The latest New York Times Connections puzzle (#933, December 30) proved particularly challenging for many players. Here’s a breakdown of the solution, including hints and the final answers, alongside a look at past puzzles known for their difficulty.
Today’s Hints
The puzzle groups were organized by difficulty, with the easiest (yellow) being somewhat straightforward, while the hardest (purple) required more lateral thinking.
- Yellow: The connection revolves around deliberate actions.
- Green: These items are used for quantifying or orienting.
- Blue: All terms relate to different stages of air travel.
- Purple: These are commonly found attached to bicycles.
Today’s Answers
The final groupings were as follows:
- Yellow: AIM, GOAL, OBJECT, POINT – all synonyms or concepts related to intention.
- Green: CLOCK, COMPASS, RULER, SCALE – all measuring devices.
- Blue: CLIMB, TAKEOFF, TAXI, TOUCHDOWN – all phases of flight.
- Purple: BASKET, BELL, RACK, REFLECTOR – all bike accessories.
The Times’ Connections Bot and Data Tracking
The New York Times now offers a Connections Bot that analyzes player performance, providing a score and tracking metrics like puzzle completion rate, perfect scores, and win streaks. This feature caters to dedicated players who enjoy quantifying their progress within the game.
Past Challenging Puzzles
Some Connections puzzles have stood out for their difficulty. Here are a few examples:
- Puzzle #5: Included seemingly unrelated terms like MOOD, RECORD, TABLE, and VOLLEYBALL (“things you can set”).
- Puzzle #4: Featured terms like EGG, JUROR, MONTH, and ROSE (“one in a dozen”).
- Puzzle #3: Combined STREET names with film/TV references: ELM, FEAR, JUMP, and SESAME (“streets on screen”).
Why These Puzzles Are Tough
The difficulty in Connections often stems from ambiguous wording or multiple interpretations of a term. The best puzzles require players to break from conventional associations and consider less obvious connections. This encourages creative thinking rather than rote memorization.
The game’s popularity underscores the appeal of a well-designed logic puzzle that balances challenge with satisfying discovery.
