Connections is the latest New York Times wordplay that has captured the audience’s attention. The game is all about finding the ‘common thread between words’. And just like Word, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words becomes trickier and trickier. That’s why we’ve provided some hints and tips to help you get over the hurdle.

If you just want to hear today’s puzzle, skip to the end of this article for October 12th Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, read on for some pointers, tips, and strategies to help you.

What are connections?

The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a hit on social media. The Times credits assistant puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and requires players to group four words that have something in common.

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Each puzzle contains 16 words and each group of words is split into four categories. These sets can include anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Although it may seem like several words go together, there is only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. If you guess wrong, it counts as a mistake. Players receive a maximum of four faults until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make discovering connections easier. Additionally, each group is color coded, with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue and purple. Like Word, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

Want a hit on the categories without being told the categories? Then try these:

These are today’s connection categories

Do you need a little extra help? The current connections fall into the following categories:

Looking for Wordle today? Here is the answer to today’s Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to return and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drum roll, please!

The solution for today Connections #489 is…

What is the answer to Connections today?

• Made of Keratin: Claw, hoof, horn, nail

• Road Runner Cartoon Staples: Anvil, Boulder, Coyote, TNT

• Types of trousers: Capri, Cargo, Hammer, Stirrup

• ___ Role: California, drum, egg, honor

Don’t feel bad if you didn’t guess this time. There will be new Connections so you can stretch your brain tomorrow, and we are here again to guide you with more useful tips.

Do you also play NYT Strands? Check out hints and answers for today’s Strands.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable now has games! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword and more.

Not the day you are looking for? Here is the solution to yesterday’s Connections.

Not the day you are looking for? Here is the solution to yesterday’s Connections.