Pips #28 Solutions (October 23, 2026): Easy, Medium and Hard Answers

Pips #28 is day 28 of Puzzlune Pips: three domino boards for Friday, October 23, 2026, Easy with 5 dominoes on a 5×3 grid, Medium with 7 dominoes on a 5×4 grid, Hard with 10 dominoes on a 6×5 grid. Every region on a board carries a rule, shown as a badge: a number means the pips inside add up to it, “=” means every pip is the same, “≠” means all different, and “<” or “>” compare the region's total to a number. Below, each board's regions are listed with what their rule demands, followed by the full placement.

Pips #28 in numbers

Easy	5×3 · 5 dominoes · 3 regions
Medium	5×4 · 7 dominoes · 5 regions
Hard	6×5 · 10 dominoes · 6 regions

Easy: 5×3 board, 5 dominoes, 3 regions

The dominoes are 5–3, 6–6, 3–2, 0–1, 5–6: 37 pips over 10 cells. The 3 sum regions ask for 37 pips across 10 cells, so the remaining 0 cells share the other 0. This board accepts 4 valid arrangements; one is shown below.

Region	Cells	Rule
15	3	adds up to 15 (average 5.0 per cell)
14	4	adds up to 14 (average 3.5 per cell)
8	3	adds up to 8 (average 2.7 per cell)

Easy board: the solution

Pip counts per cell; colours mark the regions, the small label is the region's rule.

214315566610538

Domino by domino: 5–3 across row 3, columns 4–5; 6–6 across row 2, columns 3–4; 2–3 across row 1, columns 2–3; 1–0 across row 3, columns 2–3; 5–6 across row 2, columns 1–2.

Medium: 5×4 board, 7 dominoes, 5 regions

The dominoes are 6–6, 2–2, 1–1, 6–2, 5–1, 5–5, 2–4: 48 pips over 14 cells. The 4 sum regions ask for 42 pips across 11 cells, so the remaining 3 cells share the other 6. 1 region needs every pip the same, which only doubles or matching halves of different dominoes can supply. The arrangement below is the unique answer.

Region	Cells	Rule
=	3	all pips equal
15	3	adds up to 15 (average 5.0 per cell)
9	3	adds up to 9 (average 3.0 per cell)
16	3	adds up to 16 (average 5.3 per cell)
2	2	adds up to 2 (average 1.0 per cell)

Medium board: the solution

Pip counts per cell; colours mark the regions, the small label is the region's rule.

55156165294612161222=

Domino by domino: 6–6 down column 5, rows 1–2; 2–2 across row 4, columns 4–5; 1–1 down column 1, rows 3–4; 6–2 down column 3, rows 3–4; 5–1 down column 2, rows 2–3; 5–5 across row 1, columns 2–3; 2–4 across row 2, columns 3–4.

Hard: 6×5 board, 10 dominoes, 6 regions

The dominoes are 2–5, 0–1, 1–3, 1–1, 3–3, 6–6, 1–2, 6–5, 4–2, 5–3: 60 pips over 20 cells. The 3 sum regions ask for 28 pips across 8 cells, so the remaining 12 cells share the other 32. 2 regions need every pip the same, which only doubles or matching halves of different dominoes can supply. This board accepts 8 valid arrangements; one is shown below.

Region	Cells	Rule
12	2	adds up to 12 (average 6.0 per cell)
7	3	adds up to 7 (average 2.3 per cell)
=	4	all pips equal
<19	4	total below 19
9	3	adds up to 9 (average 3.0 per cell)
=	4	all pips equal

Hard board: the solution

Pip counts per cell; colours mark the regions, the small label is the region's rule.

2507111=695<19133=12533426612

Domino by domino: 2–5 across row 1, columns 3–4; 0–1 down column 5, rows 1–2; 1–3 down column 6, rows 2–3; 1–1 down column 4, rows 2–3; 3–3 down column 5, rows 3–4; 6–6 across row 5, columns 5–6; 1–2 across row 4, columns 1–2; 6–5 across row 3, columns 2–3; 4–2 across row 5, columns 2–3; 5–3 across row 4, columns 3–4.

Back to the Pips archive, today's puzzles, or how to play Pips.

Pips #28 (October 23, 2026): the three boards and their solutions

Pips #28 in numbers

Easy: 5×3 board, 5 dominoes, 3 regions

Medium: 5×4 board, 7 dominoes, 5 regions

Hard: 6×5 board, 10 dominoes, 6 regions

More free daily puzzles