If you play NYT Connections regularly, you probably know that there is more to the game than simply solving the four groups. Once you know how to play Connections, you may find yourself paying attention to the different badges and even try collecting as many as possible. One of the trickier ones to earn is the Reverse Rainbow.
So, what exactly is a Reverse Rainbow in Connections, and why is it so difficult to get? Let’s take a closer look at what it means and how to get one yourself.
What Is a Reverse Rainbow in NYT Connections?
A Reverse Rainbow is when you solve all four Connections groups in reverse difficulty order. If you play regularly, you must know what each color means in NYT Connections. To brush up, Yellow is usually the easiest, followed by Green, Blue, and Purple comes at the end as the hardest.
Now, there might have already been times when you solved the NYT Connections puzzle and found the categories in the easy-to-hard order. So, basically, your solution sequence is 🟨 Yellow →🟩 Green → 🟦 Blue → 🟪 Purple. This will unlock the Rainbow badge in Connections for you.
However, if you solve a Connections puzzle starting from the purple group and ending with yellow, you get a Reverse Rainbow badge. In other words, your solution sequence then is 🟪 Purple → 🟦 Blue → 🟩 Green → 🟨 Yellow.
The tricky part is that these difficulty levels are not always obvious. A category that might seem easy to you can deceive you and come out as blue, while another category that feels much harder could be yellow or green. This means getting a Reverse Rainbow is not just about solving the puzzle; you also need to figure out how the NYT ranks the four groups.
How to Get a Reverse Rainbow in NYT Connections?
If you are yet to find today’s Connections answer, follow these tips and strategies; you might end up getting a Reverse Rainbow. It’s worth a shot!
Solve All Four Categories First
The easiest way to improve your chances of getting a Reverse Rainbow is to pre-solve the entire puzzle. Instead of submitting a group as soon as you spot it, look at all 16 words and try to determine what the four categories could be. This gives you a much better idea of which group is likely to be purple, blue, green, or yellow. It also prevents an obvious category from being submitted too early, before you know where it falls in the difficulty order.
Identify Purple
Once you have worked out the four groups, start by looking for the one that is most likely to be purple. There’s no denying the fact that Purple is the hardest category in Connections. However, it is advised that you don’t simply choose the group that feels hardest to you. Try to predict which category the NYT has assigned the purple label. It can involve wordplay, less obvious relationships, or connections that require some extra knowledge. Once you’re confident, submit this group first.
Identify Blue
After purple comes blue, which is generally the second-hardest category. The blue group can involve cultural references, specialised knowledge, or connections that are less immediately obvious than yellow and green. If you have already solved the puzzle and recognised the purple category, comparing the remaining three would be easier. Look for the group that seems more challenging but not as tricky as the purple. If you get this one right, you’re halfway through your Reverse Rainbow.
Distinguish Green From Yellow
Now this is the part where things can get surprisingly difficult. Green and yellow are usually the easiest two groups, but deciding which is which is not always obvious. You may understand both groups perfectly but can still be unsure which one the NYT considers easier. When attempting a Reverse rainbow, you must save these two groups for last and compare them carefully. Think about which connection is more direct to an average player. Then submit the likely green group before the likely yellow group.
Don’t Make a Mistake
Connections allows you exactly four mistakes before the game ends. However, to get the Reverse Rainbow badge, you can’t make even one mistake.
The puzzle requires you to get the groups right without any incorrect guesses; that too in the correct order. You must get each group right on the first attempt. This is another reason to pre-solve the puzzle instead of relying on trial and error. Take your time, confirm each colored group and the connections make sense before submitting.
You should also know about the common mistakes in Connections to avoid them and improve your chances of getting a Reverse Rainbow.
Is There a Trick to Getting a Reverse Rainbow?
Now, if you think there is a foolproof trick to get a Reverse Rainbow, let me tell you there is not! It’s not easy to predict how NYT assigns the difficulty to each group. You may correctly identify all four groups but still get confused between yellow and green, or even blue and purple.
The best strategy is therefore to pre-solve the puzzle before making your first submission. Work out all four categories, decide which one you think is purple, then blue, green, and yellow, and only submit once you are confident about the order. With practice, you may get better at predicting the way NYT decides the difficulty, but remember there can always be puzzles that may throw you off.
So, you think you have what it takes to get one? Give the Reverse Rainbow a shot in your next Connections game. If you enjoy the challenge, explore more games like Connections for more wordplay and brain-teasing fun.
Yes, there is a Reverse Rainbow badge in NYT Connections. The game recognizes and rewards players who solve the four groups in reverse difficulty order, from purple to blue to green to yellow, making it an official achievement.
To get a Reverse Rainbow in NYT Connections, you have to solve the four categories in this exact order: purple, blue, green, and yellow. Pre-solve all four groups first, identify their likely difficulty levels, and then submit each without making a mistake.
You do not get a Reverse Rainbow badge in Connections after making a mistake. To get this badge, the puzzle game requires you to solve the groups in the correct purple-to-yellow order without any incorrect guesses.
NYT Connections Color Meaning: Yellow, Green, Blue & Purple Explained
Anmol Sachdeva
8 Best Games Like NYT Connections You Should Try
Pranav Maytray
Wordle vs Connections - Key Differences Explained
Sanmay Chakrabarti
Connections vs Sports Connections – Key Differences Explained
Aryan Singh
3 Common Mistakes to Avoid in NYT Connections
Sanmay Chakrabarti
