Many people have experienced the frustrating moment when they sit with a cup of coffee while trying to understand the Connections puzzle, which makes them ask if Phoenix is a bird or a city or something from Harry Potter. The daily puzzle has evolved into a daily routine for word aficionados who also enjoy trivia games along with people who seek the satisfaction of solving clever categories. After completing the current day’s puzzle, you crave more mental stimulation.
Fear not, fellow logophile! A collection of games like Connections exists for stimulating brain activity and expanding vocabulary knowledge, fostering competitive gameplay. These entertaining games combine mind-testing challenges that supply your brain with exceptional workouts during gameplay sessions. Let’s dive in!
Why We’re All Addicted to Connections (And Games Like It)
Everyone agrees that Connections stands apart from other games. Additionally, we experience a profound gratification when we study “Mocha,” “Tiger,” “Matrix” and “Snow Leopard” after realizing how these phrases connect to each other. You must rely on keen observation and doubtful knowledge of 90s boy bands since this detective work involves nothing else.
But why do we love it so much?
- It’s a daily dopamine hit. The small burst of euphoria happens when you place the final word within its designated area. Pure gold.
- It makes you feel smart. The game provides a smart feeling even though you searched for “types of coffee” on Google during the task.
- It’s social. Solving word category disagreements between “Dolphin” and between “Aquatic Animals” or “NFL Teams” creates unmatched camaraderie between coworkers or friends and even anonymous internet contacts.
If this sounds like your happy place, you’ll adore these games like Connections below.
7 Games Like Connections for a Brain Tease
#1 Red Herring- Where Connections Meets a Troll
Play If You Love: Sneaky distractions, yelling “OH COME ON” at your screen.
Red Herring challenges you to sort 16 words into three categories while dodging four red herrings—words that seem related but are total impostors. For example:
- Words: “Apple,” “Kiwi,” “Spinach,” “Orange”
- Categories: “Fruits with Edible Skins” (Apple, Kiwi, Orange)
- Red Herring: “Spinach” (Nope, just vibing here to ruin your day).
Why We’re Obsessed: It’s Connections with a side of chaos. Perfect for masochists who think, “This puzzle is too easy—please gaslight me.”
#2 PuzzGrid- Connections on Steroids
Play If You Love: Speed runs, regretting your life choices at the 2:59 mark.
This is one of the best games like Connections for adrenaline junkies. You get 16 words and three minutes to group them into four categories. But wait! Some grids include “lurkers”—words that don’t fit any group. The panic is real when you’re 90 seconds in and realize “Darth Vader” isn’t part of “Villains”… because you missed the actual category: “Characters Played by James Earl Jones.”
Pro Tip: Play with friends and watch friendships crumble as someone insists “Pineapple” belongs in “Pizza Toppings.”
#3 Semantle- For When You Want to Feel Like a Robot
Play If You Love: Humblebragging about your “word2vec” knowledge, existential crises.
If you’re hunting for games like Connections with a techy twist, Semantle is your jam. You guess words to find a secret target, but instead of “correct letters,” you get a “similarity score” based on AI analysis. For example:
- Guess “Dog” → 80/100 similarity to “Cat”
- Guess “Kitten” → 95/100
- Guess “Lasagna” → …why?
Why It’s Genius: You’ll learn that AI thinks “love” is closely related to “money” and “war.” Deep stuff.
#4 Codenames- Connections as a Party Game
Play If You Love: Inside jokes, passive-aggressive clue-giving.
A social spin on games like Connections, Codenames pits two teams against each other as spymasters give one-word clues to link multiple agent codenames. For example:
- Clue: “Ocean 2” → Teammates guess “Dolphin” and “Wave.”
- Riskier Clue: “Evil 3” → Might link “Voldemort,” “Taxes,” and “Pineapple on Pizza.”
Bonus Drama: Nothing beats the tension of someone guessing “Death” when your clue was “Romance 2” (cough Romeo and Juliet cough).
#5 Contexto- The Game That Reads Your Mind
Play If You Love: Feeling like a psychic, questioning reality.
Contexto tasks you with guessing a mystery word based on AI-driven semantic closeness. Think of it as a word-based hot-and-cold game:
- Guess “Bread” → Distance: 10
- Guess “Flour” → Distance: 5
- Guess “Beyoncé” → Distance: 1,002 (but honestly, she’s close to everything).
Mind-Blowing Moment: When you realize the AI thinks “coffee” is closely related to “anxiety.” Same, algorithm. Same.
#6 Wikitrivia- For History Nerds with a God Complex
Play If You Love: Flexing your “random facts” knowledge, pretending you knew the War of 1812 timeline.
Wikitrivia challenges you to sort historical events into chronological order. Misplace “The Invention of the Telephone,” and the game will roast you with: “You’re off by 2,184 years.” Ouch.
Best For: People who’ve memorized the entire Hamilton soundtrack and need an outlet.
#7 Dordle & Quordle- Wordle’s Overachieving Siblings
Play If You Love: Multitasking, regretting your life choices.
While not an exact game like Connections, Quordle (solve four Wordle-style puzzles at once) scratches the same itch for pattern recognition and deduction. It’s the linguistic equivalent of patting your head while rubbing your stomach.
Pro Tip: Start with “ADIEU” to eliminate vowels. Or just panic-guess “XYLYL” like the rest of us.
Why Your Brain Needs These Games
Let’s drop the pretense: you’re not just playing games to kill time. You’re here for the cognitive gains:
- Upgrade Your Memory: Studies show puzzle fans recall names 40% faster. (Take that, awkward reunions!)
- Boost Creativity: Lateral thinking in games like Red Herring translates to better problem-solving IRL.
- Reduce Stress: A 2022 study found daily puzzlers had cortisol levels 18% lower than non-players. “But I rage-quit Semantle!” you say. Shhh—science says it’s helping.
How to Become a Word Game Jedi
- Embrace the Chaos: Can’t find a link? Maybe “Blue” connects to “Sadness,” “Sky,” and “Jazz Music.” Think outside the box!
- Befriend a Thesaurus: It’s not cheating—it’s “expanding your lexical horizons.”
- Fail Spectacularly: The best Codenames stories start with someone linking “Nuclear” to “Kittens.”
Ready to Level Up?
Whether you’re a Connections connoisseur or a newbie looking for brainy fun, these games like Connections offer endless “Wait, how did I not see that?!” moments. So grab your phone, laptop, or that dusty crossword book—it’s time to train your brain, one chaotic word grid at a time.
