NYT Games Unleash Star Wars Easter Eggs for May 4th

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Today as a gamer, I stumbled upon some fun Star Wars surprises hidden within NYT Games! In honor of May 4th, or as fans call it, Star Wars Day, the creators at The New York Times have sprinkled Easter Eggs into Strands and Connections, two of their most popular online games. Since the release of Star Wars in 1977, this legendary sci-fi series has grown to become one of the world’s largest franchises with three trilogies and numerous spinoffs across film, gaming, and television. With all the buzz surrounding Star Wars today, it’s cool to see the puzzle makers at NYT Games paying tribute by including some Star Wars references in their games – subtly in one case, more overtly in another!

In terms of the two games available, Strands is more straightforward compared to Connections. The word-search game involves discovering words within a grid of letters, and its themes are hints that point towards the central concept – in this instance, a well-known series and a distinctive feature it possesses. On the other hand, Connections may pose a challenge for those not familiar with Star Wars lore, as it is filled with quotes. The game includes numerous Easter Eggs that reference the original trilogy, including A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. If you’ve watched some of these films, you should find the references quite apparent. Nevertheless, for dedicated fans, today’s puzzles will be particularly enjoyable.

Today’s NYT Connections and Strands Are Filled with Star Wars References for May 4th

In the case of Strands, it’s a theme deeply rooted in the “Star Wars: A New Hope” saga. Instead of using terms like Jedi or Droid, they reference the opening sequence, a classic element of all Star Wars productions. For May 4th’s Strands, the words are Opening Sequence, Planet, Empire, Rebellion, Long Time, Galaxy, and Space. If you’re well-versed in Star Wars lore from Andor to Yoda, you might grasp it more quickly than Han Solo could make the Kessel Run. For Connections, words like Darth (as in a drink), Chewy (as in a type of coffee), Solo (again, a drink), and Boba (a bobba tea) appear in the 16-word lineup. However, in keeping with the spirit of Connections, these words aren’t directly linked to specific Star Wars categories but rather to beverages instead.

Regardless of whether you saw the first A New Hope in cinemas way back in 1977 or are tuning into Andor on Disney+ today, May 4th is a day worth celebrating, as it echoes the iconic phrase “May the Force be with you”. Though we haven’t had a new theatrical release since 2019’s Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, the franchise continues to captivate audiences, particularly with popular Disney+ series like The Mandalorian, Star Wars: Andor, and the upcoming Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Additionally, the impressive box office returns from the re-release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and the forthcoming projects such as The Mandalorian and Grogu and Ryan Gosling’s Star Wars: Starfighter, suggest a bright future for this galaxy, no matter how distant it may seem.

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2025-05-04 08:09