NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Saturday, April 12.

      Connections is widely regarded as one of the top puzzle games from the New York Times. The game challenges players to organize a set of 16 words into four secret groups by discerning how the words are interconnected. A new puzzle is reset every midnight, each varying in difficulty. Similar to Wordle, players can track their winning streak and compare their scores with friends.

      Some days can be more challenging than others — much like other NYT Games favorites such as The Mini and Strands. If you find yourself struggling with today’s puzzle, we have provided tips and strategies in our Connections guide, along with hints for today's puzzle below. Should you still need assistance, we will reveal today’s answers at the end.

      How to play Connections

      Connections is a daily game centered on discovering common themes among words. Players must identify four groups of four words while making no more than three mistakes. Play now. [Link]

      You can enjoy Connections either on the New York Times website or through the NYT Games app available on iOS and Android. In Connections, a grid containing 16 words is displayed — your goal is to categorize these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections that bind them. These sets could relate to various themes, such as titles of video game franchises, book series sequels, shades of red, or names of chain restaurants.

      While many words may seem to fit multiple themes, there is only one completely correct solution. You can rearrange the grid of words to make it easier to spot potential connections. Each group is color-coded: yellow is the easiest to identify, followed by green, blue, and purple.

      Select four words and click Submit. If you are correct, those four words will be removed from the grid, revealing the theme that links them. A wrong guess counts as a mistake, and you have a total of four mistakes allowed before the game concludes.

      Hints for today’s Connections

      We can assist you with today’s Connections by providing you the themes for the four groups. If you require additional help, we will also list one word from each group below.

      Today’s themes

      - SHORT PERIOD OF TIME

      - DO WRONG

      - N.B.A. PLAYER

      - STARTS OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES

      One-answer reveals

      - SHORT PERIOD OF TIME – BIT

      - DO WRONG – ERR

      - N.B.A. PLAYER – BUCK

      - STARTS OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES – BOTS

      New York Times

      Today’s Connections answers

      Still unable to figure it out? That's all right. This puzzle is intentionally challenging. If you simply wish to see today’s Connections answers, they are listed below:

      - SHORT PERIOD OF TIME – BIT, FLASH, JIFF, SEC

      - DO WRONG – ERR, FALL, SIN, STRAY

      - N.B.A. PLAYER – BUCK, NET, SPUR, SUN

      - STARTS OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES – BOTS, CAME, KEN, YAN

      Connections grids differ significantly and are refreshed daily. If you weren’t able to solve today’s puzzle, be sure to check back tomorrow.

      NYT Connection FAQs

      What time does the Connections puzzle change?

      The puzzle updates daily at midnight local time.

      Who edits the NYT Connections game?

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles for The New York Times since 2020, is responsible for Connections daily. “A few months ago, a new task was assigned to me: to create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently received approval and needed an editor,” Liu stated in an article discussing her editing process in June 2024. Most of my experience has been with crosswords, and I was thrilled at the opportunity to try something new. I have enjoyed learning about the editing process for puzzles once a game is approved, and how our team contributes to a larger framework."

      To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Connections earlier this year, Liu shared this TikTok highlighting her favorite puzzles so far.

      @thegamesteam ? happy one year anniversary to connections, our newest official NYT game ? #nytgames #nytconnections #nyt ♬ The Kite Live by Luisa Marion – luisa_marion_music