Making its debut in late 2021, Wordle was released from the New York Times, played as a mini-game, and picked up by many people around the world. Made popular by social media, many people were captivated by the puzzle and ability to share scores amongst their friends because of the common word that was guessed every day. With this new gaining popularity many other games were made and others were brought to light like the mini crossword which was developed in 2014, and other new games being made like Connections which came out in 2023. The New York Times offers a variety of unique challenges and entertainment but among these games which is most appealing among people today?
Wordle is the game that started it all, taking the internet by storm, with its simple instructions of guessing a random 5-letter word with only six tries. Wordle manages to captivate players with the opportunity for strategy and the ability to narrow down the possibilities of the word. One of the fun aspects of the game as well, is the ability to share your score with others fostering friendly competition. However one of the downsides of this is that the game is limited to one word per day, making other apps with the same idea also gain popularity however, they have unlimited words to play. Variations of the game have also been made since the popularity of wordle, taking the same concept of the game except with longer more challenging words or even numbers.
The New York Times Company, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
On the other hand, connections offer a different kind of challenge. Connections is a game where you are given random unrelated words or concepts that have hidden links between one another. These connections could range from straightforward associations to more abstract relationships, making players think outside the box. What makes this game challenging is that there is only a certain amount of tries a player gets before the categories are revealed to them. Like Wordle, there is only one game a day that can be played.
Completing the trio is the Mini, with its daily rotation of crossword puzzles with a diverse range of clues over many different topics including pop culture, wordplay, and history. The daily rotation keeps players engaged because of its versatility and catering to people of all ages and backgrounds. Unlike Connections or Wordle, you are able to pay to play an abundant amount of crossword puzzles, still with a fresh assortment of challenges if you sign up for a yearly subscription.
Overall, this begs the question, which is the best of them all? Well, this is held in the eye of the players. Some may enjoy the critical thinking of connections, and others, are better in the department of strategy while playing Wordle. Nonetheless, all these games have so much to offer to their players.
