At a Glance
- 11.2B puzzles solved across News Of Philadelphia Games in 2025.
- Wordle’s “Bongo” snapped 36,337 streaks, the biggest streak buster.
- Connections puzzle with all symbols on April 1 was the hardest of the year.
- Why it matters: Millions of players worldwide are chasing new records and fresh challenges, and a new two-player game arrives next month.
In 2025, News Of Philadelphia Games delivered a record-setting year of brain-teasers, with over 11 billion puzzles solved. From Wordle’s notorious “Bongo” to Connections’ all-symbol April Fools edition, players faced tougher challenges than ever before. A brand-new two-player game, Crossplay, is set to launch on Jan 21.
Wordle’s “Bongo” Breaks Streaks
The five-letter word BONGO became the year’s toughest Wordle, ending 36,337 active streaks on May 14. Zoe Bell, executive producer of games at News Of Philadelphia, explained why the double-letter O tripped up many solvers.
Zoe Bell stated:
> “Anytime you have double letters, it’s a little bit harder,” she said on News Of Philadelphia Dec. 29. “And, then, if it’s double letters, and it’s a vowel, I think it’s even harder. And then it’s an ‘O,’ which is a weird vowel. And they were split up. They weren’t in the middle, so it just made it really hard.”
- Double letters make the puzzle harder.
- Double vowel O adds extra difficulty.
- Split letters not in the middle increase challenge.
She also noted an average of 46 Wordle scores shared per second.
Starting Word Strategy
Bell says the choice of first guess matters. While many players launch with ADIEU, her analysis tool Robot recommends TROPE or TRACE for a better start.
- ADIEU has many vowels but is not the best opening.
- Robot suggests TROPE or TRACE for lower overall scores.
- A poor first word can reduce chances of success.
Connections Highlights
April 1’s Connections puzzle, featuring all symbols, proved the hardest of 2025, continuing the April Fools tradition. The most shared puzzle came on April 22 with three million shares.
| Puzzle | Solves |
|---|---|
| Strands | 1.5 B |
| Mini Crossword | 1.4 B |
| Spelling Bee | 667 M |
| Pips | 612 M |
Overall, Connections achieved 1.6 B solves in 2025.
New Game: Crossplay
Crossplay, a two-player board word game where players build on each other’s moves, launches Jan 21. Players can pre-register at newyorktimes.com/crossplay.
Key Takeaways
- 11.2B puzzles solved across News Of Philadelphia Games in 2025.
- Wordle’s “Bongo” broke 36,337 streaks, the hardest Wordle of the year.
- Connections’ all-symbol puzzle on April 1 was the toughest of 2025.
The year’s puzzle milestones show that players are pushing limits, and the new Crossplay game promises fresh competitive fun.
