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Common Ground

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Sort sixteen words into four hidden groups, with categories that work in any country.

Play Common Ground

on commonground.games

Common Ground No. 0156 for 21 October at desktop size: the Sage group (REMOVE, STACK, SLIDE, FLATTEN) solved and marked with triangles, TEAR and CLEAR selected

Common Ground is a daily grouping puzzle in the style of Connections: sixteen tiles, four secret categories of four. It is written to be international, so the categories avoid US-only knowledge such as American sports or TV.

About Common Ground

Common Ground is a free daily word puzzle that calls itself a puzzle for everyone, everywhere. Each day a numbered board of sixteen words goes live at midnight UTC, and the job is to sort them into four sets of four that share a hidden link, which the game calls quiet kinships.

The four categories run from easy to tricky and are named Sage, Mist, Clay and Stone. You tap up to four tiles and press Submit four; a correct set is locked in, a wrong one counts against your accuracy. Unlike some grouping games you can keep going after mistakes, and after five wrong guesses a Give up and see solution option appears. A solved set stays where it is on the board, marked with its tier's symbol (a triangle, circle, diamond or square). Your result is rated Flawless, Solid and so on down to Explorer for four or more mistakes.

The point of difference is the editorial line: no US-only categories and no cultural homework, so a player in Dublin, Delhi or Sydney has the same chance. Sharing copies an emoji grid that never reveals the answers. Your streak and history stay on your device, and the History list opens earlier boards back to the first one in May 2026.

It suits Connections fans outside the United States and anyone who wants a calm daily grouping puzzle without a strict life limit.

How to play Common Ground

  1. Read all sixteen tiles and look for four words that share something.
  2. Tap up to four tiles and press Submit four.
  3. A right set is locked in; a wrong guess counts as a mistake but you can keep going.
  4. Solve all four groups, from the easy Sage tier to the trickiest Stone tier, then share your emoji grid.

Screenshots

Common Ground No. 0156 at phone size: the sixteen-word board under the short New to Common Ground rules card, with Clear and Submit below
Common Ground wordmark on an off-white card with the game's four tier symbols

Tips

  • Look for words that could fit two groups and leave them until last.
  • Solve the most obvious group first to shrink the board.
  • Think about meanings, not just topics: synonyms are a common kind of link.
  • There is no hard limit, but fewer mistakes give a better rating, so do not guess at random.

Questions

Is the puzzle the same for everyone?

Yes. One numbered puzzle goes live each day at midnight UTC for all players.

What happens if I make mistakes?

You can keep going. After five wrong guesses a Give up option appears that shows the solution.

Do I need an account?

No. Your history stays in your browser.

Why is it called international?

The categories avoid knowledge that only makes sense in one country, especially the US.

Can I play earlier puzzles?

Yes. The History link lists past days back to the first puzzle in May 2026, and each one opens that day's board.

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