If you’ve been seeing everyone talk about NYT Connections, you’re not alone. After the success of Wordle, The New York Times followed it up with Connections, a word game that looks simple but quickly proves otherwise. In fact, many players find it even trickier than Wordle and Strands.
While the gameplay may seem easy at first, Connections can be confusing for newcomers. The rules are straightforward, but actually solving the puzzle is where things get challenging. So if you’re in the same boat, here’s a complete guide on how to play NYT Connections, along with the best tips and strategies to make it easier.
What is Connections?
NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle by The New York Times where players are given a grid of 16 words and asked to group them into foursets of four based on a shared connection.
As you might be able to tell, this game relies heavily on pattern recognition. Each group of words is linked by a common category, which can range from simple themes like animals to trickier connections like phrases or wordplay. The catch, however, is that many words seem like they could fit into multiple groups, which is what makes NYT Connections so tricky.
Once you correctly connect four words, they lock in, and the category is revealed. Players only get four chances to make mistakes. If you run out of attempts, the game reveals the correct answers, and you’ll have to try again with a new puzzle the next day.
NYT Connections Rules and Difficulty Levels Explained
While the game is straightforward enough, there are a few rules you must keep in mind before you progress. As explained above, the 16 words must be grouped into four different categories, with each group containing four words. Players have 24 hours to solve the puzzle correctly.
What makes things more interesting, however, is the game’s built-in difficulty system, which adds another layer to these rules. Each group is assigned a color category, including Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple, with Yellow being the easiest and Purple the hardest.
Understanding these difficulty levels can make the puzzle easier to solve. We recommend starting with the Yellow or Green groups first since they are simpler. Once those are locked in, you can move on to Blue and Purple. In most cases, solving the easier groups first makes the final Purple category much clearer.
How to Play NYT Connections
Now that you’re aware of the rules, let’s dive in and play some Connections. You can find the puzzle on the official NYT Connections website and the NYT games app on Android and iPhone. Simply go to either and follow the steps below:
- Begin by scanning the grid and looking for any obvious connections. It might take a while, but try to focus on the easier words first.
- Once you’re a bit confident, select four words that you think share a theme and click on Submit.
- If your guess is correct, the group will lock in, and the category will be revealed. This can be in any order. If wrong, the words will shake, and you will lose a chance.
- Continue grouping the remaining words until you make all the connections, but within the four chances you have.
If you find yourself stuck, you can check out the hints page and get the first word for each category or click the Shuffle button. If that doesn’t do it either, then it’s time to head over to our Connections answers guide.
Best NYT Connections Tips and Tricks
You know how to play it. But do you know how to master it? Well, begin by going through some of the best Connections tips and tricks below, so you start out your journey well.
- Start with obvious themes: The ideal step is to find the most straightforward connections first. These include simple word associations. Once you solve them, your next few guesses will become a whole lot easier.
- Careful of the red herring: The NYT sneakily puts in words that are designed to mislead you. These may seem like they fit together, but they don’t. As such, always double-check before submitting.
- Don’t rush your guesses: Since you have four guesses, I know you might be itching to use them. However, do avoid random word guesses and really take a moment before you press submit.
- Look up the meaning: If you don’t understand the meaning of some words, don’t be ashamed to look them up online. You can’t connect words you don’t understand.
- Leave the hardest group for last: While your ego might tell you to jump into the hardest category first, don’t. Purple often becomes much clearer once the easier groups are already solved.
- Use the Shuffle button: The Shuffle button can help you see connections you might have missed at first glance, especially when you feel stuck.
Final Thoughts
NYT Connections might seem easy at first, but it has a way of catching you off guard. Some days you’ll breeze through it, and on others, even the simplest groups will have you second-guessing. The key is to be patient and keep playing. The more puzzles you solve, the better you’ll get. If you’re running into problems, let us know in the comments below.
You’ll be allowed up to a total of four guesses in a single puzzle. If you exceed that, then Connections locks out and gives you all the answers.
Some players do find Connections more challenging than Wordle because it requires grouping multiple words instead of guessing a single answer.
The colors in Connections represent different difficulty levels. The Yellow is the easiest, followed by Green and Blue, and as you can tell, Purple is the hardest to solve.
You can play Connections on the official Connections website or through the NYT Games app on Android and iPhone.
No, NYT Connections is a daily puzzle and as such, a new one is added every 24 hours.
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