What Is Connections? Rules and Beginner Guide
Connections is a word puzzle made popular by The New York Times, which launched its version in 2023. The idea is easy to explain: find four groups of four words that share something in common.
The basic rules
- You start with 16 words.
- Select four words that you think belong together, then submit them.
- A correct guess reveals the category and removes those words.
- A wrong guess costs one of your four mistakes.
- You win by finding all four groups.
What the colours mean
In the official game, groups are colour coded by difficulty. Yellow is the most straightforward, followed by green and blue, while purple is usually the trickiest and often relies on word play.
Your first board
Take your time, as there is no clock. Look for a group that seems obvious, then check that none of its words could also fit somewhere else before you submit.
Is this site the official game?
No. ConnectionsNYT is an independent fan site. You can try our own free version, and you will find the official game on The New York Times website.
