Connections is a word-based game launched by The New York Times in June 2023, following the success of their popular game Wordle. In Connections, players are presented with 16 words divided into four categories and must identify the common thread between the words. The challenge is to select four groups of four words each without making more than four mistakes. Each category is labeled with a color representing its difficulty level, with yellow being the most straightforward followed by green, blue, and purple.
The game editor, Wyna Liu, points out that some categories may include wordplay elements such as palindromes, homophones, or words with multiple meanings, adding to the challenge for players. For example, the words in a category might be connected by adding or dropping letters, rather than their literal meanings. To help players navigate the game and increase their chances of success, Newsweek provides handy tips and hints. The game is released at midnight in the player’s local time zone, with a new set of clues and categories for each day’s game.
In a recent game of Connections, players were presented with clues for categories such as “Yellow: There are no rebels in this category,” “Green: These are ways to own a part of a company,” “Blue: Urban places in the United States,” and “Purple: A slang term that can mean all of these things.” The corresponding words included in each category were revealed as followers, lemmings, puppets, and sheep for the yellow category; equity, options, shares, and stocks for the green category; Billings, Buffalo, Mobile, and Phoenix for the blue category; and apartment, insults, likes, and shovels for the purple category.
Successfully solving the Connections game requires players to carefully analyze the words and their possible connections, considering not only their literal meanings but also wordplay elements that may be present. By paying attention to the clues provided for each category and using logic and critical thinking skills, players can improve their chances of correctly identifying the common thread between the words. Newsweek continues to support players with hints and tips to enhance their gaming experience and help them achieve a winning streak in Connections.
