The New York Times, renowned for its popular word games like Wordle and the crossword, has now turned its attention to enhancing another beloved game: Connections. Connections, a word game that challenges players to identify patterns within a group of 16 words or phrases, has always been known for its engaging gameplay, albeit sometimes frustratingly difficult levels.
Now, with the introduction of a new stats feature, Connections players can delve deeper into their performance. The newspaper announced on Tuesday that the Connections app will now display a variety of statistics, including the number of puzzles completed, the number of ‘perfect’ puzzles solved, win rate, streaks, and more. This feature is available on iOS, Android, the New York Times news app, and the browser. Players can access their stats by clicking on the bar graph icon in the toolbar, similar to the stats features found in other NYT Games apps like Wordle and Spelling Bee. You can also view your stats at the end of each game.
The New York Times has been actively investing in its Games app, adding new games like Strands and implementing community features to enhance user engagement. Wordle, the viral sensation, received a significant update in May, including the addition of archives. In 2022, the company launched WordleBot, an AI tool that analyzes Wordle gameplay and offers hints for improving performance. The app also underwent a redesign in March.
Jonathan Knight, head of games at The New York Times, highlighted the purpose of these new features: “These new features are all about deepening the delight of the game, keeping the challenge fresh, and fostering long-term engagement.” This focus on player engagement and continuous improvement underscores the newspaper’s commitment to providing a robust and enjoyable gaming experience for its users.
