Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns.

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

Connections' rules of play are easy to get the hang of. Each player is given a table of 16 words. These words must be broken up into four groups of four based on themes and put into categories ranging from easy to difficult. Yellow is considered the easiest category, followed by green, then blue, then purple.