Mastering The New York Times' Connections Game: Hints And Strategies

If you're struggling with today's Connections, Newsweek is here with some handy hints to help you along.Connections launched on June 12, 2023, and before it has even reached its first anniversary, the game has become so popular it is now The New York Times' second-most-played game after Wordle. If you love word puzzles and brainteasers, this game might just be your new favorite challenge!

In this article, we will provide you with all the essential information you need to understand how to play Connections, including strategies, tips, and clues for the latest puzzle. With the game rapidly gaining traction, it’s important to get the hang of it early on to stay ahead of the competition and enjoy the game fully.

Instructions on how to play the game are below. Clues and the answers for Friday's puzzle are toward the end of the article. Let's dive into the exciting world of Connections and discover the best ways to master it!

How To Play 'Connections'

The brainteaser tasks players with grouping 16 words into four categories based on association. For example, Tuesday's game linked the words "clear," "earn," "make," and "net," which all came under the category "take home, as income."

Each of the four categories is labeled with a color, which also signifies their difficulty level. Yellow is the easiest category, followed by green, blue, and purple. However, the puzzles are rarely straightforward, using homophones and wordplay, among other techniques, to keep things interesting.

The uniting themes can come from a broad range of categories—anything from Halloween costumes to geometric terms. Understanding these themes is crucial to successfully categorizing the words.

Gameplay Mechanics and Strategies

If all four words are correctly placed into each set, those words will be removed from the board. Each incorrect guess counts toward the mistake tally. Up to four errors can be made before it's game over. This introduces a strategic element where players must weigh their options before making guesses.

Players can shuffle and rearrange the board if they want to try to make the process of guessing the connections easier. This feature allows for a more dynamic gameplay experience, making it possible to visualize connections in new ways.

To make things a bit tougher for players, a word can sometimes belong to more than one category—but there is only one correct answer. This complexity adds depth to the game and challenges players to think critically about their choices.

Expert Tips from the Creator

The game was invented by New York Times puzzle editor Wyna Liu. She admitted the word tiles at the beginning of the game are arranged in a way to throw players off the scent. She also gave some advice on what to do if you think a word can belong to more than one category.

"One suggestion that may help save some guesses is if you start selecting cards and notice that there are five or more that belong to that category, try pivoting to a different category before making that first guess," she told the NYT in October. "Doing so might take one of those extra cards out of contention, or at least remove a few cards from the board, making other categories easier to see."

'Connections' #362 Clues for Friday, June 7

Newsweek has some hints to help you figure out today’s Connections categories:

• Yellow: To brew or plan
• Green: A thin sheet
• Blue: Clean up
• Purple: Computer tasks

'Connections' #362 Answers for Friday, June 7

Here are the answers to the clues provided:

• Yellow: Dream Up
• CONCEIVE, ENVISION, IMAGINE, PICTURE
• Green: Thin Covering
• COAT, FILM, LAYER, SKIN
• Blue: Remove, as Crumbs
• BRUSH, FLICK, SWEEP, WIPE
• Purple: Verbs for a Software Engineer
• CODE, DEVELOP, HACK, PROGRAM

With these strategies and insights, you're well on your way to becoming a Connections master! Remember to keep practicing and enjoy the challenge of each new puzzle.