Pips answers for Saturday, July 18, 2026

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

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Easy Pips answer — July 18, 2026

5 dominoes · 3×5 board · by Ian Livengood

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the “=” region at the center: all 3 cells must show the same number, and only 2 or 4 appear on enough dominoes to fill it.

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the “=” region at the top-left: 2, 2
  • the “=” region at the center: 4, 4, 4
  • the single-cell “>2” region at the left: 3
  • the single-cell “>4” region at the left: 5
  • the single-cell “>4” region at the right: 6
  • the single-cell 2 region at the bottom-right: 2
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 4–6 domino horizontally on row 2, column 4 and row 2, column 5.
  2. The “=” region at the center needs every pip to match (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 4–4 domino vertically on row 1, column 3 and row 2, column 3.
  3. The “=” region at the top-left 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 horizontally on row 1, column 1 and row 1, column 2.
  4. Row 2, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 2; the single-cell “>2” region at the left must total more than 2 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–5 domino horizontally on row 2, column 1 and row 2, column 2.
  5. Row 3, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 3; the single-cell 2 region at the bottom-right needs a total of exactly 2 — nothing else fits. Place the 2–3 domino horizontally on row 3, column 3 and row 3, column 4.
Full answer board
==>2>4>42

Medium Pips answer — July 18, 2026

7 dominoes · 4×6 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the 10 region at the left: only 4 + 6, or 5 + 5 can make it with these dominoes.

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the “≠” region at the top-right: 1, 2
  • the 10 region at the left: 5, 5
  • the 7 region at the center: 1, 3, 3
  • the single-cell “<4” region at the center: 1
  • the 10 region at the right: 2, 2, 6
  • the “=” region at the bottom-left: 6, 6
  • the single-cell “<6” region at the bottom: 4
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. Row 1, column 5 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 2, column 5; the “≠” region at the top-right needs every pip to be different — 4 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 1, column 5 and row 2, column 5.
  2. The 10 region at the right needs a total of exactly 10 — 5 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 2–2 domino horizontally on row 3, column 5 and row 3, column 6.
  3. The single-cell “<4” region at the center must total less than 4 — 2 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 1–1 domino horizontally on row 2, column 3 and row 2, column 4.
  4. The 7 region at the center needs a total of exactly 7 (1 of its 3 cells is already filled) — 3 placements fit here for now; this one matches the official answer (this board has more than one valid layout). Place the 3–3 domino vertically on row 3, column 3 and row 4, column 3.
  5. Row 3, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 4; the 10 region at the right needs a total of exactly 10 (2 of its 3 cells are already filled) — nothing else fits. Place the 4–6 domino vertically on row 3, column 4 and row 4, column 4.
  6. Row 2, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 2; the 10 region at the left needs a total of exactly 10 — nothing else fits. Place the 5–5 domino vertically on row 2, column 2 and row 3, column 2.
  7. 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 — nothing else fits. Place the 6–6 domino horizontally on row 4, column 1 and row 4, column 2.

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

Full answer board
≠107<410=<6

Hard Pips answer — July 18, 2026

16 dominoes · 8×4 board · by Rodolfo Kurchan

Hint 1: where to start

Start with the single-cell 1 region at the top-left: the only way to make it with these dominoes is 1.

Hint 2: the pips in each region
  • the single-cell 1 region at the top-left: 1
  • the single-cell 2 region at the top: 2
  • the single-cell 3 region at the top: 3
  • the single-cell 5 region at the top-right: 5
  • the single-cell 1 region at the top-left: 1
  • the single-cell 5 region at the top: 5
  • the single-cell 1 region at the top: 1
  • the single-cell 2 region at the top-right: 2
  • the single-cell 4 region at the top-left: 4
  • the single-cell 4 region at the top: 4
  • the single-cell 3 region at the top: 3
  • the single-cell 3 region at the top-right: 3
  • the single-cell 5 region at the center: 5
  • the single-cell 5 region at the center: 5
  • the single-cell 3 region at the right: 3
  • the single-cell 3 region at the left: 3
  • the single-cell 2 region at the center: 2
  • the single-cell 0 region at the center: 0
  • the single-cell 0 region at the right: 0
  • the single-cell 2 region at the bottom-left: 2
  • the single-cell 1 region at the bottom: 1
  • the single-cell 5 region at the bottom: 5
  • the single-cell 4 region at the bottom-left: 4
  • the single-cell 0 region at the bottom: 0
  • the single-cell 4 region at the bottom: 4
  • the single-cell “>3” region at the bottom-right: 6
  • the single-cell 4 region at the bottom-left: 4
  • the single-cell 0 region at the bottom: 0
  • the single-cell 2 region at the bottom: 2
  • the single-cell 0 region at the bottom-right: 0
Hint 3: step-by-step solution
  1. The single-cell 1 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 1 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–2 domino horizontally on row 1, column 1 and row 1, column 2.
  2. The single-cell 3 region at the top-right needs a total of exactly 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 2–3 domino vertically on row 2, column 4 and row 3, column 4.
  3. The single-cell 3 region at the top needs a total of exactly 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–5 domino horizontally on row 1, column 3 and row 1, column 4.
  4. The single-cell 5 region at the center needs a total of exactly 5 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–5 domino vertically on row 4, column 3 and row 5, column 3.
  5. Row 4, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 5, column 4; the single-cell 3 region at the right needs a total of exactly 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–3 domino vertically on row 4, column 4 and row 5, column 4.
  6. The single-cell 2 region at the center needs a total of exactly 2 — nothing else fits. Place the 2–5 domino vertically on row 4, column 2 and row 5, column 2.
  7. The single-cell 2 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 2 — nothing else fits. Place the 2–4 domino vertically on row 6, column 1 and row 7, column 1.
  8. The single-cell 4 region at the top-left needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 1–4 domino vertically on row 2, column 1 and row 3, column 1.
  9. Row 8, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 8, column 2; the single-cell 4 region at the bottom-left needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–4 domino horizontally on row 8, column 1 and row 8, column 2.
  10. The single-cell 0 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 0 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–1 domino vertically on row 6, column 2 and row 7, column 2.
  11. The single-cell 2 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 2 — nothing else fits. Place the 0–2 domino horizontally on row 8, column 3 and row 8, column 4.
  12. The single-cell 5 region at the top needs a total of exactly 5 — 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 2, column 2 and row 2, column 3.
  13. Row 3, column 2 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 3, column 3; the single-cell 4 region at the top needs a total of exactly 4 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–4 domino horizontally on row 3, column 2 and row 3, column 3.
  14. Row 5, column 1 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 4, column 1; the single-cell 3 region at the left needs a total of exactly 3 — 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 4, column 1 and row 5, column 1.
  15. The single-cell 5 region at the bottom needs a total of exactly 5 — 2 placements fit here for now, but every other one leaves some region impossible a few moves later. Place the 4–5 domino vertically on row 6, column 3 and row 7, column 3.
  16. Row 7, column 4 has only one open neighbor, so its domino must run to row 6, column 4; the single-cell “>3” region at the bottom-right must total more than 3 — nothing else fits. Place the 3–6 domino vertically on row 6, column 4 and row 7, column 4.
Full answer board
1235151244335533200215404>34020