I work in a cafe, and every day, one of our regulars comes in, buys his cappuccino, and sits at a corner table, tapping away on his phone. This past week, I heard him in a back and forth discussion with someone else across from him. Curious, and always in everyone’s business, I looked over in hopes of overhearing their conversation. A woman in her mid-20s was doing the Wordle at the same time he was. I couldn’t even be upset that they were about to spoil the day’s word for me, because I was too focused on watching the tennis match of who would get it first. Like most of us, I am absolutely obsessed with playing the New York Times Games on my phone. What started as a Wordle obsession has grown into a daily ritual. (Now, I’m partial to Connections.)Â
If you’re like me and can’t get enough of doing these games, only to be bummed out when there aren’t any more to play for the day, I’ve compiled a few other games like NYT Games Games that fit the same vibe. Hopefully, these options will keep you entertained when you run out of the usual puzzles, or if you just feel like switching things up.Â
The Daily Beast Crossword
I had a (likely not original) thought recently that I would be so much better at the NYT crossword if it was about pop culture, and then I found The Daily Beast crossword. This crossword is admittedly not always as hard as the daily NYT crossword, but I guess that’s because the questions are almost entirely related to pop culture, one of my areas of expertise. There is, of course, some variety, with questions about politics, power, and so on — but for the most part, it feels a lot more accessible than the NYT version. If you are someone who feels the loss of confidence that comes with not being able to complete a NYT crossword, I seriously recommend this crossword for an ego boost. If you think it sounds too easy, try getting your parents to do it; you’ll probably discover you are just a pop culture genius. A fun fact to note: The puzzles get harder as the days of the week progress, with Monday being the easiest and Sunday being the hardest.
Washington Post GamesÂ
My sister and I discovered The Washington Post games in the comedown of a NYT crossword high (the first time we’d completed it in under an hour.) The WaPo website hosts lots of online games, including but not limited to ones that are similar to the NYT games, like the crossword and “the mini.” But it also has solitaire (and so many variations of it), mahjong, blackjack, pool ball, and more. The opportunities for fun here are endless, since you could play for hours and not run out of games. There are 114 options currently to choose from — yes, I counted.Â
SquaredleÂ
The aptly named Squardle sucked me in instantly, and before I knew it, I had played for half an hour instead of writing this article. Much like the NYT’s beta game, Strands, or Spelling Bee, this is a daily word search. If you’ve never done a word search before, it gives you a block of letters, and asks you to find all the hidden words and connect them together. It’s both frustrating and immensely satisfying when you find words with more than four letters. (Three-letter words don’t count for points). I’ve never liked games that feel impossible, and while this game tests my limits, it is not impossible. The perfect medium!
WikitriviaÂ
Even if you aren’t much of a history buff, Wikitrivia will still be fun. This game uses random Wikipedia pages that can vary from actors to historical events; the object is to put them all on a timeline, and to guess the correct year of occurrence for each. For example, you may have to guess which came first: the creation of Mona Lisa, or the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789, and correspondingly put Mona Lisa either before or after on the timeline. So far, my record is eight correct dates in a row. Wikitrivia is unexpectedly fun, and while sometimes the answers are super obvious, the more you play, the more tricky it becomes. But don’t worry, you get three incorrect guesses per game.Â
Online Solitaire
Solitaire is a timeless classic, and arguably there should be a NYT version. I already mentioned that the Washington Post has its own online solitaire, but I think solitaire deserves its own slot on this list. It is exactly like the real thing, and the best part is that you can only lose to yourself. (No embarrassment or public defeat!) There are different versions of the game online, and many websites have made their own platform for solitaire, including WaPo. The Solitairen is the most standard website for solitaire, and it also has a bunch of different versions of the game, for when you want to challenge yourself even more. If you’ve never played before, you will definitely know someone in your life who can explain the rules, or there are online tutorials that explain it really well. Once you get it, it’s easy to play, and is methodical enough that you don’t have to think too hard while you do it.Â
Codewords
Codewords is an interesting take on a crossword, since you fill in letters, not words. It’s like a cross between a crossword and sudoku. Basically, each letter slot is numbered, and every place that has the same number has a corresponding letter. So, every square that is the letter A would be one number, like 21 for example, and so on and so forth. Usually you get at least two letters already filled out, and you have to start with that. It can be difficult to get started, but once you get going, it’s really satisfying. I love playing Sudoku on the NYT, and this game gives the same satisfying feel.