A while back, I ranked the NY Times Games, with Connections as my favorite. I’m slightly obsessed with the game and enjoy it most when the puzzle makers seem to be going out of their way to frustrate us. I don’t like it when it’s easy but also walk away.
If you are mildly obsessed with Connections and are looking for similar word games that challenge your vocabulary, pattern recognition, and word association skills, I’ve got five online games for you. Each game is unique, a level harder than connections and best of all they’re free to play in your web browser (except Guess The Skill)—no downloads required!
These are also fun to play with middle-grade through high school classes to warm up their brain neurons.
- Semantle: I love this one. It’s harder than connections; you can play it at the link below or the Washington Post. Semantle tests your semantic reasoning by guessing a secret word based on its similarity to your guesses. It’s an open-ended challenge that will stretch your word association skills. It takes a little to get going but once you do it’s
- Quordle: If Connections and Wordle had a baby it would be Quordle. Like Wordle, but with a twist—solve four words simultaneously! There is more strategy than with any of the NY Times Games involved, and your vocabulary needs to be sharpened to solve it.
- Guess the Skill (LinkedIn): Another associating game. In this game, you’re presented with a job title and must guess the key skills associated with it. It’s a mix of trivia and pattern recognition, challenging your knowledge of different industries and roles.
- Squareword: Fill in a crossword-style grid where words read the same across and down. It’s a test of vocabulary and puzzle-solving skills.
- Contexto: Similar to Semantle and a little easier, Contexto challenges you to guess a secret word based on semantic relationships. It’s a fun way to explore word associations.
Christopher lives in Vermont with his wife, twin boys, border collie and corgi. He has owned a film production company, sold slot machines, and worked for Tony Robbins. He writes in his magical tiny house and sometimes writes in his blog at chrisrodgers.blog
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