The Puzzle Desk · Updated June 2026
8 Games Like Connections
Free daily puzzles for when you’ve finished the grid
You’ve sorted today’s sixteen words into four groups, dodged the purple trap, and now the day feels a little flat. The good news: there is a whole genre of games like Connections — daily, finishable, and free. Below are eight of the best, from true word-grouping puzzles to the daily games we reach for once the grid is done.
The Closest Things To Connections
Strands
Daily · WordThe NYT’s own follow-up to Connections. Part word search, part themed puzzle: find the hidden words that fit the day’s theme, then the “spangram” that ties them together. The most natural next stop if you want to stay in the NYT Games family.
PuzzGrid
Endless · WordBuilt on the connecting walls from Only Connect — a 4×4 grid you must split into four groups of four, with even more devious red herrings than Connections. Thousands of user-made grids mean you never run out.
Knotwords
Daily · WordFrom Zach Gage, with a nod of approval from Wordle’s creator. Arrange the letters in each section so every across and down word is valid. A deduction puzzle with the same elegant, finishable feel as Connections.
More Daily Word Puzzles To Try Next
Contexto
Daily · WordGuess the secret word, ranked by meaning rather than letters. Each guess tells you how semantically close you are. Maddening and brilliant in equal measure.
Wordle
Daily · WordThe one that started the daily-puzzle craze. Six guesses, one five-letter word. If you somehow arrived at Connections first, this is required reading.
Spelling Bee
Daily · WordSeven letters, one mandatory centre letter, and as many words as you can find. Another NYT staple, and a deeper time-sink than it first appears.
Quordle
Daily · WordFour Wordle grids solved at once with nine shared guesses. For when a single board no longer fills the daily-puzzle gap.
A Daily Puzzle With A Different Flavour
Historic Firsts
★ Editor’s Pick · Daily · HistoryFull disclosure: this one is ours, and it is not a grouping game. But if what hooked you on Connections was the daily ritual — one quick puzzle, a streak to protect, a result to share — Historic Firsts scratches the same itch with history instead of words. Each day you order six historic firsts along a timeline, from earliest to most recent.
Play Today’s Edition — FreeFrequently Asked
- What is the best game like Connections?
- For staying in the same family, Strands is the obvious pick — it is the NYT’s own follow-up. For a tougher grouping challenge, PuzzGrid raises the red-herring count. And if it was the daily habit you loved more than the grouping itself, a different puzzle like Historic Firsts keeps the ritual going.
- Are these games like Connections free?
- Every game on this list is free to play, most of them straight in your browser with no account. A few offer optional paid extras, but the daily puzzle is always free — including Historic Firsts.
- What is the NYT game like Connections?
- Strands is the New York Times’ companion to Connections — a themed word-search hybrid. Wordle and Spelling Bee round out the core NYT Games line-up, all playable daily.
- What should I play after my daily Connections?
- Most people keep two or three daily puzzles in rotation. A common set: Connections for grouping, Wordle or Quordle for guessing, and a change-of-pace puzzle like Historic Firsts to round out the morning.
Add One To Your Rotation
A Daily Puzzle, With History
Play Historic FirstsPrefer word games? See our games like Wordle.
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