How Solvers Keep Their Longest Wordle and Crossword Streaks
The New York Times • • technology
Key Points:
- In August 2025, Rebecca Thompson completed a nearly 29-mile swim around Manhattan while maintaining her streak of solving the New York Times Connections puzzle daily, highlighting her obsessive dedication to goals.
- Many solvers of New York Times games develop strong attachments to their streaks, with some prioritizing gameplay even in extreme situations to avoid breaking their run.
- Psychologist Mike Ambinder explains that motivation to play games stems from intrinsic factors like autonomy, connectedness, and skill improvement, which contribute to the value players place on maintaining streaks.
- A call for stories about streaks in New York Times games received nearly 1,200 responses, revealing a wide range of personal reasons for the emotional investment in daily puzzle solving.
