Games Like Connections: 11 Word Puzzles to Play Next
If you like NYT Connections, the closest games are other grouping puzzles: Connections Unlimited for more puzzles without a daily limit, the Connecting Wall from the quiz show Only Connect, and PuzzGrid’s player-made grids. Below are 11 options grouped by how they play, with a quick comparison table.
Quick comparison
| Game | What you do | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Connections Unlimited | Sort 16 words into 4 groups | Unlimited |
| NYT Connections | Sort 16 words into 4 groups | One a day |
| Only Connect’s Connecting Wall | Sort 16 clues into 4 groups against the clock | TV episodes |
| PuzzGrid | Solve player-made grouping grids | Unlimited |
| NYT Strands | Find themed words in a letter grid | One a day |
| Wordle | Guess a five-letter word in six tries | One a day |
| Spelling Bee | Make words from seven letters | One a day |
| Contexto | Find a secret word by meaning | One a day, plus past games |
| Semantle | Find a secret word by similarity score | One a day |
| Codenames | Give one-word clues that link several words | Board game |
| Taboo | Describe a word without the obvious clues | Party game |
Grouping puzzles (closest to Connections)
1. Connections Unlimited
Our own game uses the same rules: 16 words, four hidden groups, color-coded difficulty, and four mistakes allowed. The difference is that you don’t have to wait for tomorrow. When you finish one puzzle, start another. It runs in the browser with no account or download. Play Connections Unlimited.
2. NYT Connections
The New York Times launched Connections in June 2023, and it is now one of its most-played games. There is one puzzle a day, edited by Wyna Liu, and it often hides a wordplay group in purple. If you get stuck, our daily Connections hints give a nudge for each group before showing any answers. Play on nytimes.com.
3. Only Connect’s Connecting Wall
Connections owes a lot to the Connecting Wall round of the BBC quiz show Only Connect. Teams sort 16 clues into four groups of four against the clock, and the wall is packed with red herrings. Watching an episode is a great way to learn how setters build misleading groups.
4. PuzzGrid
PuzzGrid hosts grids made by players in the Connecting Wall style. Quality varies from grid to grid, but the archive is huge, and many grids use British general knowledge, which makes a nice change from the US-focused NYT puzzle. Visit PuzzGrid.
Daily word games from the same family
5. NYT Strands
Strands is a themed word search. A cryptic clue hints at the theme, and you trace words through a letter grid until every letter is used, including one “spangram” that spans the board. It uses the same theme-spotting skill as Connections.
6. Wordle
The game that started the daily-puzzle habit: guess a five-letter word in six tries, with colored tiles showing which letters are right. It’s more about spelling and deduction than meaning, so it pairs well with a grouping puzzle.
7. Spelling Bee
Make as many words as you can from seven letters, always using the center letter. Finding the “pangram” that uses all seven is the daily goal. It builds the vocabulary that helps when a Connections group depends on an unusual word.
Games about word meaning
8. Contexto
Guess a secret word, and each guess is ranked by how close its meaning is to the answer. Contexto is pure association: you follow a chain of related ideas until you hit the target. Play Contexto.
9. Semantle
Similar to Contexto, but each guess gets a similarity score instead of a rank, and the scores can feel less intuitive. It suits players who enjoy the hardest, most abstract Connections groups. Play Semantle.
Party and board games
10. Codenames
This board game by Vlaada Chvátil turns association into a team game. A spymaster gives a one-word clue and a number, hoping teammates pick the right words from a grid while avoiding the assassin. It’s Connections in reverse: you build the link instead of finding it.
11. Taboo
Get your team to say a word without using the most obvious related words printed on the card. It forces you past the first association, which is exactly what the purple group in Connections asks of you.
How to choose
- Want more of the same? Play Connections Unlimited or PuzzGrid.
- Want a daily routine? Pair NYT Connections with Strands or Wordle.
- Want to get better at Connections? Contexto and Codenames train the association skill directly, and our guide on how to get better at Connections covers the strategy.
- Playing with friends? Codenames and Taboo, or a quick round with the word association generator.