Connections, a word game launched by The New York Times in June 2023, has quickly become a favorite among players, holding the distinction of being the news outlet’s second most-played game after Wordle. Unlike Wordle, which requires finding one word per day, Connections challenges players to find common threads between a series of words and group them into categories. The game features 16 words that need to be grouped into four categories, each labeled with a color to indicate its difficulty level, with yellow being the easiest and purple the hardest. The puzzles are designed to be challenging by using wordplay and other techniques to keep players engaged.
Players who find themselves stuck can use the shuffle button to mix up the words on the screen. Wyna Liu, a crossword editor at The New York Times who helped develop Connections, offers tips for playing the game, advising players to wait as long as possible before making a guess. By identifying a potential category early on, players can avoid wasting turns by guessing prematurely. The game tests players’ ability to identify connections between words and categories, challenging them to think creatively and critically to solve the puzzles.
Each day, Newsweek provides clues and answers for that day’s Connections puzzle, helping players work through the game. For example, on a recent day the yellow category focused on ways people communicate, the green category on ways of showing romantic affection, the blue category on items found in a first aid kit, and the purple category on property styles. Players can check their answers against those provided by Newsweek, offering them a chance to see if they were able to correctly solve the puzzle. Connections is released daily at midnight in each player’s local time zone, providing a new challenge each day.
Whether players are able to solve the Connections puzzle correctly or not, the game offers an engaging and challenging experience that tests their vocabulary, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. By encouraging players to find connections between words and categories, the game helps them think outside the box and consider different possibilities. With its mix of familiar and less common words, as well as its use of wordplay and homophones, Connections provides an enjoyable and stimulating experience for players looking to test their skills and have fun.
