Remember a few years ago when Wordle took the world by storm? Well, after that, it seemed that several other daily games popped up as well. Over time, the lineup of games I actually bother to play daily has evolved — but there are a few that I keep returning to. That’s probably because, even if they’re basically silly quizzes, when I’m able to complete them successfully, I honestly feel a bit better about myself.
So, if you too want to feel smart and have a better day, here are four daily games I’d recommend.
Bracket City
This one has been my top favorite ever since I was introduced to it. Admittedly, it can be a bit confusing at first — but, once you get the hang of it, it’s a lot of fun.
Basically, you’ll see a series of bracketed phrases that serve as a clue. Then, after you guess the correct word, it will either reveal another clue or start to fill out that day’s fact.
In terms of grading, you’ll be judged on how many wrong answers you gave as well as how many excess keystrokes you used. You’ll also see how difficult a puzzle is turning out to be based on the scores of other players. Personally, I like to play on “hard mode,” which I actually find easier in some way. Whatever option you choose, I highly recommend checking out Bracket City and giving it a few days to learn.
Spotle Movies
Spotle Movies may be the newest one on this list — and it’s actually a spin-off of sorts of another game I play called Spotle. In the latter, the object of the game is to identify the mystery musical artist based on the year they debuted, their genre, how many members they have, and more. Similarly, the new Spotle Movies has you guess based on year of release, genre, stars, studio, etc. And, yes, the yellow and green color scheme does indicate that this is in the same vein as Wordle.
I’ll also give a shoutout to two other games from the same creators: Crosstune and Harmonies. Crosstunes is a clever game that uses sound clips as clues to fill out a crossword puzzle. Meanwhile, Harmonies is a music-themed spin on another popular game we’ll talk about later…
FlightQ
If you’re an aviation or travel nerd, then this game is for you. I’m actually not sure if it’s officially called FlightQ or SkyQ, as the domain name and the name on the page don’t match — but, either way, it’s a lot of fun.
The point here is to figure out the correct airline route, with more clues (such as airlines, direction, and more) revealed with each guess. To start, though, you’ll see the flight time and aircraft. Medium mode is the default and features U.S.-connected routes. There’s a hard mode as well, but I’m not cut out for that yet.
Sadly, my two-week streak of somehow solving this one daily was busted this morning, so I’m a bit salty. But. I’m sure I’ll get over it and return for some more nerdy fun tomorrow.
Connections
Finally, we end with a game that I’m sure you’ve heard of but that I truly do love — and that is Connections. If you’re somehow not familiar, this game features 16 different cards that you must group into four different groups. It sounds simple… but they’ve been known to play some tricks and place some red herrings.
Connections has also gone viral for some of its ridiculous categories. Yet, for me, that’s all part of the fun.
Oh, and by the way, this is the game that Harmonies resembles, which is why that one is also a favorite.
Do I have better things to do when I wake up in the morning other than play half a dozen games? Surely. However, I do love starting my day with these fun challenges that I can complete (or at least try to complete) while sipping my morning coffee. So, if I’ve introduced you to any new games here, hopefully you enjoy them — and apologies in advance if you end up liking them too much.