NYT’s ‘Connections’ Game Challenges Players with Daily Word Puzzles

NEW YORK, N.Y. — The New York Times‘ latest word game, ‘Connections,’ has quickly become a social media sensation, captivating players with its daily puzzles that challenge them to find common threads between words. Launched in early 2025, the game is accessible via the Times’ website and mobile apps, offering a fresh puzzle every midnight.

In ‘Connections,’ players are presented with a grid of 16 words and must group them into four categories of four words each. The categories can range from book titles to software names, with only one correct solution per puzzle. The game’s difficulty increases as players progress, with color-coded groups indicating the level of challenge: yellow for the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple for the most difficult.

Associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, credited with helping to create the game, explained its appeal: ‘It’s about finding those subtle links between words that might not be immediately obvious. It’s a mental workout that’s both fun and rewarding.’

Players can shuffle the grid to help spot connections, but incorrect guesses count as mistakes. After four mistakes, the game ends. Successful players can share their results on social media, adding a competitive edge to the experience.

For those struggling with the puzzles, hints and answers are available online, with many players turning to blogs and forums for tips. The game’s archive also allows subscribers to revisit past puzzles, ensuring that no challenge goes unanswered.

As ‘Connections’ continues to grow in popularity, it joins the ranks of other NYT games like Wordle, which have similarly captured the public’s imagination. With its blend of logic, vocabulary, and a touch of wordplay, ‘Connections’ is proving to be a hit among word game enthusiasts.