Connections, a word association game released by The New York Times in June 2023, swiftly ascended to become the newspaper’s second most popular game, trailing only Wordle. The game’s premise is simple yet engaging: players must identify the common thread connecting four words chosen from a grid of sixteen. These connections vary in difficulty, categorized by color from yellow (easiest) to purple (hardest). Players submit their chosen quartet, and if correct, the words disappear from the grid, highlighted in the corresponding category color. An incorrect guess leaves the words gray and on the board. The game encourages strategic thinking, urging players to avoid premature guesses and utilize the shuffle button to rearrange the grid for a fresh perspective. This strategic element, coupled with the satisfaction of deciphering the connections, contributes to the game’s widespread appeal.
The game’s design incorporates a layered challenge system represented by the color-coded categories. Yellow signifies the most accessible connections, often based on straightforward relationships between words. As the colors progress through green, blue, and finally purple, the connections become increasingly nuanced, requiring more lateral thinking and a deeper understanding of wordplay and semantics. A provided example illustrates this concept: the words “braid,” “bun,” “pony,” and “twist” fall under the blue category “Ways to wear your hair up.” This example demonstrates a mid-level challenge, requiring players to recognize the shared characteristic of these words relating to hairstyling. This tiered difficulty adds another layer of engagement, catering to players of varying skill levels and providing a sense of progression as they tackle the more complex categories.
Strategic advice from Wyna Liu, a crossword editor at The New York Times, underscores the importance of patience and observation. Liu recommends delaying guesses until a clear pattern emerges, cautioning against jumping in too soon, even if five seemingly related words are identified. This measured approach prevents wasted guesses and increases the chances of success. The shuffle feature, allowing players to rearrange the word grid, can also prove helpful in breaking mental blocks and revealing hidden connections. By disrupting the initial presentation of words, shuffling can offer a new vantage point, allowing players to see relationships they might have previously overlooked.
To illustrate the game’s mechanics and provide assistance, a specific example, Connections #551 from December 13, 2023, is deconstructed. Hints for each category are offered: Yellow – Supernatural beings; Green – Files you might find in your electronic email; Blue – Carbonated beverages made from citrus flavors; Purple – Words that sound the same, spelled differently, and sound like creatures from the animal kingdom. These clues guide players towards the correct answers without revealing them outright, maintaining the challenge while offering a helpful nudge. The hints also showcase the diversity of categories, ranging from common knowledge to more intricate wordplay.
The answers for Connections #551 are then revealed: Yellow – Dragon, Giant, Pixie, Trolls (Fantasy Creatures); Green – Drafts, Sent, Spam, Trash (Email Folders); Blue – Sprite, Crush, Squirt, Starry (Citrus Sodas); Purple – Bore, Links, Phish, Towed (Animal Homophones). This reveal provides a concrete example of the connections and their corresponding categories, showcasing the range of difficulty and the types of associations players are expected to identify. The purple category, in particular, highlights the element of wordplay, requiring players to recognize the homophones and their connection to animals.
The daily nature of Connections, with new puzzles released at midnight local time, fosters a sense of routine and anticipation among players. The consistent availability of fresh challenges keeps the game engaging and encourages daily participation. Newsweek’s commitment to providing daily hints and tips further supports this engagement, offering players a resource for navigating the challenges and enhancing their understanding of the game’s nuances. This combination of daily puzzles and readily available assistance creates a welcoming environment for both seasoned players and newcomers alike. Furthermore, the article suggests exploring Wordle, another popular word game from The New York Times, for which Newsweek also provides daily assistance, extending the wordplay experience beyond Connections.
