Pips answers for Thursday, June 4, 2026
Hints first, answers last — open only what you need. Puzzles edited by Ian Livengood.
Easy Pips answer — June 4, 2026
5 dominoes · 5×3 board · by Ian Livengood
Hint 1: where to start
Start with the 15 region at the left: only 4 + 5 + 6, or 5 + 5 + 5 can make it with these dominoes.
Hint 2: the pips in each region
- the 8 region at the top-left: 4, 4
- the single-cell 2 region at the top-right: 2
- the 15 region at the left: 5, 5, 5
- the “=” region at the bottom-left: 6, 6
- the single-cell 2 region at the bottom: 2
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
- The 8 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 8 — 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 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 1; the 8 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 8 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 4–5 domino vertically on row 1, column 1 and row 2, column 1.
- The “=” region at the bottom-left needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 2–6 domino horizontally on row 5, column 1 and row 5, column 2.
- The 15 region at the left needs a total of exactly 15 (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 5–6 domino vertically on row 3, column 1 and row 4, column 1.
- Row 3, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 3; the 15 region at the left needs a total of exactly 15 (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 1–5 domino horizontally on row 3, column 2 and row 3, column 3.
Full answer board
8215=2
Medium Pips answer — June 4, 2026
9 dominoes · 4×8 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan
Hint 1: where to start
Start with the 15 region at the left: only 3 + 6 + 6, or 4 + 5 + 6 can make it with these dominoes.
Hint 2: the pips in each region
- the 15 region at the left: 3, 6, 6
- the “=” region at the top: 1, 1, 1
- the “<3” region at the top-right: 0, 0
- the single-cell 5 region at the right: 5
- the “=” region at the bottom: 2, 2
- the 5 region at the bottom-right: 2, 3
- the single-cell 5 region at the bottom-right: 5
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
- The 15 region at the left needs a total of exactly 15 — nothing else fits. Place the 6–6 domino vertically on row 1, column 1 and row 2, column 1.
- The “=” region at the top needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 1–1 domino horizontally on row 1, column 4 and row 1, column 5.
- Row 1, column 3 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 2; the “=” region at the top needs every pip to match (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 0–1 domino horizontally on row 1, column 2 and row 1, column 3.
- Row 3, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 1; the 15 region at the left needs a total of exactly 15 (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 0–3 domino vertically on row 3, column 1 and row 4, column 1.
- The “<3” region at the top-right must total less than 3 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 0–5 domino vertically on row 1, column 8 and row 2, column 8.
- The “=” region at the bottom needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 2–5 domino horizontally on row 4, column 5 and row 4, column 6.
- Row 3, column 5 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 6; 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 2–4 domino horizontally on row 3, column 5 and row 3, column 6.
- Row 1, column 7 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 6; the “<3” region at the top-right must total less than 3 (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 0–4 domino horizontally on row 1, column 6 and row 1, column 7.
- Row 3, column 8 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 8; the 5 region at the bottom-right needs a total of exactly 5 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 2–3 domino vertically on row 3, column 8 and row 4, column 8.
This board has more than one valid layout; the steps follow the official answer.
Full answer board
15=<35=55
Hard Pips answer — June 4, 2026
15 dominoes · 9×9 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan
Hint 1: where to start
Start with the “>10” region at the top: only 5 + 6, or 6 + 6 can make it with these dominoes.
Hint 2: the pips in each region
- the single-cell 1 region at the top-left: 1
- the single-cell 1 region at the top-left: 1
- the single-cell 0 region at the top-left: 0
- the “>10” region at the top: 5, 6
- the single-cell 0 region at the top-right: 0
- the 10 region at the top-right: 4, 6
- the 10 region at the top-left: 4, 6
- the 10 region at the top-right: 2, 2, 6
- the single-cell 1 region at the top-right: 1
- the single-cell 1 region at the left: 1
- the “=” region at the right: 6, 6, 6
- the single-cell 1 region at the left: 1
- the single-cell 1 region at the center: 1
- the “=” region at the bottom-left: 4, 4, 4
- the “=” region at the bottom: 3, 3, 3, 3
- the “=” region at the bottom: 5, 5
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 1 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 1 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–1 domino horizontally on row 1, column 1 and row 1, column 2.
- The 10 region at the top-right needs a total of exactly 10 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 0–6 domino vertically on row 1, column 7 and row 2, column 7.
- The single-cell 0 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 0 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–4 domino vertically on row 1, column 3 and row 2, column 3.
- Row 3, column 3 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 3; the 10 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 10 (1 of its 2 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 1–6 domino vertically on row 3, column 3 and row 4, column 3.
- The “=” region at the bottom needs every pip to match — 3 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 1–3 domino vertically on row 6, column 5 and row 7, column 5.
- The 10 region at the top-right needs a total of exactly 10 (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 1–2 domino horizontally on row 3, column 7 and row 3, column 8.
- Row 4, column 7 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 5, column 7; the 10 region at the top-right needs a total of exactly 10 (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 2–6 domino vertically on row 4, column 7 and row 5, column 7.
- Row 5, column 8 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 5, column 9; the “=” region at the right needs every pip to match (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 6–6 domino horizontally on row 5, column 8 and row 5, column 9.
- Row 6, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 7, column 2; the single-cell 1 region at the left needs a total of exactly 1 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–4 domino vertically on row 6, column 2 and row 7, column 2.
- The “=” region at the bottom-left needs every pip to match (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 4–4 domino vertically on row 8, column 2 and row 9, column 2.
- The “=” region at the bottom needs every pip to match (1 of its 4 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 3–6 domino vertically on row 7, column 3 and row 8, column 3.
- The “=” region at the bottom needs every pip to match (2 of its 4 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 3–3 domino horizontally on row 8, column 4 and row 8, column 5.
- Row 9, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 9, column 5; the “=” region at the bottom needs every pip to match — nothing else fits. Place the 5–5 domino horizontally on row 9, column 4 and row 9, column 5.
- Row 1, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 5; the “>10” region at the top must total more than 10 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 5–6 domino horizontally on row 1, column 4 and row 1, column 5.
- Row 1, column 8 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 1, column 9; the 10 region at the top-right needs a total of exactly 10 — 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 horizontally on row 1, column 8 and row 1, column 9.
This board has more than one valid layout; the steps follow the official answer.
Full answer board
110>10010101011=11===