The New York Times Games section with more than 1 million subscribers is recognized and enjoyed all over the world for its selection of word, number and picture games. What’s more, all of their games are available using the official NYT Games app, meaning you can access and play them on your favorite mobile or tablet device!
NYT word games
When people think of the New York Times Games section, most people will instinctively think of Wordle, the smash-hit which rose to prominence in 2021 and still maintains a global following to date. The NYT also hosts five other word games which offer a variety of different challenges to suit gamers of all levels.
The Crossword
Players must fill out the white squares on a 15 x 15 grid (Sundays: 21 x 21) based on the answers to each clue given. Crossword answers get progressively harder from Monday to Saturday, while Sunday’s special puzzle is intended to be as difficult as Thursday’s puzzle.
- The Crossword was first published in the New York Times in 1942.
- Crossword puzzles are released daily but are only available to NYT subscribers.
- It is perfect for word-game enthusiasts that have a larger amount of free time.
The Mini
For those who are looking for an alternate version of the NYT Crossword with a much smaller grid size, The Mini is a great option. It allows players to play a faster paced game, which is ideal for those with busier lifestyles.
- The Mini was first published in the NYT Games section in 2014.
- A new Mini puzzle is released daily, available online or through the official NYT app.
- Recommended for those who have a few minutes spare to complete a quick word game.
Spelling Bee
Players are shown a honeycomb grid that contains 7 letters and must create as many words as possible using the central letter (with words being at least 4 letters long). Each time a word is accepted, the player will gain points that will contribute towards improving their Spelling Bee rank, calculated based upon the percentage of total possible points.
- Spelling Bee was first released through NYT Games in 2014.
- New Spelling Bee puzzles are released daily and feature a rewarding ranking system to rate your ability.
- Ideal for anagram fans who like to compare their scores against others.
Wordle
The goal of Wordle is to find a hidden 5-letter word in as few guesses as possible, up to a maximum of six attempts. The letters of each word guessed will turn gray (incorrect), yellow (correct but unplaced) or green (correct and placed) and as more words are guessed, more clues will be displayed to help the player guess the answer.
- Wordle was first published in the New York Times in 2022 after being released independently the previous year.
- It is a daily puzzle game that features its own custom dictionary, with one word chosen as the solution each day.
- Through its simple and addictive gameplay, Wordle has shown itself to appeal to gamers of all ages and backgrounds.
Connections
When playing Connections, players are shown a grid of 16 different words which need to be categorized into four groups of four. Each category has a different level of difficulty and category type, while players allowed to make a total of four mistakes.
- Connections was first published in the NYT Games section in 2023.
- A new puzzle is available to play each day, featuring a broad range of categories.
- Likely to interest people who enjoy word association and logic games.
Letter Boxed
After opening Letter Boxed, players will see a box with three letters positioned on each of its sides. Using the given target number of words or less, players should try to use each of the given letters at least once when creating words, never using a letter from the same side consecutively.
- Letter Boxed was first available in 2019 through the NYT Games section.
- A daily puzzle game that features innovative gameplay and a simple user interface.
- Target words are only a recommendation, enabling players to increase their challenge over time.
Strands
Currently available as a beta game only, Strands challenges players to identify all of the words on a letter grid that are related to a given theme. With gameplay that functions as an advanced version of a word search, players can earn hints that reveal the unsolved letters of a solution by identifying non-themed words.
- Launched in 2024 as a beta to gauge its popularity with the NYT Games community.
- A new puzzle is released every day for players to solve, with a different number of themed words to find.
- The spangram is the most difficult term in each puzzle, spanning from opposite sides on the grid and sometimes featuring two words.
NYT number and picture games
To appeal to a different kind of player, the NYT also offers number and picture games that provide tests of logic. Although each of these games are available to all players, some of their features are only available to those who sign up for a subscription.
Sudoku
Those who prefer number-based challenges will be very familiar with Sudoku, the classic game where players must fill in the blanks with the numbers 1 – 9. Using the 9 x 9 grid, each number can only be present one time per row, per column and per 3 x 3 block.
- Based upon Sudoku puzzles that were originally printed in newspapers in the late 20th century.
- Daily puzzles are available in three difficulties, easy, medium and hard to provide something for players of all levels.
- Fans of number games and math lovers are most likely to enjoy the challenge of completing a NYT Sudoku.
Tiles
When playing Tiles, players are shown a 5 x 6 grid which contains tiles with different patterns and colors. The goal of the game is to clear the board by correctly matching the elements between two tiles from anywhere on the board per turn.
- First released in the New York TImes Games section in 2019.
- Tiles features 13 different tilesets that subscribers can choose between, while non-subscribers will have to play with the designated set for the day.
- A recommended game for people who enjoy artistic designs and pattern recognition.
Vertex
A different kind of challenge altogether, Vertex presents players with a series of dots on a canvas that must be connected in order to solve triangles that will eventually color in a picture. Players have the ability to take their time in this game of trial and error, as long as each puzzle has been completed by the end of the day.
- First published in 2019 in the NYT Games section.
- Whereas subscribers have access to daily levels, non-subscribers are only allowed to play the tutorial and the first 8 levels.
- A slow and relaxing connect the dots game, Vertex is ideal for people who enjoy creating art in their free time.