The New York Times daily Connections puzzle challenges players to group words into four categories based on shared themes. Today’s puzzle (#887) proved particularly geared toward film enthusiasts, with two categories centered around cinema. Here’s a breakdown of the solutions, along with context on the puzzle’s increasing complexity and how players can improve their performance.
Today’s Puzzle Breakdown
The puzzle consists of 16 words that players must categorize into four groups of four. The difficulty varies, with some connections being relatively straightforward while others require significant lateral thinking.
- Yellow Group: The theme is evaluation. The words are grade, judge, rate, and review. This category is the most accessible, relying on common vocabulary related to assessment.
- Green Group: The theme is radio tuning options. The words are band, channel, frequency, and station. This grouping is moderately challenging, requiring players to connect terms used in broadcasting.
- Blue Group: The theme is action film subgenres. The words are buddy, disaster, martial arts, and superhero. This category tests film knowledge, requiring familiarity with common action movie tropes.
- Purple Group: The theme is classic ’90s action films. The words are Armageddon, Hard Boiled, Heat, and Speed. This is the hardest category, demanding specific movie title recall.
Increasing Puzzle Complexity & Player Tracking
The NYT has introduced a Connections Bot that analyzes player performance, tracking metrics such as puzzle completion rate, perfect score frequency, and win streaks. This feature appeals to competitive players who enjoy quantifying their success.
The Bot adds a layer of gamification by providing a numeric score post-play, allowing users to benchmark their performance against their own history.
Past Puzzles & Pattern Recognition
Analyzing previous challenging puzzles can reveal patterns in the puzzle design. For example:
- Puzzle #5: Included ambiguous terms like “things you can set” (mood, record, table, volleyball).
- Puzzle #4: Used obscure connections like “one in a dozen” (egg, juror, month, rose).
- Puzzles #3, #2, and #1 continued this trend of indirect or misleading themes.
Why This Matters
The rising difficulty of NYT Connections mirrors a broader trend in digital puzzle design: creators are intentionally making games harder to increase engagement. By tracking player data, the Times can further refine puzzle complexity, ensuring a consistent level of challenge that keeps players returning daily. The puzzle is not just about solving words; it’s about testing cognitive flexibility and rewarding pattern recognition.
The New York Times Connections puzzle remains a popular daily challenge, but its increasing complexity demands sharper analytical skills and a willingness to embrace ambiguity. Whether you’re a casual solver or a competitive tracker, the game offers a unique test of linguistic and cultural awareness.
