Hints first, answers last — open only what you need. Puzzles edited by Ian Livengood.
Easy Pips answer — April 30, 2026
5 dominoes · 3×5 board · by Ian Livengood
Hint 1: where to start
Start with the 4 region at the top: only 0 + 2 + 2, or 1 + 1 + 2 can make it with these dominoes.
Hint 2: the pips in each region
- the single-cell 4 region at the top-left: 4
- the 4 region at the top: 1, 1, 2
- the single-cell 4 region at the left: 4
- the single-cell 4 region at the bottom-left: 4
- the single-cell “>4” region at the bottom: 5
- the 4 region at the bottom-right: 2, 2
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
- The single-cell 4 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 4–5 domino horizontally on row 3, column 2 and row 3, column 3.
- The single-cell 4 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 4 — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 2–4 domino horizontally on row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3.
- Row 1, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 4; the 4 region at the top needs a total of exactly 4 (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 1–1 domino vertically on row 1, column 4 and row 2, column 4.
- Row 2, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 1; the single-cell 4 region at the left needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–4 domino horizontally on row 2, column 1 and row 2, column 2.
- Row 3, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 5; the 4 region at the bottom-right needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 2–2 domino horizontally on row 3, column 4 and row 3, column 5.
Full answer board
4444>44
Medium Pips answer — April 30, 2026
7 dominoes · 3×6 board · by Ian Livengood
Hint 1: where to start
Start with the 3 region at the bottom-right: only 0 + 3, or 1 + 2 can make it with these dominoes.
Hint 2: the pips in each region
- the single-cell 3 region at the top-left: 3
- the “>8” region at the top-left: 5, 5
- the “=” region at the top-right: 6, 6
- the “=” region at the center: 2, 2, 2
- the single-cell 3 region at the bottom-left: 3
- the “=” region at the bottom: 1, 1
- the 3 region at the bottom-right: 0, 3
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
- Row 1, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 2; the single-cell 3 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–5 domino horizontally on row 1, column 1 and row 1, column 2.
- The single-cell 3 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 3 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 1–3 domino horizontally on row 3, column 2 and row 3, column 3.
- The “=” region at the bottom needs every pip to match (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 1–2 domino vertically on row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 4.
- The “=” region at the center needs every pip to match (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 2–5 domino horizontally on row 2, column 2 and row 2, column 3.
- The “=” region at the top-right needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 2–6 domino vertically on row 1, column 5 and row 2, column 5.
- Row 1, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 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 1–6 domino horizontally on row 1, column 3 and row 1, column 4.
- Row 3, column 5 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 6; the 3 region at the bottom-right needs a total of exactly 3 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 0–3 domino horizontally on row 3, column 5 and row 3, column 6.
This board has more than one valid layout; the steps follow the official answer.
Full answer board
3>8==3=3
Hard Pips answer — April 30, 2026
15 dominoes · 5×6 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan
Hint 1: where to start
Start with the 4 region at the top-right: only 0 + 4, or 1 + 3, or 2 + 2 can make it with these dominoes.
Hint 2: the pips in each region
- the single-cell 2 region at the top-left: 2
- the single-cell 4 region at the top-left: 4
- the single-cell 2 region at the top: 2
- the single-cell 3 region at the top: 3
- the single-cell 4 region at the top-right: 4
- the 4 region at the top-right: 2, 2
- the single-cell 5 region at the top-left: 5
- the single-cell 5 region at the top-left: 5
- the single-cell 3 region at the top: 3
- the single-cell 0 region at the top: 0
- the single-cell 5 region at the top-right: 5
- the single-cell 5 region at the left: 5
- the single-cell 0 region at the right: 0
- the single-cell 0 region at the bottom-left: 0
- the single-cell 0 region at the bottom-left: 0
- the single-cell 4 region at the bottom: 4
- the single-cell 2 region at the bottom-right: 2
- the single-cell “<3” region at the bottom-right: 1
- the single-cell 4 region at the bottom-left: 4
- the single-cell 4 region at the bottom-left: 4
- the single-cell 3 region at the bottom: 3
- the single-cell 3 region at the bottom: 3
- the single-cell 0 region at the bottom-right: 0
- the single-cell “>3” region at the bottom-right: 5
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
- The single-cell 5 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 5 — nothing else fits. Place the 2–5 domino vertically on row 1, column 1 and row 2, column 1.
- The single-cell 4 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–4 domino vertically on row 4, column 1 and row 5, column 1.
- The single-cell 4 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–4 domino horizontally on row 5, column 2 and row 5, column 3.
- The single-cell 3 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–3 domino horizontally on row 5, column 4 and row 5, column 5.
- The single-cell 3 region at the top needs a total of exactly 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 2–3 domino horizontally on row 1, column 3 and row 1, column 4.
- Row 1, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 2; the single-cell 4 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 4–5 domino vertically on row 1, column 2 and row 2, column 2.
- The single-cell 4 region at the top-right needs a total of exactly 4 — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 2–4 domino horizontally on row 1, column 5 and row 1, column 6.
- The 4 region at the top-right needs a total of exactly 4 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 0–2 domino vertically on row 2, column 6 and row 3, column 6.
- The single-cell 2 region at the bottom-right needs a total of exactly 2 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–2 domino vertically on row 3, column 5 and row 4, column 5.
- The single-cell 0 region at the top needs a total of exactly 0 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–5 domino horizontally on row 2, column 4 and row 2, column 5.
- The single-cell 0 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 0 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–1 domino horizontally on row 4, column 2 and row 4, column 3.
- Row 4, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 4; the single-cell 4 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–4 domino vertically on row 3, column 4 and row 4, column 4.
- Row 4, column 6 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 5, column 6; the single-cell “<3” region at the bottom-right must total less than 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–5 domino vertically on row 4, column 6 and row 5, column 6.
- 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 needs a total of exactly 5 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–5 domino horizontally on row 3, column 1 and row 3, column 2.
- Row 2, column 3 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 3; the single-cell 3 region at the top needs a total of exactly 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–3 domino vertically on row 2, column 3 and row 3, column 3.
Full answer board
24234455305500042<344330>3