How to Play Connections
Group 16 sports players into 4 hidden categories. Test your knowledge of NFL, NBA, and MLB players in this daily puzzle.
What is Connections?
Connections is a daily sports puzzle inspired by the NYT Connections game. Each day, you're given 16 player names arranged in a grid. Your goal is to find the 4 groups of 4 players that share a hidden connection — like “Won a Super Bowl,” “Drafted by the Lakers,” or “Had 1,000+ rushing yards in 2023.”
Be careful — some players could fit into multiple categories, and the puzzle is designed to trick you. You only get 4 mistakes before the game ends.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1Look at the 16 player names displayed in a 4x4 grid.
- 2Identify 4 players that share a hidden connection — such as team history, awards, or stats.
- 3Tap each of the 4 players to select them, then press Submit.
- 4If correct, the category is revealed and those players are removed from the board.
- 5If incorrect, you lose one of your 4 allowed mistakes.
- 6Continue grouping players until all 4 categories are found, or you run out of mistakes.
- 7Categories are color-coded by difficulty: Yellow (easiest), Green, Blue, Purple (hardest).
Tips & Strategies
- ●Start with the easiest group — look for obvious connections first.
- ●Watch out for red herrings — players who seem to fit multiple categories.
- ●If you get “One away!” feedback, you're close — swap one player.
- ●The purple category is always the hardest — save it for last.
- ●Use the shuffle button to see the players in a new arrangement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is RotoWall Connections?
RotoWall Connections is a free daily sports puzzle game where you group 16 sports players into 4 hidden categories. Each category has 4 players that share something in common, like a team, award, or stat milestone.
How many guesses do I get?
You get 4 mistakes before the game ends. Each incorrect group of 4 uses one mistake. Correct guesses don't count as mistakes.
When does a new puzzle come out?
A new Connections puzzle is published every day at midnight Eastern Time (ET). You can play previous puzzles anytime from the archive.
Can I play past Connections puzzles?
Yes! Visit the Connections Archive to browse and play any previous puzzle. Your progress is saved for each puzzle separately.
Is Connections free to play?
Yes, RotoWall Connections is completely free to play. No account is required, though signing in lets you track stats and appear on leaderboards.
What do the category colors mean?
Yellow is the easiest category, Green is moderate, Blue is tricky, and Purple is the hardest. Harder categories often involve more obscure connections like specific stats or historical trivia.
How is the score calculated?
Your score is based on how many categories you solve and how few mistakes you make. A perfect game (all 4 categories, 0 mistakes) earns the maximum score.