The October 12, 2026, NYT Connections puzzle has not yet been verified. The New York Times says the daily game releases at midnight in each player’s timezone, so its word board, hints and answers cannot be confirmed before that release. This page does not present unverified answers as fact.
Why October 12’s answers aren’t available yet
The New York Times Help Center says Connections is released daily at midnight in your timezone. The October 12 board is therefore not established by the available information as of October 8, 2026. A third-party search listing surfaced purported categories for October 12, but its page could not be checked; those claims are not confirmed and should not be treated as an answer key.
Connections gives players 16 words to sort into four groups of four, with each group sharing a theme. The game assigns the groups yellow, green, blue and purple colors, from easiest to trickiest. The Times says each puzzle has one solution, while words that appear to fit more than one category make the grouping challenging. See the NYT Connections Help Center for the official rules and release details.
How to play once the puzzle is released
- Open Connections through the NYT Games app, nytimes.com/games/connections, nytimes.com/theathletic or the News app.
- Review all 16 words before choosing a group. Look for a shared meaning or property, but watch for words that could plausibly belong to more than one category.
- Select four words you believe share a connection and submit them. Work through the remaining words to complete the four groups.
The daily game is free to play. The full archive, which dates back to June 12, 2023, is available to All Access and Games subscribers, according to the Help Center.
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Quick Recap
Rank #4
- UNIQUE COOPERATIVE WORD GAME: Write one clue connecting two keywords on each clover leaf. Teammates guess which keyword pair each clue links in this inventive, laugh-out-loud word association game
- CREATIVE PARTY GAME FOR ADULTS: So Clover! challenges players to make unexpected word connections. The more creative your clues, the higher your team scores in this hilarious adult party game
- GREAT FOR WORD GAME FANS: So Clover! takes cooperative word games to the next level with a unique multi-clue clover structure that delivers fresh, surprising, and satisfying creative connections
- FAST, FUN & SOCIAL: Plays in under 30 minutes with 3-6 players ages 10 and up. So Clover! is quick to setup, with no filler, just pure creative energy and highly collaborative family fun from the very first round
- IDEAL GIFT FOR ADULTS & FAMILIES: So Clover! is the party game gift for anyone who loves wordplay and creative thinking. Easy to teach in minutes, endlessly engaging at any family game night
Rank #3
- Two teams race to identify their agents from a 5×5 grid, guided by a spymaster who knows each card’s identity
- Spymasters give one-word clues and a number to link multiple cards, encouraging creative thinking
- Teammates guess words matching the clue while avoiding the other team’s agents, bystanders, and the assassin
- Revealing the assassin ends the game instantly, adding high-stakes tension
- Teams may guess up to the clue number plus one, allowing strategic risks or revisiting old clues
Rank #2
- STRATEGIC THINKING: Elevate the fun with this game, where players strategically choose word combinations, making it perfect for party games for adults and family, enhancing both depth and complexity.
- MULTIPLAYER FUN: Engage in multiplayer entertainment with Subtext Showdown, perfect for game nights with 3 to 6 participants, promoting communication and creative thinking in the realm of adult games for game night.
- POINTS OF PRECISION: Accumulate points by adeptly deducing associations or demonstrating telepathic synchronicity, ensuring a gratifying experience for effective communication and intuitive connections in adult board games.
- RACE AGAINST TIME: With a ticking clock, players must think quickly and make their associations before time runs out, adding an exciting element of urgency to the game.
- EXCITING PERFECT GIFT: Combine phrases from the 16 cards to form associations that friends can decode, providing an exhilarating challenge in teen-friendly card games, perfect gift for any occasion.
#1 Best Overall
- The game where _______ minds think alike!
- Prepare yourself for Blank Slate, a game of addicting predictions! How well can you put your finger on what everyone's thinking?
- Pick a Word Cue card, write the word you think best completes the phrase, and try to match it to anther player's word without giving a single hint
- Easy to learn, quick to play, and fun for the whole family; just grab a slate, write a word, and get ready to make a match. Great for large groups or small gatherings!
- Includes: Scoreboard, 8 dry-erase slates, 250 doubled-sided word cue cards, rules
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