LinkupFree Word Grouping Game
Group the 16 words into 4 hidden categories · 4 mistakes allowed
Group the 16 words into 4 hidden categories · 4 mistakes allowed
Linkup is a free daily word grouping puzzle game. You're presented with 16 words and must sort them into 4 hidden categories — the trick is figuring out what connects each group of 4. Some words are deliberately placed to mislead you, and you only get 4 mistakes before the game is over. Everyone worldwide plays the same puzzle on the same day.
Linkup builds vocabulary, categorisation skills, and lateral thinking in a daily 2–5 minute challenge. It's great for older kids (ages 10+), teenagers, and adults who enjoy word puzzles and brain games. Similar in concept to the New York Times Connections game but completely free and with no account needed. After completing the puzzle, share your results with friends and see who spotted the tricky ones first.
No download required — plays in any web browser on desktop, tablet, or phone. Safe and ad-free during gameplay.
Love word games? Try WordSpin — our free daily word scramble where you unscramble 6 letters and find hidden words in 90 seconds. Or browse our word scrambles for kids — 50 printable scrambles with answers for ages 6–12. For trivia and general knowledge, browse our question library by grade or topic.
Word games: WordSpin · Word Scramble for Kids
Trivia: Kids Trivia · Family Night · Animals
Study Mode: Med School · Computer Science · Maths & Physics · Electrical Engineering
Also try: Trivia Royale · WordSpin · NumRush
Yes. Linkup is a completely free word grouping game with no ads, no sign-up, no account, and no paywall — every feature is unlocked from the first visit. If you enjoy connections-style category puzzles, Linkup gives you a fresh one every day.
Look at all 16 words and look for a shared theme, category, or wordplay connecting four of them — a hidden word inside each, a shared meaning, or a pun. Select four words you think belong together and submit. Get it wrong and you lose one of your four lives; get all four groups right to win. Trickier puzzles deliberately include words that look like they fit more than one category.
Linkup is a solid pick if you want more of the same category-sorting format after finishing your usual daily puzzle — same 16-words-into-4-groups structure, different words and categories, and completely free to play with no ads and no account, unlike the subscription-bundled NYT Games app.
Difficulty varies day to day, same as Connections — but Linkup's daily rotation is checked to avoid stacking several deliberately misleading "trick" categories into one puzzle, so you're less likely to hit an unfair wall on a single overlap. If a particular day's Connections felt unreasonably hard, Linkup's puzzle that day is an independent, freshly calibrated one.