How to Play NYT Connections? Tips and Strategies for Beginners

The New York Times has produced yet another innovative twist on the word game genre - NYT Connections. In this game, players must use both their vocabulary and reasoning abilities by arranging 16 random words into 4 sets of 4 words each.

In order to be successful at completing a game of Connections, the player must possess very strong observation abilities, critical thinking skills, and the ability to determine which of the random words share a commonality that can allow these words to be distributed into multiple sets.

Connections has become quite popular with players who play games on a daily basis due to its simple, yet extremely entertaining concept.

The game allows players to have fun while using their mind, and also allows players to develop strategies and improve their language skills; therefore, this game is very suitable for players of all ages. The reason that the game is so addictive to players is because it has a mixture of logic, creativity, and challenge.

Check Out: What Is NYT Connections? The New York Times Puzzle Game Explained

How to Play NYT Connections: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Start the Game: To begin playing Connections, head to the New York Times Games area and click on the Connections game. You will now see a grid with 16 words.

2. Understand the Objective of the Game: The goal of the game is to make four groups of four words using 16 total words that have some type of connection or theme in common.

3. Look for Any Obvious Patterns: Look at all 16 words to see if you can discover an obvious relationship among them (i.e., colour-related, profession-related, synonym-related, etc.).

4. Select Four Related Words: Once you believe you have found 4 related words, click on them to create your selection.

5. Check the Result: If you selected the 4 correct words, that group of words will then be locked in place. If the 4 words you selected were incorrect, you will need to reevaluate your thinking on their connections and try again.

5 Tips to Solve NYT Connections

• Group the Easiest Items First

Group easy things together first like colors and numbers. Once you form one group, the others will be easier to identify.

• Think Beyond Literal Meanings

Generally, the meanings of words aren’t the only thing to think about when trying to put them into groups. You need to look at things like the word interpretations, slang, homophones, and other secondary definitions before putting them into a group.

• Watch for Trap Words

Sometimes, trap words look like they belong in the same category when they do not. Make sure that all four words included in the group belong to the same category and do not be in a hurry to place them in your list of categories.

• Use Elimination Strategically

After identifying and confirming the item in the group, take away the other item/word visually so you are only working off of the remaining/leftover items.

• Pay Attention to Difficulty Colors

Categories are assigned colors according to difficulty; yellow is for easy categories and purple for hard categories. It is recommended to group all categories from easiest to hardest.