If you enjoy word puzzles but want something a little different from crosswords or anagrams, the Connections Game might be exactly what you're looking for. It's a daily puzzle that asks you to sort sixteen words into four hidden groups. That sounds simple, and sometimes it is, but the fun comes from the sneaky overlaps and misdirection built into each puzzle. I've been playing it most mornings with my coffee for a while now, and I thought I'd share how it works and a few things I've picked up along the way.

How the Game Works

When you open a puzzle, you'll see a grid of sixteen words. Your job is to find four groups of four words that share something in common. The categories can be anything: types of fish, things that are red, words that come before "ball," famous Toms, and so on.

You select four words you think belong together and submit your guess. If you're right, that group locks in place and is removed from the grid. If you're wrong, you lose one of your four allowed mistakes. The game also tells you when you're "one away," meaning three of your four picks were correct.

Each group is color-coded by difficulty. Yellow is usually the most straightforward, green and blue sit in the middle, and purple is the trickiest. Purple categories often rely on wordplay, hidden letters, or connections that only click once you see them.

The real challenge is that many words fit into more than one possible group. A puzzle might show you "Mercury," "Mars," and "Venus," tempting you to go with planets, only for one of those to belong to a group of Roman gods or chocolate bars instead.

Tips for Getting Better

Don't rush the obvious group. If you spot five or six words that seem to fit one theme, that's a sign the puzzle is trying to trick you. Pause and figure out which word actually belongs elsewhere.

Look for the odd ones first. Sometimes it's easier to start with words that seem to fit nowhere. Figuring out why they're there often reveals the purple category.

Say the words out loud. This helps a lot with hidden-word categories or words that sound like something else.

Use the shuffle button. Rearranging the grid can break the mental patterns you've locked into and help you notice new pairings.

Make your safest guess first. Locking in one confident group narrows the remaining words and makes everything else easier to see.

Don't be afraid of a wrong guess. The "one away" message is genuinely useful information, so a near miss can still move you forward.

Conclusion

What I like most about the Connections Game is that it takes only a few minutes but leaves you thinking about it afterward, usually because of one clever category you didn't see coming. It's a nice low-pressure way to start the day, and it's easy to compare results with friends without spoiling anything. If you haven't tried it, give it a go and see how your brain handles the purple group. Fair warning: it gets a little addictive.