If you get tired of networking the next time you're on LinkedIn, you can now take a break with one of its competitive puzzle games.
The social media site announced a new suite of games this week, seemingly looking to capitalize on the hype surrounding Wordle and other online puzzle games to keep its users coming back.
"We've designed each game to only take a few minutes, and fit right into your work schedule — whether it's prepping your mind on the commute in, taking a quick mental break between meetings, or unwinding after a long day," said LinkedIn's director of project management, Lakshman Somasundaram, in a Wednesday post.
"There will be only one edition of each game each day, crafted by the best puzzle makers in the world," he added.
The three games are available under the My Network tab on desktop and mobile, as well as under the LinkedIn News section on a browser or by going to linkedin.com/games.
In "Pinpoint," users try to guess the category that includes five different words — with the twist being that you only find out the words as you go, starting with one, then two, then three, etc. The trick is to name the category by using as few words as possible.
Users playing "Crossclimb" will be asked to figure out five words from clues and arrange them in order, with each word changing one letter from the one before.
"Queens" is deceptively straightforward. The goal is to place a queen in each intersecting Tetris-esque piece, while trying to ensure that each row and column has only one queen in it — essentially, sudoku without numbers.
Though the games may seem simple (if a bit hard to explain), there's a spin that makes the experience unique to LinkedIn: you'll be able to see connections that have also played the day's game, and share your score with them.
The platform says it will also introduce "school leaderboards," so users can see how graduates of their alma mater are collectively faring against a college rival. "Company leaderboards" fulfill the same function.
Online word puzzle games seem to have exploded in popularity in recent years. That's elicited interest from suitors not traditionally active in the gaming world, as evidenced by the blockbuster, seven-figure acquisition of Wordle by The New York Times in 2022.
