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Library/Game/Connections
Grade B22 sourcesHIS-00628

Connections

Game · 2023 · Viral

60Editable slideCertificate

NYT's daily grouping puzzle reached No. 1 on Google's global trending games list.

Victoria Coren Mitchell

@VictoriaCoren · Jun 13, 2023

Do you know this has been a TV show in the UK since 2008 ?! It’s so similar I guess you must do?

9.8K180
Post · @VictoriaCoren on X

Scott Bryan

@scottygb · Jun 14, 2023

Only Connect has declared war on the NYT.

Wyna@wynaliu

Very excited to share the game I've been working on, Connections! I've loved making it, and hope you enjoy playing. Huge thanks to Heidi Erwin @oatmemo, Bella Virgilio, and the @NYTGames team 😍🥳 nytimes.com/games/connecti… h

Victoria Coren Mitchell @VictoriaCoren Do you know this has been a TV show in the UK since 2008 ?! It’s so similar I guess you must do?
5.9K49
Post · @scottygb on X

Wyna

@wynaliu · Jun 12, 2023

Very excited to share the game I've been working on, Connections! I've loved making it, and hope you enjoy playing. Huge thanks to Heidi Erwin @oatmemo, Bella Virgilio, and the @NYTGames team 😍🥳 nytimes.com/games/connecti… h

944438
Post · @wynaliu on X
Very excited to share the game I've been working on, Connections! I've loved making it, and hope you enjoy playing. Huge thanks to Heidi Erwin @oatmemo, Bella Virgilio, and the @NYTGames team 😍🥳
@wynaliu on X
Logo for Connections on NYT.
The New York Times / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Victoria Coren Mitchell @VictoriaCoren Do you know this has been a TV show in the UK since 2008 ?! It’s so similar I guess you must do?
@scottygb on X
What did you Google in 2024? From the elections to Copa América, here's what search trends show
Associated Press (via KSAT)
From Crosswords to Connections: Exploring Trends in New York Times Games - Lady Puzzle Pro
Lady Puzzle Pro

Spread Score

How it works
Reach58Contagion85Breadth70Velocity0Longevity7960

Numbers

Daily players: owner claim of tens of millions (lower bound)
20M
As of Jan 29, 2025 · Self-reported · The New York Times Company
Peak date
Week of Jun 12, 2024
Jun 12 ’23 to Week of Jun 12, 2024
Platforms
6
Started on Open web
Origin
Seeded
Gaming

Mechanics

  • Shareable outputPrimary
  • Daily ritual
  • Controversy
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop

How it spread

Trace the origin

Connections opened in public beta, then drew Only Connect comparisons on X. Solvers shared grids, made custom puzzles and filmed TikTok reactions. The Times ranked it second in plays, and Google ranked it first among global trending games in 2024.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesApr ’23JulOctFeb ’24AprMayAugNovFeb ’25JunNovJun ’26PeakOpen webXApp storesPressRedditTikTok
Open webXApp storesPressRedditTikTok

14 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (17)

  1. June 2023

    The New York Times Games seed · Jun 12 ’23

    The Times opened the public Connections beta, edited by Wyna Liu.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. Victoria Coren Mitchell platform jump · Jun 13 ’23

    The Only Connect host replied that the new puzzle resembled her TV show.[3]

  3. Scott Bryan backlash · Jun 14 ’23

    Bryan quote-posted the announcement and wrote that Only Connect had declared war on the NYT.[4]

    Victoria Coren Mitchell @VictoriaCoren Do you know this has been a TV show in the UK since 2008 ?! It’s so similar I guess you must do?
Origin
Seeded
Sector
Gaming
Region
US
Daily players: owner claim of tens of millions (lower bound)
20M
As of Jan 29, 2025 · Self-reported · The New York Times Company
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Hamster Kombat

Group chats · 2024

63
Hamster Kombat’s March 25 access announcement artwork, with the hamster character and WE STARTING text.

100M players

HQ Trivia

App stores · 2017

57
Big Human design mockups of HQ Trivia gameplay, results and the leaderboard.

2M downloads a month

Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator

Open web · 2017

51
Official Dream Daddy gameplay screenshot from the Steam store.

$3.3M revenue

Opus Magnum

Open web · 2017

46
Official Steam screenshot of an alchemical machine and its instruction timeline

6.9K derivatives

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

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Wikipedia views · Google searchesApr ’23JulOctFeb ’24AprMayAugNovFeb ’25JunNovJun ’26PeakOpen webXApp storesPressRedditTikTok
Open webXApp storesPressRedditTikTok

14 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. June 2023

    The New York Times Games seed · Jun 12 ’23

    The Times opened the public Connections beta, edited by Wyna Liu.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. Victoria Coren Mitchell platform jump · Jun 13 ’23

    The Only Connect host replied that the new puzzle resembled her TV show.[3]

  3. Scott Bryan backlash · Jun 14 ’23

    Bryan quote-posted the announcement and wrote that Only Connect had declared war on the NYT.[4]

    Victoria Coren Mitchell @VictoriaCoren Do you know this has been a TV show in the UK since 2008 ?! It’s so similar I guess you must do?

  1. commercial · Aug 28 ’23

  2. press · Sep 6 ’23

Join free to see the other 14 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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