I’m a fan of the New York Times Mini Crossword — a sporty, streamlined companion to the newspaper’s legendary regular daily crossword. Typically, the Mini Crossword (we publish the answers daily) has roughly a dozen clues to work through — six across-clues and six down-clues — and you can complete it in less than a minute if all goes well.
It makes me feel smart, unlike the big crossword, which sometimes makes me throw things.
But in late August, some Mini Crossword players suddenly ran into a paywall. From that point on, anyone who doesn’t pay for a Times subscription with a Games package has been required to subscribe if they want to continue solving the Mini Crossword.
Naturally, players were… well, what’s a five-letter word for bummed out? UPSET?
Read more: CNET’s daily answer page for Wordle, Connections, Strands, the Mini Crossword and Connections: Sports Edition
“Each day that passes, a bit of happiness is placed behind a paywall,” wrote one Reddit user.
Another wrote, “Doing this crossword on the way home each day from work was my little ritual.”
Pay to play: Games subscription for full access
Even if you have a digital subscription to the New York Times, you might not have full Games access. The Times has priced a Games subscription separate from its news, which costs $6 a month. There are annual sign-up options that could save you money, totaling about $50 a year. You also might see different promotional options or introductory sales on occasion.
Some puzzles are still free
Though some puzzles are still free (see below), the fee for full Games access comes shortly after the New York Times added another online game, Pips, a form of dominoes.
“We now offer 10 distinct puzzles, a rich and diverse portfolio that reflects both the breadth of gameplay and the depth of experiences our team of puzzle editors and constructors has built,” a spokesperson for the Times told me in a statement. “With several games remaining free to play for all, our portfolio features a dynamic mix of free puzzles and subscriber-only offerings, creating opportunities for every kind of solver to engage with us, every day of the week.”
Obviously, the newspaper has to pay its puzzle constructors, editors and journalists. The old saying about how there’s no free lunch applies to games as well.
“Subscribers not only support our journalism but help us keep making the high-quality puzzles people love to play,” the statement said. “While we hope solvers will see the value in subscribing, we’re committed to ensuring there’s still a rich and enjoyable experience for those who don’t.”
These New York Times puzzles are still free to nonsubscribers:
Also, nonsubscribers have limited access to Spelling Bee, the puzzle that lets you make words out of certain letters. That puzzle allows non-Games subscribers to play up to a certain point number, then requires a subscription to keep playing.
Your library is your friend
If you just can’t afford a Games subscription, log in to your local public library.
I’m in Seattle, and the Seattle Public Library offers library cardholders free online access to its expanded New York Times subscription, which includes Games access and access to other Times divisions, such as Cooking and The Athletic.
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