Question 1

What is The Common Link Café?

Accepted Answer

The Common Link Café is a free daily word puzzle game. Each day, 16 tiles on a board hide four secret groups of four. You tap tiles, name the link they share from a list of six options (four real, two decoys), and solve all four groups. Then the game's signature finale kicks in: the four group-links themselves share one deeper 'Common Link' — your job is to find it. The whole game is wrapped in a cozy café setting with original characters. No ads. No data collected. No account required.

Question 2

How do you play The Common Link Café?

Accepted Answer

Tap four tiles you think belong together, then tap the link — the shared theme — from the six options listed below the board. Get it right and the four tiles slide into a solved row. Once you've found all four groups, the capstone challenge begins: the four group-links themselves share one hidden 'Common Link' — pick it from a grid of 16 candidates. There's no game over. You always finish, graded by how many slips you made.

Question 3

Is The Common Link Café free to play?

Accepted Answer

Yes, completely free. The Common Link Café has no ads, no paywalls, and no in-app purchases required to play the daily puzzle. No account or sign-up is needed.

Question 4

Does The Common Link Café collect personal data?

Accepted Answer

No. The Common Link Café collects no personal data. Your progress is stored only on your own device. No account is required, and no information is sent to any server.

Question 5

How is The Common Link Café different from NYT Connections?

Accepted Answer

The Common Link Café adds a signature capstone: after grouping all four sets, you get one shot to name the single 'Common Link' hiding beneath all four group-themes — a second 'aha' moment NYT Connections doesn't have. It also shows all six candidate links (four real, two decoys) upfront, so you must name each group's link rather than just sort the tiles. Mistakes cost a point, not your run — there's no game over. And the game is wrapped in a warm café setting with original characters instead of a clinical grid.

Question 6

What is the 'Common Link' capstone?

Accepted Answer

After solving all four tile groups, the game reveals its signature finale: the four group-links themselves share one deeper hidden connection called the 'Common Link.' For example, if you grouped tiles into 'Egyptian gods,' 'Desert features,' 'Building blocks,' and 'Burial places,' the Common Link might be 'Associated with the Great Pyramid.' You pick your answer from a grid of 16 candidates — 1 correct, 15 plausible distractors. It's a one-shot guess that acts as the puzzle's climax.

Question 7

How often does The Common Link Café update with new puzzles?

Accepted Answer

A new puzzle is published every day. Each day's puzzle is themed around a different topic. After finishing the main puzzle, you can optionally play one or more additional 'cups' — bonus puzzles — before returning tomorrow.

Question 8

Can I play The Common Link Café on my phone?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Common Link Café is designed for mobile first — it works on any smartphone or tablet via the browser on both Android and iOS, with no app download required. You can also add it to your home screen for a native-app-like experience.