The New York Times launched Connections in June 2023, following the success of Wordle, a game it purchased in January 2022. Connections requires players to identify common threads among 16 words and categorize them into four groups. Players can only make four mistakes before losing, and can shuffle the words at any time. The aim is to link four words at a time that share common characteristics, with each category denoted by a color representing its difficulty level.
To play Connections, players must divide the 16 given words into four categories based on common characteristics. If four words are linked, their letters light up and are removed from the board. Each category is color coded to represent its difficulty level, with yellow being the easiest and purple being the most challenging. Players can shuffle the board at any time to randomly reposition the words. While there is no time limit, players can only make four mistakes before losing the game.
The game editor of Connections, Wyna Liu, advises players to move on to a different category if five words appear to belong to the same category, as there is only one correct answer for each set of four words. By eliminating some words from contention, players may find it easier to identify the correct categories. Newsweek provides clues and answers to each day’s Connections puzzle, with categories ranging from pleasure to components of a lock, homophones of units of measure, and more. They also offer hints and tips to help players figure out the connections.
Newsweek is dedicated to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. The magazine provides hints, tips, and solutions for each day’s Connections puzzle, allowing players to test their word-based puzzle-solving skills. The game has gained a loyal fan base across the English-speaking world, offering a fun and engaging way to exercise the mind while identifying common threads among various words. Players can expect a new Connections challenge each day, providing endless opportunities for intellectual stimulation and enjoyment.
