The NYT Connections game got an April Fools' Day makeover, and users are freaking out

NYT Connections fans say they were shocked by a new April Fools' Day emoji version of the puzzle, which already has a history of gently irking fans.

• The NYT Connections game has players in an uproar.
• Just in time for April Fools' Day, the brainteaser swapped from words to emoji clues. 
• Players were even more confused than usual (but don't worry, we won't give you spoilers).

While visual learners might have more luck with Monday's version of the New York Times' Connections game, the surprise April Fools' Day format switchup has left a lot of players with a lot to say.

The daily brainteaser already inspires somewhat of a love-hate relationship for fans. For those unfamiliar with the game, players are tasked with finding the connections between four groups of words.

Monday's makeover, however, prompted them to link together various emojis instead — the first time the layout has changed.

And the new-look emoji game has left some users confused and even a little angry when they went to play Connections.

The complaints range from funny memes to full-on threats to the person responsible.

"nyt connections editor I am in your walls," one post read.

"Let me know where the mob is gathering to burn down Connections headquarters at the New York Times," another user said, though quickly followed up with a post reading, "Ok, I figured it out, mob can disperse."

Another person joked that everyone on the internet has it out for the editor over the "fun little idea." One even pointed out that not all emojis appeared on older devices.

Connections has a history of gently irking its players, however. In the past, people have been vocal about how challenging the game is, complaining about unique groupings like "homophones" or " words abbreviated with letters." It's spawned a lot of social media mockery.

Still, it remains wildly popular and builds on the success of the better-known daily word game Wordle, which the NYT bought in 2022 for an undisclosed sum. The world spent more time on the NYT Games app than any other NYT-owned app in the final months of 2023, according to data from research company Yipit.

But while the puzzle editors have been publicly begged to make the games easier, a small group of users said Monday's emoji edition was the easiest Connections yet.

And one person on X pointed out, "No one is forcing you to do the NYT connections, by the way."

Still, we'll be staying tuned for Tuesday's puzzle.