TITLE
The NYT Connections Editor Knows What You’ve Been Saying
AUTHOR
Heather Schwedel
PUBLICATION
Slate
YEAR
2024
ARTICLE TYPE
Interview
FROM THE ARTICLE
To celebrate the recent first anniversary of its hit game Connections, the New York Times games department gave players a rare peek behind the puzzle’s emblematic yellow, green, blue, and purple stripes: It was a video, posted on TikTok, of the woman who comes up with Connections every day, Wyna Liu, looking back on some of her favorite boards.“So my mortal enemy has a name,” one user commented.
“I just want to talk, Wyna,” another wrote, in a mock-menacing tone—or so one hopes.
For many viewers, it was their first time laying eyes on someone who had become, without their even knowing it, a daily presence in their lives. Connections has amassed millions of fans since debuting last year, joining the New York Times’ industry-leading slate of games. Even among heavy hitters like the storied crossword puzzle and 2022’s viral sensation Wordle, Connections—which challenges players to find the hidden elements linking the words in its daily grid of 16 boxes—has stood out, with the Times calling the game its most successful launch in years. That has been in no small part because of Liu.
GAMES MENTIONED
Connections
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Wyna Liu
Everdeen Mason