A Look Back: Our Picks for the 10 Hardest Connections of 2024

In a year full of big headlines, one puzzle game stood out. According to Google's Year in Search 2024, Connections was the third most trending search in the U.S., right after "Election" and "Donald Trump." It even beat out the New York Yankees and Kamala Harris! This surge in popularity follows Wordle's domination of search trends in 2022 and 2023.

Every month, millions search for " connections hint"—racking up between 5 to 10 million searches! Clearly, this game has people hooked. At the center of it all is Wyna Liu, the creative mind behind Connections, who’s become a star in her own right. She’s been featured on the TODAY Show and in The Atlantic's piece, The Most Controversial Game on the Internet, among many other appearances.

With so many puzzles keeping players guessing,—and flooding social media with equal parts admiration and exasperation 😉—we decided to look back and pick what we think were the 10 hardest Connections puzzles of 2024. To make our list, we used a few different methods. We reviewed every puzzle and considered the official difficulty ratings from Connections Companion (available since August), analyzed daily Google Trends data for "connections hint," and tracked discussions on social media—especially on TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit. Reddit stood out as the most insightful community, with dedicated solvers breaking down their strategies and frustrations every day.

Let’s get into it—our picks for the 10 hardest Connections puzzles of 2024. These are the ones that sparked endless Reddit debates, blew up on TikTok, sent users to Google for hints, and had everyone sharing their wins (or meltdowns) online.

#1 December 12, 2024: The All-Image Puzzle

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-12-22
See it on Lady Puzzle Pro (only words, no images):
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-12-12

This one was a game-changer—literally. On December 12, Wyna threw us a curveball with its first-ever all-image puzzle. No words, just pictures. While Connections Sports Edition had occasionally used images, and a Mini puzzle on Earth Day 2022 featured a tree across the grid, this was the first time the entire Connections board went visual. Another notable exception? The all-emoji puzzle on April Fool’s Day 2023, which was more playful than challenging.

The puzzle itself was deceptively clever. Translating images into categories like “Things That Sound Like T” (a cup of tea, a golf tee, and so on) or “Objects With Teeth” (a comb and a saw, for instance) made it equal parts challenging and brilliant.

This puzzle exploded online, sparking 700+ Reddit comments and maxing out Google Trends for “ connections hint.” Fans were divided—some loved the creativity, while others were utterly baffled. Even though Connections Companion testers rated it a 3.6 out of 5 in difficulty, for many, it was a mind-bending, unforgettable moment.

#2 April 1, 2024: The All-Emoji Puzzle

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-04-01
See it on Lady Puzzle Pro:
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-04-01

On April Fool’s Day, Connections pulled off its most playful—and surprising—puzzle yet: an all-emoji grid. No words, just rows of colorful symbols that players had to decode into clever categories. It was a fun departure from the usual style, but the categories were still sharp, like “Food Slang for Money” (🥓, 🍞, 🥬, 🧀) and “Letter Homophones” (🐝, 🐑, 👁️, 🫖).

The puzzle became an instant hit, smashing records as the most-played Connections puzzle ever at that moment. It took over social media, with players sharing their reactions—ranging from “pure genius” to “how did I miss that train emoji rhymes with plane?” Whether you breezed through or got stuck in a spiral of overthinking, this puzzle was impossible to forget.

It may have started as an April Fool’s joke, but it ended up cementing its place as one of Connections’ greatest moments.

#3 March 22, 2024: The Olympic Sports Curveball

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-03-22

See it on Lady Puzzle Pro:
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-03-22

This puzzle threw players for a loop with clever misdirection and some surprising twists. The categories seemed straightforward—until you hit the red herrings. “Olympic Sports” included BREAKING (the new name for breakdancing) and SKELETON (a winter sliding sport), both of which left many scratching their heads. And then there was VOLLEYBALL, which landed under “Things You Can Set” instead of sports, sparking plenty of Reddit outrage.

The puzzle hit 100% heat on Google Trends for “connections hint” and racked up over 300 comments on Reddit, with debates about the trickiest groups and volleyball’s curveball placement. Love it or hate it, this puzzle proved just how much Connections could mess with your expectations—and your nerves.

#4 December 3, 2024: The Oscar and EGOT Red Herring

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-12-03
See it on Lady Puzzle Pro:
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-12-03

On December 3, Connections threw a puzzle that was no walk in the park. With a 3.8 difficulty rating on Companion (one of the highest of the year), it sparked over 400 Reddit comments, with many players pointing to the Oscar and EGOT red herring as the main source of confusion. The “Sesame Street” category tripped up plenty of solvers—though those familiar with the characters managed to crack it, while others remained completely stumped.

With a near 90% Google Trends heat for “connections hint,” the puzzle kept players on their toes. While some found their groove, others were caught up in the frustration of the misleading categories, making this one of the hardest puzzles of the year.

#5 December 24, 2024: The “Too Obvious” Puzzle 🎁

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-12-24
See it on Lady Puzzle Pro:
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-12-24

On Christmas Eve, Connections delivered a puzzle that had players both scratching their heads and laughing at the misdirection. With an official 2.6 difficulty rating, it wasn’t considered overly tough, but it sparked over 400 Reddit comments and earned a perfect 100% heat for “connections hint” on Google Trends. The culprit? The first row, featuring Lions, Tigers, Bears, Oh My!, was so obviously a group that players couldn’t help but second-guess themselves, assuming it couldn’t be that simple. Little did they know, Wyna had a gift for them—one that led many down the wrong path.

And then there was the purple group—the When Tripled, Hit Song Titles category, which had players in a complete twist. Figuring out that Bills, Bye, Gimme, Please were all hit songs when tripled was a tricky challenge that left many wondering if they were overthinking it.

Players were caught in a holiday puzzle trap, stuck between the obvious and the not-so-obvious, making this one of the trickiest—and most discussed—puzzles of the year.

#6 October 24, 2024: The Wordle Starter Trap

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-10-24
See it on Lady Puzzle Pro:
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-10-24

On October 24, Connections threw players a meta puzzle rated 3.5 by Companion testers that reached a 97% heat on Google Trends for “connections hint.” This puzzle became a Reddit hotspot, racking up 300+ comments as players debated the traps. The real kicker? The inclusion of a meta note in the NYT Offerings category, only added to the confusion, especially with a red herring that misled many into thinking it was linked to Wordle starters like ADIEU, CRANE, SLATE, and AUDIO.

#7 July 5, 2024: The One-Letter & Financial Misdirection

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-07-05
See it on Lady Puzzle Pro:
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-07-05

The July 5th puzzle hit a 91% heat on Google Trends for "connections hint" and sparked 350+ Reddit comments. It was a perfect storm of misdirection, featuring multiple red herrings and a misleading design that caused plenty of confusion. The puzzle's middle core was filled entirely with 1-letter words, leaving players wondering if it was a trick. To make things even more confusing, there was no Letter or Currency/Financial group, leading to overthinking around EURO, YEN, BOND, and FORTUNE.

#8 May 17, 2024: The Blue and Purple Mess

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-05-17
See it on Lady Puzzle Pro:
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-05-17

On May 17, Wyna delivered a puzzle that sparked plenty of frustration, hitting 95% on Google Trends for “connections hint” and drawing over 200 Reddit comments. The chaos stemmed from the blue group (Classic Still Life Components) and the purple group (BEER ___), which left players questioning everything. The inclusion of Skull and Tablecloth in the still life group baffled many, while Beer Batter and Beer Pong in the purple group only added to the confusion. It was a tangle of red herrings that left players struggling—and losing streaks piled up as they tried to make sense of it all.

#9 December 4, 2024: The Lavatory Synonyms Puzzle

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-12-09
See it on Lady Puzzle Pro:
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-12-09

The December 4th puzzle was a doozy, earning a 3.8 difficulty rating—one of the highest of the year—and a 95% heat on Google Trends for "connections hint," along with 230+ Reddit comments. What made this puzzle stand out was the sheer number of guidance-related words— Steer, Direct, Guide, Lead, Atlas, Compass, Shepherd—and the perplexing purple category that left many American solvers baffled. The Starting with Synonyms for Lavatory group, featuring Candle, Loofah, Johnson, and Toiletries, confused people, especially with terms like Loofah and Johnson that didn’t seem to fit at all.

#10 December 22, 2024: The Detective vs. Comedian Dilemma

See it on NYT (requires subscription):
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections/2024-12-22
See it on Lady Puzzle Pro:
https://ladypuzzle.pro/connections-hint-answer/2024-12-22

The December 22nd puzzle, with a 3.5 difficulty rating and an 81% heat on Google Trends for "connections hint," had 250+ Reddit comments buzzing with confusion. The challenge came from the last two groups that left players puzzled— Police Procedurals and First in a Comedy Duo—as they mixed up detectives with comedians, creating a crime-solving to comedy chaos. Players couldn't decide if they were chasing down clues or cracking jokes, and the result was an entertaining (if slightly maddening) mix-up of detectives and funnymen that kept everyone guessing until the very end!

Ready for More Mind-Bending Matches? Bring on 2025!

As we wrap up our look at the top 10 trickiest Connections puzzles of 2024, it’s clear that the game continues to surprise and challenge us with clever themes and unexpected groupings—like blending classic Atari games with things that have tails or sneaking in words that end with beer brands. If 2024 was any indication, 2025 is set to push the boundaries even further, delivering puzzles that are both mind-bending and fun. 

What do you think of our picks? Did these puzzles stump you too, or were there others that ruined your streak?

Want to stay ahead of the game? Check out our Daily Puzzle Pulse Tool to track puzzle difficulty and sharpen your solving skills all year long!