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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsLinkedIn Pinpoint is the closest match to NYT Connections among these options: both ask you to spot a category linking words, but Pinpoint reveals clues one at a time instead of giving you a 16-word board to sort. For a different kind of daily word challenge, try The Washington Post’s Keyword. If you want to keep playing Connections with a new theme, NYT’s Sports Edition uses the same rules; Crossplay is for head-to-head word play, not category grouping.
Which game is closest to Connections?
LinkedIn Pinpoint: association by clues
Pinpoint is the nearest fit if what you enjoy about Connections is recognizing a shared category. LinkedIn describes it as a word-association game in which players guess the common category linking a set of words. It presents five clues, and the challenge is to identify the category while revealing as few as possible. Connections instead presents 16 words at once and asks you to sort them into four groups of four.
That change makes Pinpoint feel less like sorting a crowded board and more like making an inference from gradually disclosed hints. LinkedIn says a new puzzle arrives daily at midnight Pacific Time. Its games are available to LinkedIn members and nonmembers alike.
Other daily word games worth trying
The Washington Post Keyword: crack a code
The Washington Post’s games hub lists Keyword among its word games and describes its online games as free. Keyword asks you to crack a code and find the winning word. That gives you a compact word-solving challenge, but it is not a direct substitute for Connections’ category-matching mechanic.
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Connections: Sports Edition: same rules, sports vocabulary
If you want the original puzzle format with a narrower subject, NYT’s Connections: Sports Edition keeps Connections’ rules and applies a sports theme. It is a themed variant from the same publisher, rather than an alternative game or a new category-association format.
NYT Crossplay: compete head-to-head
Crossplay is a separate two-player word game from The New York Times. The company’s January 2026 announcement said it was available in its iOS and Android apps. Choose it if direct competition is the appeal; it is not a puzzle about grouping words by a hidden category.
Rank #2
How the options compare
| Game | Core mechanic | Access and cadence | Social format |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYT Connections | Sort 16 words into four groups of four, each sharing something in common. Groups are color-coded from yellow, the easiest, to purple, the trickiest. | Free to play without registration; a new puzzle releases daily at midnight in the player’s timezone. Available on the web and in the Games and News apps, according to NYT Help. | Solo puzzle; players can share results. Direct competition is not the core format. |
| LinkedIn Pinpoint | Infer the category linking five clues, aiming to reveal as few clues as possible. | LinkedIn says members and nonmembers can play; new puzzles release daily at midnight Pacific Time. Archive access is not stated in LinkedIn Help. | Solo word-association challenge; direct competition is not described in LinkedIn Help. |
| The Washington Post Keyword | Crack a code and find the winning word. | The Washington Post games hub describes its online games as free and lists Keyword. Puzzle release cadence and archive access are not stated there. | Social or competitive features are not stated in the games-hub description. |
| NYT Connections: Sports Edition | Uses the same grouping rules as Connections, with a sports theme. | Access, release timing, and archive details are not stated in the cited NYT description. | Same basic puzzle format as Connections; social features are not stated in the cited description. |
| NYT Crossplay | A competitive two-player word game, distinct from category grouping. | The January 2026 NYT announcement described availability in the iOS and Android apps. Release cadence and archive access are not stated in that announcement. | Head-to-head play between two players. |
Is Connections itself free?
Yes. NYT Help says Connections can be played for free without registering. A NYT Games subscription is relevant if you also want access to the wider Games catalog and archives; Connections is among the games available without that subscription. The subscription page describes access on the web and in the iOS and Android apps, and notes that progress may be stored locally when you are not logged in. Subscription prices can change, so check NYT’s current subscription page for the price that applies to you.
Quick Recap
How to choose your next puzzle
- Want the nearest category-association match? Start with LinkedIn Pinpoint, keeping in mind that its clues arrive sequentially rather than as a full board.
- Want a different quick word challenge? Try Keyword for code-cracking and finding a word.
- Want more Connections with a subject filter? Choose Connections: Sports Edition.
- Want another player involved? Try Crossplay for a competitive two-player format.
- Want older NYT puzzles or more games? Consider whether the broader catalog and archives in a Games subscription are useful; the daily Connections puzzle itself does not require one.
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