Best Games Like NYT Connections (2026)
Updated June 2026
NYT Connections — grouping sixteen words into four hidden categories — has become one of the most popular daily puzzles in the world. Once you've cracked today's grid, here are the best games like Connections to play next, from other grouping games to logic puzzles that scratch the same daily itch.
Grouping & word games
- Connections clones & "unlimited" versions — fan-made boards let you play more than one grouping puzzle a day.
- Red Herring — sort words into groups while avoiding decoys.
- Wordle & Quordle — the classic letter-guessing games.
- Contexto — guess the secret word using semantic "closeness."
- Strands — a themed word-search from the NYT.
Logic puzzles for the same daily habit
If what you love about Connections is the daily "one clean win," logic puzzles deliver the same hit — and you can play them as much as you want:
- CrownGrid — Queens-style crown placement. Unlimited, no login, daily challenge.
- Sudoku — the 1–9 classic, easy to hard.
- SunMoon — a Tango-style ☀️/🌙 balance puzzle.
- Trail — one continuous line through every cell.
Why these make good Connections alternatives
Connections works because it's short, shareable and solvable once a day. Logic puzzles share that DNA — quick, fair, no luck — but without the one-per-day wall. The Funduk Games puzzles keep the daily challenge and streaks while letting you play unlimited boards for free.