New York Times Connections is a word-based puzzle game that challenges players to group 16 words into four groups based on their connections. Each group is color-coded, but players do not know which words belong to which group until they submit their answers. The game editor, Wyna Liu, is known to throw in tricky words that can fit into multiple groups, making the game more engaging and challenging.
To play Connections, players must mentally assign the words to related groups of four and then click on the four words they believe belong together. The groups are categorized by difficulty, with the yellow group being the easiest and the purple group being the toughest. Sometimes, the connection between words can be based on a specific part of the word rather than its entire meaning. For example, words like “Rushmore” and “Journeyman” could be grouped together because they both start with the name of a rock band.
Today’s Connections puzzle includes four groups: the yellow group features words related to the theme of “meh,” the green group consists of US state abbreviations, the blue group includes different types of boots, and the purple group is focused on things that go up and down. For example, the yellow group includes words like “average,” “fair,” “OK,” and “so-so,” while the purple group contains words like “elevator,” “sun,” “tide,” and “yo-yo.”
Players looking for more game answers can also check out Wordle and Strands puzzles for additional challenges and solutions. Wordle, in contrast to Connections, is more of a vocabulary test, while Connections is described as a brainteaser that requires critical thinking and word association skills. With its unique gameplay and varying levels of difficulty, Connections has the potential to become a popular alternative to other word-based puzzle games like Wordle.