Paragraph 1: Introduction and Personal Reflection on Media Consumption
The author begins with a Sunday greeting and reflects on their diminished engagement with television and film due to an increased focus on video games. They express anticipation for the Golden Globe Awards, highlighting their value in discovering new shows and celebrating creative achievements. The author cites the Golden Globes’ role in introducing them to "Jane the Virgin" and expresses hope for finding more compelling content to add to their watchlist. They also mention a newly created Discord server for discussing the "Connections" game and this column, encouraging readers to join for feedback and shared strategies.
Paragraph 2: How to Play the "Connections" Game
The author explains the rules of "Connections," a daily word puzzle by the New York Times. Players are presented with a grid of 16 words and must sort them into four groups of four based on semantic connections. The groups are color-coded by difficulty, with yellow being the easiest and purple the hardest. Players submit their guesses, losing a "life" for each incorrect attempt. The game ends after four incorrect submissions. Hints are provided to assist players, along with the option to share results on social media. A subscription allows access to the Connections archive, enabling players to revisit previous puzzles. The author also mentions providing hints for past grids on their blog.
Paragraph 3: Today’s "Connections" Hints and Word List
Today’s 16 words are presented: CHECK, STOP, GROSS, MAKE, HOME, YIELD, VOLUME, SLOW, SNARE, QUIET, KETTLE, NET, MUTE, EAR, SLEEPY, OIL, and CALM. Hints for each color-coded group are then provided: Yellow group – like a sparsely inhabited settlement; Green group – bring home the bacon; Blue group – media buttons; Purple group – keep the beat. These clues are designed to guide players toward the underlying connections between the words.
Paragraph 4: Unveiling the Connections Groups
Moving closer to the solutions, the author provides more explicit descriptions of the connections groups: Yellow group – hardly bustling; Green group – earn; Blue group – remote control functions; Purple group – words before “drum.” This intermediary step helps players further refine their thinking before the final answers are revealed. It acts as a bridge between the vague initial hints and the specific word groupings.
Paragraph 5: Revealing Today’s Connections Answers and the Author’s Gameplay
The solutions are finally unveiled: Yellow group (hardly bustling) – CALM, QUIET, SLEEPY, SLOW; Green group (earn) – GROSS, MAKE, NET, YIELD; Blue group (remote control functions) – HOME, MUTE, STOP, VOLUME; Purple group (words before “drum”) – EAR, KETTLE, OIL, SNARE. The author recounts their experience playing the game, achieving a perfect score. They describe their thought process and the order in which they identified the groups, noting a slight frustration at not recognizing the purple group connection sooner.
Paragraph 6: Conclusion, Personal Recommendations, and Call to Action
The author concludes by encouraging readers to check their blog for future "Connections" hints and solutions. They offer a Sunday mantra, recommending the song "Take It Easy" by the Eagles, and suggest self-care practices like drinking enough water and connecting with loved ones. Finally, they promote their blog for more content on word games and video games, inviting readers to follow them on Bluesky. This concluding paragraph blends game-related information with personal touches and a call to further engagement.
