NYT Games Drops a Brand-New Daily Puzzle—Could It Be the Next Wordle?

NYT Games is once again lighting up social feeds thanks to a perfect storm: a fresh Connections puzzle that has solvers stumped, and a new multi-game leaderboard in the official app that turns every daily win into a bragging right. Daily brain-teaser frenzy • Today’s Connections (#892) presents a famously tricky “purple” category—“Organ Plus a Letter”—that has even veteran players burning through their four allowed mistakes, while the “Second Words in Poe Stories” set delivers an unexpected literature lesson. • Wordle No. 1613, the Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee round out the morning ritual, all accessible free on the NYT Games site or in the app. New leaderboard supercharges friendly rivalry The Times quietly rolled out a multi-game leaderboard that tracks performance across Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and the Mini, letting fans add friends—and even celebrity puzzlers such as actor Chris Perfetti and singer Laufey—for real-time score comparisons. The feature is live on iOS and Android and is rolling out globally this month. Why it matters 1. Social sharing is already core to Wordle’s success; a unified leaderboard extends that viral loop to the entire NYT puzzle suite. 2. Cross-game stats encourage players who only open Wordle to sample Connections and Strands, boosting overall engagement. 3. Celebrity participation offers built-in influencer marketing without extra ad spend. Expert tips to keep your streak alive • For Connections, look for synonyms that describe physical build (today’s “STOCKY” group) before chasing abstract links. • Spelling Bee players should start with plurals ending in S to quickly rack up points. • Wordle still rewards balanced openers—think “SLATE” or “CRANE”—but avoid repeating yellow letters on guess two. What’s next for NYT Games Product designers have tested timed “streak savers” that let players spend in-game tokens to protect a run if they forget a day, according to internal prototypes viewed by beta users. While not confirmed for launch, the idea underscores the Times’s push to deepen loyalty ahead of 2026 subscription goals. Bottom line With a viral puzzle, a new social leaderboard and daily hints dominating search, NYT Games is cementing its position as the internet’s go-to coffee-break companion—and giving solvers even more reasons to open the app tomorrow.