We’ve all been there: a five-minute break in between a double lesson when you’ve already filled up your water bottle and been to the toilet, wondering what you can do to fill the time. Then the guardian angel-shaped Wordle logo pops out at you, saving you from what would otherwise be a life-ending few minutes of boredom. Created in 2021, Wordle has always been the perfect tool to turn to when procrastinating – it is challenging, fun, quick, and makes you feel like you’re doing something intellectual. But, with so many other competitors such as Connections and Strands, is it truly the best New York Times game? As someone who has completed 510 Wordles and 161 Connections in my life, I feel qualified enough to rank all of the games, so read on for my definitive rankings!
In first place, an unpredictable choice… it’s Wordle. There really is no debate when it comes to the best NYT game – Wordle is the clear winner. It doesn’t take any time to complete, and it always gives you a sense of satisfaction when you nail it early in the morning. According to me, starting your day off with a Wordle win releases similar endorphins to completing a marathon. Wordle is also the perfect social game. Conversation starters with friends include comparing how many guesses each person took to get the right answer and arguing over which starting word is best. Overall, Wordle is the face of NYT Games for a reason. 10/10, no notes.
In second place, it pains me to put the Mini. While it’s unfortunately behind a paywall now, hardcore NYT Games fans will never forget the absolute perfection that was the Mini. Quick and convenient, the Mini was the perfect post-Wordle game, and the varying difficulty levels of the clues made it great for beginner and advanced players alike. Due to withdrawal symptoms, I have been dabbling in the Guardian Mini and Boston Globe Mini, but neither compare to the NYT one. Even though most players are not playing the Mini these days because of the paywall, I still think it deserves second place because of its legacy.
In third, I have the infamous Connections. The amount of downright baffling categories Connections gives us is truly the definition of ragebait. Nevertheless, it is very enjoyable to complete and a little bit easier than Wordle and the Mini. Connections is also revered for its unpredictability, especially the April Fool’s puzzles which often don’t use words at all! The reason it is only third is because it’s sometimes difficult to complete as a school-aged Brit, for example when one of the categories is ‘on the back of a US coin’.
Now we are done with the podium places, I will cover my honourable mentions.
Firstly, Strands. Strands is a game I often only play when in maximum boredom, as it takes longer than the three aforementioned games and can be challenging. Because it isn’t part of my daily routine, Strands just misses the podium.
Next, my two favourite NYT Games besides Wordle: Connections Sports Edition and Connections Soccer Limited Edition. I complete these religiously, often neglecting to do the regular Connections because these two are much more enticing for me. The Sports Edition is extremely enjoyable but often requires me to Google niche baseball hall-of-famers and other things I certainly don’t know off the top of my head. The soccer version, on limited release for this year’s World Cup, is also very fun and a lot easier to complete for us in the UK. It is a great way to get in the World Cup mood. Both of these games are hidden gems, hence why I didn’t include them on the podium, as they aren’t completed by the general public in the same way as Wordle and Connections.
In conclusion, NYT Games are the perfect boredom-busters and Wordle is definitely my #1 favourite. Keep puzzling!
