4×3
Four categories, three words each, and one word that belongs to all four.
Every day: One board a day, the same for everyone: find four categories of three words, all sharing one hub word that belongs to every category. New puzzle: Midnight, local time.
4×3 is Hank Green's daily category puzzle. There are four categories of three words each, and one hub word belongs to all four, so every group you find includes it. You pick three words at a time, solved groups line up through the hub, and three mistakes are allowed.
About 4×3
4×3 (four by three) is a daily word puzzle from Hank Green, played on his website. It starts from the idea behind Connections but changes the shape: there are four categories with three words each, and one special word belongs to all four of them. That shared hub is the heart of the puzzle, because every group you solve has to leave room for it.
You select three words to form a group. Because the hub is in every category, it is one of the three each time, which means the board is smaller than it first looks and the hub is the key to all of it. Each correct group lines up in its own colour, and once two groups are solved the shared word between them gives the hub away. As groups are solved, the hub tile takes on their colours. You can make three mistakes; the fourth wrong guess ends the day. An optional mode lets you stake the whole board on naming the hub word before your first guess: get it right and you are on a perfect track, get it wrong and the board is lost.
The board changes at midnight in your local time. Progress is saved as you play, so a refresh resumes where you left off, and the game keeps a win streak. Past puzzles are in an archive and can be replayed freely. The same site also hosts Smush, another of Hank Green's daily games.
4×3 suits Connections players who want a slightly smaller board with an extra layer of deduction.
How to play 4×3
- Open 4×3 on hankgreen.com and look at the day's words.
- Select three words you think make a category and submit them.
- Remember that one hub word belongs to every category, so it will be part of each group.
- A correct group lines up in its colour; a wrong one counts as a mistake.
- Find all four categories before your fourth mistake, then share your result.
Tips
- Look for a word that could fit several themes at once; it is the hub, and it goes in every group.
- Solve the most obvious category first to narrow down the rest.
- Only try calling the hub before your first guess if you are sure; a wrong call costs the whole board.
- Once you have one group, the hub is one of its three words; try each in a second theme.
Questions
Who makes 4×3?
Hank Green. It is played on his website, hankgreen.com.
How many mistakes can I make?
Three. The fourth wrong guess ends the game.
When does a new board come out?
At midnight in your local time.
Can I play old boards?
Yes, past puzzles are in an archive and can be replayed.
Is 4×3 free?
Yes, it is free to play in the browser.
Games like 4×3
Connections
The four-groups-of-four puzzle that 4×3 reshapes
Strands
A themed daily word puzzle with one spanning word at its centre
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Sort the day's items and work out the hidden theme
Pinpoint
Find what links a set of words in as few clues as possible
Categlorious
Four categories, three words each, and one link word shared by all of them.
Looplink
Find four groups of four from twelve words, with link words closing the loop.
All/Some
Pick the circle diagram that shows how the day's words relate.
Categories
Sort sixteen words into four hidden groups of four.