Connections, a word game launched by The New York Times in 2023, has quickly become one of the newspaper’s most popular puzzles. Developed by Wyna Liu, Connections challenges players to group 16 words into four categories based on specific characteristics. The game has attracted a global following, with players eagerly awaiting the release of a new puzzle each day.
Players are presented with a grid of words and must sort them into categories ranging in difficulty from yellow to purple. For example, a category like “Spiky things” might include words such as “cactus,” “hedgehog,” “mace,” and “pineapple.” Correctly categorizing words causes them to flash in their difficulty color and disappear from the board, while incorrect guesses will be grayed out but remain visible. Players have four guesses to solve the puzzle, but there is no time limit. If struggling, players can use the “Shuffle” button to help jog their memory.
Newsweek provides hints and answers for each day’s Connections puzzle to aid players in solving the game. For example, the hints for game 464 include categories such as “Words associated with passion + ‘up,'” “Types of footwear,” “Government jobs,” and “Words pronounced the same but have different meanings.” Answer for this puzzle include categories like “GET EXCITED, WITH ‘UP,'” “KINDS OF SHOES,” “LEGISLATIVE ROLES,” and “NAME HOMOPHONES.”
Despite the challenging nature of Connections, the game has received positive feedback from players around the world. Developer Wyna Liu expressed her excitement over the game’s unexpected popularity and how it has resonated with people. As players continue to engage with the daily puzzles, Newsweek offers support by providing hints and answers to aid in solving each day’s challenge. Additionally, the newspaper introduces players to other word puzzles like Wordscapes and Lexigo to further challenge their word skills.
Each day, a new Connections puzzle is released at midnight in the player’s local time zone, giving them a fresh challenge to tackle. Players can test their skills in grouping words and solving word-based challenges, providing a fun and engaging activity for word puzzle enthusiasts. As players continue to enjoy the game and strive to improve their puzzle-solving abilities, Connections remains a popular choice for those seeking a daily mental challenge and a chance to sharpen their word skills.
