It’s the Connecting Wall! Quickies Posted by Ian Symes on 14th September 2026, 10:29 About a week ago, I had a dream that there was a DwarfCast-themed connecting wall on an episode of Only Connect. For those not familiar with the programme, it’s a quiz show where the aim is to find links between seemingly unconnected clues. In this particular round, there are four sets of four connections, all jumbled up and displayed as sixteen items on a big wall. The task is to identify each group of four, and then name the four categories they belong to – but be careful, as there’s often red herrings, items that could belong to multiple groups, and a requirement for lateral thinking. Basically, it’s what the New York Times ripped off for their popular Connections game, except on the OG OC, you get unlimited goes at solving the first two groups, and then a mere three lives to name the last two. Anyway, I duly reported the dream in the “Who has has [sic] a Red Dwarf dream?” thread in our forum, along with a play-along version of the puzzle that I’d dreamt, only slightly modified from what my subconscious came up with, to ensure that it was actually solvable in reality. This introduced our wonderful community of nerds to a fan-made Wall Editor online, and a few of us kind of got obsessed. So gathered below are the original dream wall, a few more that I made last week but haven’t posted yet, and then all the ones that have so far been submitted by our community, organised by puzzle setter. Do feel free to jump on the bandwagon by posting your efforts in the comments, and let us know how you get on with solving other peoples’ walls. Ian Symes The original Dwarfcast-themed dream wall Previously unseen wall #1 Previously unseen wall #2 Previously unseen wall #3 Flap Jack Characters by single names (or titles) Back in the Red Herrings Another Red Dwarf Connecting Puzzle Warbodog One that might be guessable clem All episode titles One that’s probably quite easy Ben Saunders Here’s mine An easier one Alright, one last one from me, until I make another one at least Dave Idea for no episodes A relatively easy one Rainbow Dwarf
Oh great, I’ve been enjoying these. Previously Unseen Wall #1: scored 2/4 and got both connections. Previously Unseen Wall #2: scored 4/4 and got three out of four connections. Previously Unseen Wall #3: scored 4/4 but didn’t properly get any of the connections. Nice red herring in this one.
I’ll be trying those out once the caffeine kicks in, but this was a really fun idea. I even made one about Spyro the Dragon for my friends, only one of whom actually played. But it’s challenging and rewarding both to make and do these puzzles.
Cool to see this. Previously Unseen Wall 1 – 1/4 and 1/4 PUW 2 – 4/4 and 4/4 (or 3/4 if you’re being strict about how specific I need to be) PUW 3 – 2/4 and 2/4 (but only one the same) I am a sucker for red herrings, that much is clear.
Absolutely positively nothing spooky about this one whatsoever. 1/4 and 1/4. One of the other groups I really should have got, another was a bit too broad, and the third was all things I had no knowledge/memory of at all.
Absolutely positively nothing spooky about this one whatsoever. Ooh, got 2/4 and got both connections, but the others threw me.
I enjoy these even though I’m moderately useless at them. Previously Unseen Wall #1: 0/4 Previously Unseen Wall #2: 4/4 Previously Unseen Wall #3: 1/4
As long as there’s still no G&T review of The Promised Land on DVD/Blu-ray, things aren’t truly desperate.
Previously Unseen Wall #1: 4/4, brute forced the episode titles then got guvatf anzrq Sena for the wrong reason Previously Unseen Wall #2: 4/4, possibly the easiest thing I’ve done all week Previously Unseen Wall #3: 2/4, I like this one p2p_productions: 0/4, not even close on any of them!
Absolutely positively nothing spooky about this one whatsoever. 4/4, but I wouldn’t have been able to give specifics on the reasons for some of them.
Here’s my first one: a Connecting Wall by Nick. I haven’t tried all the walls linked above, so apologies if mine includes one or more groups that someone else has already done!
a Connecting Wall by Nick 2/4, but only 1/4 connections. One I never would have gotten because that’s some real obscure shit, and one I brute forced.
Ian’s unseen walls # 1 & 2 = 4/4 #3 = 1/4, I was hovering around one or two of the right ones for a while but couldn’t quite get there
I solved Previously Unseen Wall #1 but only got three connections. Just completely failed to spot that those sbhe rcvfbqr gvgyrf fgneg jvgu gur fnzr yrggre, rira jura V jnf ybbxvat ng gurz nyy tebhcrq gbtrgure.
Flap Jacks Single names – 1/4, again I was floating around a couple and not quite getting them. And there is an answer to one I assume is in the books and I don’t remember? Red Herrings – 0/4 that one was infuriating Another puzzle – 2/4
I haven’t yet made a Red Dwarf one, but I did make one about British humour anthology comics whilst warming up.
Flap Jacks Single names – 1/4, again I was floating around a couple and not quite getting them. And there is an answer to one I assume is in the books and I don’t remember? Red Herrings – 0/4 that one was infuriating Another puzzle – 2/4 Sorry that you struggled so much on Red Herrings, as I was really trying to make that easier compared to the first one! The single names clues are all from the canonical TV episodes. If you say which answer didn’t make sense in rot13, I will explain what the hell I was thinking.
Here’s my first one: a Connecting Wall by Nick. I haven’t tried all the walls linked above, so apologies if mine includes one or more groups that someone else has already done! 0/4, but I knew 2 of the connections. I thought it was a really good wall despite my incompetence.
Flap Jacks Single names – 1/4, again I was floating around a couple and not quite getting them. And there is an answer to one I assume is in the books and I don’t remember? Red Herrings – 0/4 that one was infuriating Another puzzle – 2/4 Sorry that you struggled so much on Red Herrings, as I was really trying to make that easier compared to the first one! The single names clues are all from the canonical TV episodes. If you say which answer didn’t make sense in rot13, I will explain what the hell I was thinking. McGruder
McGruder Yvfgre jvaqf hc Evzzre va Onpx va gur Erq ol gryyvat uvz gung ur fyrcg jvgu Libaar ZpTehqre. Znal crbcyr vagrecerg guvf nf n yvr, ohg jr arire trg nal npghny vaqvpngvba gung vg vf bar, fb gur chmmyr gerngf vg nf gehr.
I have attempted my own wall. Character Wall Very good. Knew exactly what it was supposed to be, but I ran out of time trying all the different combinations of possible answers.
I have attempted my own wall. Character Wall Very good. Knew exactly what it was supposed to be, but I ran out of time trying all the different combinations of possible answers. Thank you.
I got totally hung up on MIchael starting with two capital letters and thought there was some kind of wordplay about acronyms or initials going on, and wasted all my time trying to work that out.
I got totally hung up on MIchael starting with two capital letters and thought there was some kind of wordplay about acronyms or initials going on, and wasted all my time trying to work that out. Yeah, sorry. I noticed a couple of obvious errors after I made it. Will try to do a better job of double checking next time.
That sounded more moany than I meant it to! I just ended up barking up the wrong tree. No worries. I was irritated by my own typo when I saw it.
Difficult to gauge how difficult it is but I’ve made a Red Dwarf one now Baffled by this for reasons that became obvious once I saw the categories.
I have attempted my own wall. Character Wall 0/4 but it’s my own fault really Difficult to gauge how difficult it is but I’ve made a Red Dwarf one now Ohhhh myyyyy ggggoooooddddddddd.
Difficult to gauge how difficult it is but I’ve made a Red Dwarf one now Got 1/4 through the power of Mashing Randomly. I think you could have given me 24 hours to solve it and I still wouldn’t have sussed out any groups. As Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon demonstrates, there are just too many ways to connect actors.
I do think that it is really difficult when putting these together to gauge how hard they are going to be for anyone seeing them for the first time. Some things that you think are going to be obvious (or at least gettable) aren’t always that easy.
Solved Previously Unseen Wall #2 and got all the connections, if ‘perj zrzoref va Frevrf IVVV’ is close enough for the Onpx va gur Erq group.
Previously Unseen Wall #3: solved it and got two connections. p2p_productions’ spooky wall: solved it and got three connections. A Connecting Wall by Nick: solved it and got two connections. Gur Fgneoht penfurf tebhc ner nyfb nyy svefg rcvfbqrf bs frevrf fb V gubhtug vg jnf gung.
Turk’s Character Wall: V tbg bar tebhc, gur bar Ubyyl’f va juvpu V jnf onssyrq ol nf V’q npghnyyl tbar gbb fcrpvsvp ng svefg naq jnf ybbxvat sbe punenpgref va gur tnzr va gur abiry. Gura V fnj gur fbyirq jnyy naq jrag gbb fcrpvsvp ntnva ol thrffvat punenpgref va Npr’f qvzrafvba. (V fubhyq unir ernyvfrq Mrxr vf bar bs gur uvyyovyyvrf ba Onpxjneqf Rnegu.) Jura V fnj gung gung tebhc jnf whfg Onpxjneqf abiry punenpgref V ernyvfrq jung gur bgure guerr jrer, nygubhtu V qba’g xabj jub nyy bs gubfr punenpgref ner.
I hope this one shouldn’t be too tricky. The Surname Game Only found one group and got two connections.
1/4 and one connection in The Surname Game. Making every clue be the same type of thing is a surefire way to get a high difficulty floor. Also, whfgvpr sbe Xriva Xrrtna!
I’ve made another one. I think this is probably a toughie. I only got one group and connection (the one with Al Capone) before timing out. The time limit is a bit of a killer on these. There is an alternate Connections creator here that is a bit more forgiving and gives you as many guesses as you like.
I hope this one shouldn’t be too tricky. The Surname Game Two groups, two connections. I knew that Oerjvf jnf zbfg yvxryl gb or eryngrq gb gur fubhg-bhg va Vasvavgl, engure guna gur Fba bs Pyvpur pbzcbfre, fb V cnverq uvz jvgu Xyhzcc ohg ena bhg bs thrffrf gelvat gb oehgr sbepr vg.
I’ve made another one. I think this is probably a toughie. I got a perfect solve! I can only conclude that Dave is rubbish.
I’ve made another one. I think this is probably a toughie. 0/4, but I knew a couple of connections. V jvyy hfr orvat pbybhe oyvaq nf na rkphfr sbe abg univat n pyhr nobhg bar bs gurz.
I hope this one shouldn’t be too tricky. The Surname Game Two groups, two connections. I knew that Oerjvf jnf zbfg yvxryl gb or eryngrq gb gur fubhg-bhg va Vasvavgl, engure guna gur Fba bs Pyvpur pbzcbfre, fb V cnverq uvz jvgu Xyhzcc ohg ena bhg bs thrffrf gelvat gb oehgr sbepr vg. Yes, I’m realizing that I need to stop choosing quite such obscure names in some cases.
Here’s a PG-rated one. 1/4, but I got two of the other connections. I was sure that I tried one of the combinations, but I guess not. A good one, though.
Here’s a PG-rated one. Got all four groups, but although I clocked the first two connections quite quickly, the third one I only half got (my idea was a bit broader than the category definition turned out to be) and I didn’t work out the really clever connection.
For the toughie, I got 1/4 and only got that group within the last second. 2 of the connections had occurred to me but probably neither I was willing to commit to. So either Dave, Turk Thrust and I are all rubbish, or Ian is quite good. Who’s to say. For the PG one, got 4/4 but only 3 connections. The connection I didn’t get was the cleverest one, of course.
For the toughie, I got 1/4 and only got that group within the last second. 2 of the connections had occurred to me but probably neither I was willing to commit to. So either Dave, Turk Thrust and I are all rubbish, or Ian is quite good. Who’s to say. For the PG one, got 4/4 but only 3 connections. The connection I didn’t get was the cleverest one, of course. A little from Column A, a little from Column B. :)
I thought I was bad at the actual Only Connect ones, but Christ, I’ve been shit at these. I think I need a slap. Form an orderly queue.
Here’s another where I hope I’ve judged the difficulty better. First and Last Timed out again. I didn’t even make that many guesses. When it’s just names there are so many possibilities for connections, and unless you strike on the right ones quickly the time limit is a killer.
Here’s another where I hope I’ve judged the difficulty better. First and Last I got a perfect solve! I can only conclude that Dave is rubbish.
Here’s another where I hope I’ve judged the difficulty better. First and Last 4/4 and 2 connections! One of them I got right but for the wrong reasons – V pyrneyl unira’g pbzzvggrq gur Abin perj gb zrzbel, ohg V chg gur jbzra’f anzrf jvgu Xelgra orpnhfr V gubhtug znlor gurl jrer gur anzrf bs uvf Frevrf IVVV pryyzngrf / iblrhevfz ivpgvzf. V nyfb gubhtug bar tebhc jnf frevrf IVV jevgref fcrpvsvpnyyl, ohg gung vf pbeerpg gbb fb V’z tvivat zlfrys perqvg sbe gung bar. So I think this means that Dave is in fact rubbish. Sorry Dave, the science doesn’t lie.
Ian’s PG-rated wall: 2 groups, 3 connections. V jnf tbvat sbe ivaqnybbf ohg V zhfg unir xrcg ba vapyhqvat xvccref.
Here’s another where I hope I’ve judged the difficulty better. First and Last Timed out again. I didn’t even make that many guesses. When it’s just names there are so many possibilities for connections, and unless you strike on the right ones quickly the time limit is a killer. True, but I made it first and last names so there were fewer possibilities (although 2 or 3 of the names can sometimes be either first or last).
Here’s one that isn’t actors, happy now 0/4 and no connections really. I can’t complain as it’s the same situation as Dave’s comment about my walls. When all of the answers are from the same category, you either get a connection early or you’re left staring at the screen comfort rocking. :)
Yeah, if I see a grid that’s 16 episode titles I am guaranteed getting 0 (unless the connection is just, like, “Episodes from Series IV”). There are just way too many elements to an episode and thus too many possible ways to connect them. Even if there are no true alternate solutions for the whole wall, the standard methodology is to go one group at a time, and within that the hook is usually to notice a commonality between 2 or 3 clues and then search for the 3rd and/or 4th. Even when a wall causes my brain to shut down though, it’s still interesting to learn what the connections were! Reminds me of when we made a forum game out of finding things exactly 2 episodes had in common.
Yeah I think the knack to creating these games is giving players enough of a clue that the puzzle is reasonably solvable without making it so easy that there couldn’t be any other possible connection. Not as easy as it seems, as what seems reasonable to you when you come up with the connections and know them can feel totally opaque when people are coming to it cold.
I’m going to prove how tough it is to create a good puzzle now with this one: A Novel Solution 2/4, but then I was stopped by the three strikes rule (which I didn’t know existed). I was enjoying up til then as well. :)
4/4 for A Novel Solution, but the third grouping was a sheer fluke, so I only understood 2 connections. But I did well enough for my ego to be coddled, so I must agree that Dave is brilliant. Disregard all previous claims in this area.
A Novel Solution: Solved it and got three connections. Okay I give up trying to assess how difficult these will prove to be. Here’s one I’m naming Wall of Stuff.
A Novel Solution: Solved it and got three connections. Okay I give up trying to assess how difficult these will prove to be. Here’s one I’m naming Wall of Stuff. 4/4 and all of the connections. It must have been fairly easy considering I’m a gibbering simpleton! Nice wall.
Wall of Stuff – 0/4 and 2 of the connections (or 3 if you’re feeling generous). I had solid ideas but I couldn’t spot more than 4 examples for them and so got red herring-ed.
Okay I give up trying to assess how difficult these will prove to be. Here’s one I’m naming Wall of Stuff. I actually got this one! Although I had a couple of false starts while I worked out what the groups were. Nice puzzle.
Does anyone fancy a general sitcoms one? Got 2/4 groups, and only those two connections. V gubhtug gung Ubyyvfgre naq Zrypurgg zvtug or punenpgref jvgu zvyvgnel enaxf.
Here is one that shouldn’t be too difficult. Variety Park 4/4 on this one, but only 3/4 on identifying the connections (the episodes one threw me).
Variety Park: Solved it and got two connections. Sitcoms: Solved it and got three connections. V gubhtug gung Ubyyvfgre naq Zrypurgg zvtug or punenpgref jvgu zvyvgnel enaxf. Me too.
4/4 and 3 connections for Variety Park, 0/4 and 1 connection for general sitcoms. (I really do just like Red Dwarf as it turns out – why settle for less than the best?)
V gubhtug gung Ubyyvfgre naq Zrypurgg zvtug or punenpgref jvgu zvyvgnel enaxf. Yes, I was thinking along similar lines.
I’m utterly useless at these so just getting 1 group (and usually the connection, but not always) is an achievement. The PG-rated one I got two! And was scrabbling around the third connection but couldn’t quite get there.
Another one: Fact or Fiction 2/4 and both connections. The final pair of groups threw me with the Oraargg fvfgref.
Might be starting to get the hang of these now 0/4, 2/4 V’z chmmyrq ol gur Fcrpvny Thrfg Fgnef tebhc. V xarj Qba Uraqrefba tbg gung perqvg naq bs pbhefr Uvgyre sbe Gvzrfyvqrf, ohg abg Oevna Pbk. Ab vqrn nobhg gur bgure gjb gubhtu.
V’z chmmyrq ol gur Fcrpvny Thrfg Fgnef tebhc. V xarj Qba Uraqrefba tbg gung perqvg naq bs pbhefr Uvgyre sbe Gvzrfyvqrf, ohg abg Oevna Pbk. Ab vqrn nobhg gur bgure gjb gubhtu. 1/4 and that was a bit of a lucky guess.
Hopefully this is a little easier than it might initially seem: There are some numbers next to it, but they could be anything.
Hopefully this is a little easier than it might initially seem: 2/4 and 3 connections! Happy to do that well with one like this.
There are some numbers next to it, but they could be anything. 2/4, 3.5/4 (V qvqa’g fcrpvsl Dhnenagvar sbe gur Fcnpr Pbecf Qverpgvirf.)
Another that I think is solvable. Nobody to Alert Same as Clem, 4/4 and 3 connections. The tricky connection was very clever, though.
Ok, here goes another. I’d say this one is only medium-ish difficulty, but let’s find out. People I Met
Ok, here goes another. I’d say this one is only medium-ish difficulty, but let’s find out. People I Met I’m useless at these as my memory is terrible. 0/4, but I did see 2 connections.
I solved People I Met. Tbg gur Qvinqebvq naq Qvzrafvba Whzc tebhcf ohg qvqa’g fcrpvsl uneqyvtug sbe gur ubybtenzf. Sbe gur Vadhvfvgbe tebhc V fnvq gurl’er gur Erq Qjnes perj va gur nygrerq gvzryvar nsgre gur Vadhvfvgbe unf renfrq Xelgra naq Yvfgre. Vf gung gbb boivbhf?
I solved People I Met. Tbg gur Qvinqebvq naq Qvzrafvba Whzc tebhcf ohg qvqa’g fcrpvsl uneqyvtug sbe gur ubybtenzf. Sbe gur Vadhvfvgbe tebhc V fnvq gurl’er gur Erq Qjnes perj va gur nygrerq gvzryvar nsgre gur Vadhvfvgbe unf renfrq Xelgra naq Yvfgre. Vf gung gbb boivbhf? V thrff vg nzbhagf gb gur fnzr guvat tvira gur jnl gur fgbel tbrf!
Another one. A Game of Two Halves 4/4 and 3 connections! Took me a minute to sort out. This is just about the right level for me.
Ok, time for a new one. And then we watched TV. 4/4 and 3 connections! Thazra threw me. Cebonoyl qvqa’g uryc gung V jnfa’g gurer sbe vg, fb qba’g unir vg va zl zvaq juvpu rcvfbqr vg jnf.
Ok, time for a new one. And then we watched TV. Full house for me too. Bloody Hell, I need a sit down.
