A new daily word game from The New York Times is captivating puzzle lovers everywhere. Called ‘Connections,’ this clever challenge asks players to group 16 words into four related sets. Created by Wyna Liu, the game has quickly become a viral sensation, rivaling Wordle’s popularity. Its mix of simple rules and tricky categories has players hooked, sharing their triumphs and frustrations across social media each day as they try to solve the puzzle before midnight.
A Fresh Challenge for Puzzle Fans
Following the massive success of Wordle, The New York Times identified a continuing hunger for daily digital puzzles. ‘Connections’ was their answer, offering a different kind of linguistic challenge that focuses on identifying relationships between words rather than spelling them out.
The game, developed by associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, has cultivated a dedicated community. Players eagerly await the daily reset, ready to test their wits against a new grid of 16 seemingly random words.
This new obsession provides a fresh mental workout, demanding a different kind of thinking than its predecessors. It’s less about vocabulary and more about lateral thinking and recognizing subtle patterns.
How the Deceptively Simple Game Works
The goal is to sort 16 words into four groups of four. While many words could potentially fit into multiple categories, there is only one perfect solution for each puzzle. This is where the true difficulty lies.
Once a player correctly identifies a group, the four words are revealed along with their category and removed from the board, making the remaining words a little easier to sort. The categories are color-coded to indicate their difficulty.
- Yellow: The most straightforward and easiest category.
- Green: Slightly more difficult.
- Blue: Often tricky and requires a bigger mental leap.
- Purple: The most difficult category, frequently involving puns, wordplay, or unique connections.
Players are only allowed four mistakes before the game ends and the solution is revealed. This adds a layer of tension and strategy to every guess.
The Social Buzz and Shared Frustration
Much like Wordle, the success of ‘Connections’ is amplified by social media. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit are filled with players sharing their color-coded results, celebrating perfect games, or venting about a particularly difficult purple category.
These online communities have become a core part of the experience. Enthusiasts trade spoiler-free hints, debate the logic behind certain groupings, and create memes about common pitfalls. This shared journey transforms a solitary puzzle into a communal event.
Sometimes, the frustration of a near-perfect game or a misleading clue only strengthens a player’s resolve to return the next day for another attempt.
Tips and Tricks for Today’s Puzzle
While every puzzle is unique, certain strategies can improve your chances of success. Experienced players recommend starting with the most obvious connections first to hopefully uncover the yellow or green categories. Don’t be afraid to use the shuffle button to see the words in a new layout, which can often reveal hidden patterns.
Thinking outside the box is key, especially for the blue and purple categories. Consider puns, idioms, and pop culture references. For today’s puzzle, the creators have offered a few hints to get you started.
| Difficulty Level | Official Hint |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Printed notification |
| Green | Seen at a grocery store checkout counter |
| Blue | Things with tabs |
| Purple | Palm __ |
Whether you are a seasoned word game expert or a newcomer, ‘Connections’ offers a satisfying and often humbling daily challenge that has rightfully earned its place as a digital sensation.
