Connections is a popular word-based puzzle game that was launched by The New York Times in June 2023. It has become the newspaper’s second most played game behind Wordle. The puzzle is rated for difficulty on a scale of 1 to 5 based on feedback from testers who solve the puzzle in advance to identify any issues. Today’s puzzle has a difficulty rating of 2.8 out of 5, making it a moderate challenge for players. The game tasks players with grouping 16 words into four categories based on associations, with each category labeled with a color to signify its difficulty level.
Each category in Connections is labeled with a color – yellow, green, blue, or purple – representing the difficulty level. The words must be grouped based on common associations, which are not always straightforward and may involve wordplay or homophones. Players are required to select four words and submit them to see if they match a specific category. Correct choices will appear in the category color and disappear from the grid, while incorrect choices will remain gray and stay on the board. The game also offers a shuffle button to help reorganize the words on the grid if players are stuck.
Wyna Liu, a crossword editor at The New York Times who developed Connections, shared tips for playing the game with Newsweek. She recommended moving on to different categories if you have five words that seem to belong together. This can help eliminate extra cards from contention and make it easier to see patterns in other categories. To aid players in solving the puzzles, Newsweek provides hints and clues for each day’s game. For example, in a recent puzzle, categories included words related to sight, items tracked with a metronome, objects grouped by a specific number, and animals found in homes.
Newsweek offers a range of clues to help players solve the daily Connections puzzle. The publication also includes the answers to the previous day’s puzzle at the end of each article for those who may need additional guidance. It is suggested that players proceed with caution if they prefer to solve the puzzle on their own. The game is released daily at midnight in the player’s local time zone, providing a new challenge for word puzzle enthusiasts. With its blend of association-based challenges and color-coded difficulty levels, Connections offers an engaging and stimulating experience for players looking to test their word skills.
