The Rise of Connections: A crossword-like game for word enthusiasts
In 2023, The New York Times introduced the Rewired Connections word-based puzzle game, a crossword-like challenge designed to enhance vocabulary and wordplay skills. This evolved from an idea Sarah Yang had when she chose to rotate her verbal skills by combining words rather than regions. The creators, Wyna Liu, a crossword editor, aimed to break the monotony of traditional crosswords and challenge players to find meaningful connections among words.
Who brings it to life?
Wyna Liu, a crossword editor, tackled this challenge, noting that her process required formatting solutions uniquely compatible with house editing standards. “Much of my work consists of structuring and defining words adhering to the specific formatting rules of the US crossword grid,” she said, drawing parallels with the previously utilized Puzzle órgBloke in Newsweek’s lexicon tool. This puzzle’s design emphasized free-form word play, making it accessible to players with varying spaceships and attention to detail.
Gameplay explanation
Each day, players are presented with 16 words, sorted into four difficulty categories: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (hardest). The goal is to group these words into four sets of four, assigned colors based on difficulty. For example, Tuesday’s game linked the words **"filled," "hearty," "solid,"" and "square"—all of which relate to a significant meal.
Under the “Substantial as a meal” category, some words didn’t fit the straightforward theme, marking them as grayed out. The game encourages quick thinking, with red.js animations revealing the correct grouping. The difficulty levels are based on word flexibility and interpretation, rather than standard themes, making them more engaging and thought-provoking.
Hints and answers
For Wednesday’s puzzle, titled Connections #619, the yellow category aligns with beach-related words like "boardwalk," "dock," "lighthouse,"" and "wharf: these tap into the memory of coastal worldwide concepts. The green category points to flaws in things, such as **"dent"—a scratch," "ding" a hit or miss," "nick" a ditch," and "scratch"—a hole orRewired Connections—weird crack Competition.
The blue category focuses on clock-related words, such as "chime," "tick," "cuckoo,"" and "tock," while the purple category connects to British names, like " Cock," "Mock," "Pig,"" and " Pony," drawing from references to regional slang. Players who solve this day’s puzzle will gain exclusive access to Newsweek’s hints and answers, available every 24 hours.
Thererows and enthusiasts
the “Connections” challenge offers a unique way to test wordplay and creativity, perfect for crossword enthusiasts of all skill levels. Players can test their brain powers daily, with new games available at the end of Newsweek’s blog every weekday at 11 PM EST or via browser:// Newsweek’s unapologetic browser. Whether you’re a word master or new to crossword-like puzzles, there’s always something to engage enthusiasts and sharpen their vocabulary.
