Only Connect host points out similarities to fresh New York Times game
The New York Times is beta testing a game called Connections which has gained attention for its similarities to a round featured in BBC2 quiz show Only Connect.
In both games, players are shown 16 clues which must be categorised into four groups of four. Once a category is correctly identified, the clues are grouped together at the top of the board and asasigned a colour.
The only notable difference is that Connections refreshes each day and players can only make four mistakes (akin to Wordle), whilst in the Connecting Wall (as it's known on Only Connect) players must solve the wall in two and a half minutes. Connecting Wall players have unlimited guesses until they've found two categories, after which they are only given three incorrect attempts.
The similarities did not escape the notice of Only Connect viewers or host Victoria Coren Mitchell.
Coren Mitchell responded to New York Times puzzles editor Wyna Liu on Twitter, asking Liu «do you know this has been a TV show in the UK since 2008?! It's so similar I guess you must do?»
Do you know this has been a TV show in the UK since 2008 ?! It’s so similar I guess you must do?
I had a go at today's Connections puzzle to see just how similarly it plays, and it does feel very Only Connect. Three of the colours for the categories are identical, and criteria for the categories is almost the same. Every seasoned will Only Connect viewer know each wall has a group of synonyms, and a group where all the clues can be prefixed or suffixed with the same phrase.
Eurogamer has contacted the New York Times for comment.
In April, The York Times launched Digits, its own take on Countdown's numbers round.
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