It lives outside the NYT app. The game belongs to The Athletic, the sports journalism arm owned by The Times. You don’t need a subscription to play this version. Just open the browser.
Or go to their app if you prefer that friction.
It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games, but the logic holds.
I solved today’s blue group quickly. Seattle resident here, so seeing my team pop up feels natural. Some folks struggle with these categorizations. That is fine.
Read the hints first if you are stuck. The yellow set is the easiest entry point. Purple will likely make you pause.
Hints for Today
Yellow — Create a plan.
Green — Time to pedal.
Blue — Tridents up!
Purple — Hockey teams hidden in the middle of words.
The Answers
Here is where you should look before checking your work. Or maybe you want the answers outright.
Yellow : Words for developing a strategy. Think design, devise, draw up, or scheme. It’s about planning the play.
Green : Bicycle brands. Giant, Huffy, Mongoose, Schwinn. Old and new mixed together.
Blue : Seattle Mariners. This was personal. Arozarena, Kirby, Raleigh, Woo.
Purple : Starts with an NHL team name (singular). This is tricky. Look for the team at the very start. blue print, duck Tales, king pin, star ter.
Why are puzzle makers obsessed with hidden team names? It’s a fun trick until you’re stuck on it for ten minutes.
Harder Historical Puzzles
Some days the puzzle is a breeze. Other days it requires obscure knowledge. It depends entirely on what sports you care about. My husband crushes Formula 1 trivia. My friend lives for hockey. I know everything about Minnesota sports, oddly enough.
That bias matters.
But some past categories were just brutal for everyone. No amount of passion helps if you haven’t memorized European football history.
Here are the top three toughest ones I’ve encountered.
- Serie A Clubs — Answers were Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio and Roma.
- WNBA MVPs — Catchings, Delle Donne Fowles Stewart. Deep cuts for casual fans.
- Premier League Nicknames — Bees Cherries Foxes Hammers. Not immediately obvious if you don’t watch the league religiously.
It is exhausting, honestly. But satisfying when the final tile clicks. Or doesn’t.
