Online game players were in for a surprise on April Fool’s Day, as the New York Times game Connections had a special emoji edition. Instead of matching words, players had to match up emojis like a vampire and a wedge of cheese. Some players found the all-emoji edition confusing or horrifying at first, but ultimately fun. The game featured categories like “food slang for money,” “words that rhyme,” “horror movies,” and “letter homophones.”
Connections may not be as well-known as Wordle, but it is a challenging game that tests your ability to see connections between words. Players must group together four words that have a connection, with difficulty levels ranging from easy to tricky. The game is designed to trick players, with words that could fit in multiple groups. Some puzzles include words that seem related but do not belong in the same category.
To win at Connections, players can follow several tips. One tip is to shuffle the words before starting to look for connections, while another approach is to leave the board unshuffled and scan for possible groupings. Avoid going for obvious groupings and try to visualize phrases or compound words that the words could be a part of. Look for connections between parts of long words, and learn from past games to understand the editor’s thinking.
When you are one word away from completing a group, it is important to rethink your choices instead of just eliminating one word from the group. By canceling out all four words and trying with a different set of words, you can increase your chances of finding the correct grouping. Connections challenges players to think beyond the surface level and look for unique relationships between words, making it a favorite for those who enjoy a mental challenge.
