Once upon a time the game that captured everybody’s attention was Wordle, but there’s been an unexpected change. Connections dominates the downtime of everyone I know, and I have no clue what triggered that change. When Wordle was the cool girl on the block, nobody ever had anything nice to say about Connections. I know I certainly didn’t. The New York Times must be doing something to our water and food, because mine and others’ hatred for the minigame turned into a deep, passionate love. 

Tenth-grader Elizabeth Halprin says that “even though [she] doesn’t win, [she] likes how it makes [her] think about what [she’s] doing.” and I totally agree (besides when I get super mad and then start connecting random words hoping for a stroke of dumb luck). There’s something that really flatters your ego when you get all 4 of the connections – you’re one of the elite! You just have to know the feeling! I enjoy playing it in the morning, and it can honestly make or break the rest of my day — or even the rest of my week if I really suck. As I’m writing this I’m starting to think I only enjoy this game at my convenience… but that’s okay. 

Connections, which was created by star NYT quizmaker Zoe Bell, has the ability to bring people together. Me and my friends are already super close, but we also like to solve Connections around one another and see if we can all knock heads and figure the puzzle out. IB sophomore Alex Arcilla says he plays Connections “on weekend mornings with [his] mom” and even if she forces him to do so, I think it’s still sweet. 

On another note, I asked game fans, “Do you think Connections requires previous pop culture knowledge?” Tenth-grader Isabella Korb said, “Connections refers to things that some may not understand if they don’t interact with the Internet.” I think this may be where some of the elitist nature comes from, because based on your knowledge of the world around you, it can definitely help you rock the puzzle. Pop culture junkies (me) eat this game for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I strongly advise you to give it a try, especially if you used to hate it. Me and Connections had a rocky start, but now we’re very happy together.