Connections: Find Four Groups Before You Run Out of Lives
The Connections module brings the category puzzle to your dashboard — 16 words, four groups, four lives, daily ranked play, streaks, and achievements.
Sixteen words. Four hidden categories. Four lives. The "one away" sting when three are right and the fourth ruins it. Connections is the word puzzle that feels like deduction more than vocabulary — and it usually lives on another site while your dashboard waits unused.
The Connections module brings that daily category hunt onto MyPort.al with ranked play, streaks, and the tutorial baked in.
Group, Submit, Survive
A 4×4 board of words. Find four groups of four related terms. Wrong submits cost a life. "One away" feedback when three of four are correct. Solved groups light up in difficulty colors — yellow, green, blue, purple — so you feel the ramp. Shuffle unsolved tiles when the layout is lying to you. Play the daily ranked challenge, protect your streak, and unlock achievements as you go.
Wednesday, 9:40 PM. You open MyPort.al instead of doomscrolling. Connections shows sixteen words. First group falls (yellow). Third submit is one away — you pivot, clear blue, then purple last. Lives remaining: one. Streak intact. Better than another algorithmic feed.
What Makes It More Than a Widget
This isn't a static word bank with an answer key. The Connections module is built for daily category players:
- 4×4 board, four groups of four — classic Connections structure
- Four lives — wrong submits cost; play carefully
- "One away" feedback — know when you're close without spoiling the set
- Difficulty colors — yellow → green → blue → purple as groups solve
- Shuffle unsolved tiles — remix the board without changing categories
- Daily ranked challenge, streaks, stats, and achievements — reasons to return
- Animated tutorial — learn the flow inside the module
The Fun Factor
Nailing purple after two "one away" near-misses is a specific kind of smug joy. Streaks turn that joy into a nightly ritual. Shuffle is the pressure valve when your brain keeps seeing a fake fifth group.
Pair Connections with Wordle and Trivia when you want association puzzles beside letter grids and quiz nights on the same board.
Who It's For
- NYT Connections fans who want the format on their dashboard
- Word-association and category puzzle lovers
- Daily streak players protecting a nighttime habit
- People who enjoy "one away" deduction more than straight trivia
Start With Connections
Connections is free, refreshes daily, and fits an evening wind-down. Open today's board and find your first group.
Preview the Connections module or add it to your dashboard — and keep the four groups waiting on your board.
Try the Connections app on your dashboard.