Connections Puzzle Editor Wyna Liu Breaks Down How She Comes Up With Her Ideas

If you're a fan of The New York Times game Connections and wonder what goes into putting it together, we have answers!

"There’s a lot of free-associating! And looking up lists of words. Maybe while looking up things you buy for a baby, you’ll notice that 'bassinet' contains the word 'bass'; then you can see if there are other words beginning with musical instruments, or kinds of fish. Sometimes I’ll base a board on a category idea, or I’ll build it around a couple words, I think might look interesting together," Wyna Liu, editor of the New York Times game Connections, exclusively tells OK!.

Connections, which launched in beta on June 12, 2023, has become the newspaper's second-most-played game after Wordle.

Over the years, the game has "evolved as players have gotten better at solving," says Liu. "When I first started making boards, they were primarily built around words that belonged in multiple categories. Over time I’ve learned different ways to create challenge, by including different types of wordplay, trivia and category misleads that aren’t actually part of the solution."

As for how she puts the puzzles together, she tries to "put myself in the solver's shoes (advice from our lead editor on Games, Joel Fagliano), and tries to anticipate what they might be thinking if they see certain words together."

"I’m not sure if I’m always successful! It’s also fun to include things that people are talking about, like KPop Demon Hunters and Heated Rivarly," she explains, adding that if she's not feeling inspired, she will "take a walk or hang out with my dog."

"Stepping away from work and coming back to a problem with fresh eyes is usually the best way to go. (I’ve found that’s true for making and solving puzzles!)," she insists.

For Liu, every puzzle is different. "Sometimes they come together quite smoothly, but the construction process is usually non-linear; sometimes it takes weeks for an idea to finally turn into a finished board. That said, I usually budget about 2.5 hours per board, which allows time for brainstorming and going down research rabbit holes," she shares. "I think difficulty can be pretty subjective, so often it depends on what the solver might be familiar with! I try to not mix too many difficult things on the same board. For example, if there’s a tricky wordplay category, I wouldn’t want to also include a tough know-it-or-you-don’t trivia category."

Liu is "partial to some of the silly ones like WORDS MISSPELLED IN NU METAL BAND NAMES, ADJECTIVES FOR A CANDLE, STARTING WITH SLANG FOR SAUSAGE," when it comes to her favorites.

"I also like some of the simpler ones like Y-SHAPED THINGS, where the answers result in interesting words you might not think of together," she adds, noting, "I’m very fond of the board whose cards all contain movie names, but no movie knowledge is needed to solve it!"

Growing up, Liu's mom "bought me compilations of Games Magazine."

"I didn’t know how to solve any of the puzzles back then, but I loved reading the instructions and looking at the pictures! I didn’t start solving crosswords until many years after, but I know that was a super informative experience," she says.

Now, Connections has been played billions of times — something that "blows" Liu's mind.

"It's amazing," she says. "I love the discourse that’s evolved around the game. I’m not on social media very often, but sometimes friends and colleagues will send me memes and comments. I think it’s great! I’d love to thank everyone who’s played the game! It means a lot, and I’m so excited to keep growing it with you."

To mark the 1,000th Connections puzzle on March 7, The New York Times Games will fuel fans’ morning gameplay all week with a limited-edition drink brewed just for the milestone, plus special badges.

Many players love to start their day with Connections, with the most popular solve time on New York Times Games between 9-11 a.m. Drawing on this beloved routine, New York Times Games is fueling morning gameplay the week of the 1,000th Connections puzzle by releasing a complimentary limited-edition drink with Matchaful, inspired by the four colors of a solved Connections puzzle.

The drink will be available daily 8-11 a.m., March 2 to 7, at all Matchaful NYC locations. Anyone who shows they’ve completed the daily Connections puzzle will get to try our aptly named drink made just for solvers - Purple First.

The layered drink will consist of the following tiered flavors:

Purple First

• Purple - Purple Sweet Potato, Taro, Maple, Coconut Milk

• Blue - Blue Spirulina, Maple, Almond Cream

• Green - Grape, 3g Kiwami Super Ceremonial Matcha, Almond Cream

• Yellow - Pineapple, Maple

Liu gave some advice for when solving the upcoming 1,000th puzzle.

"There are a couple playful category types to watch out for! The board looks a little different, but don’t let that throw you off," she concludes.