Often, the more niche something is, the more likely it is to go viral online. This goes hand-in-hand with Josh Wardle’s game Wordle, which was launched in October 2021.
Players are given six tries to guess a daily five-letter word using a process of elimination. Once the word of choice is typed in, the letters will either turn yellow, green, or gray to indicate whether the letter is in the word and whether it’s in the right place.
The game took the internet by storm. People all over the world took to Twitter/X to share their results of the day, using the format “Wordle ___: x/6”, with the blank space denoting the day’s Wordle iteration (i.e. the first ever Wordle being “Wordle 1: x/6”). That statement topped the global trending page almost daily, becoming the most talked about Internet game at the beginning of 2022.
The New York Times purchased Wardle’s project at the end of January 2022 for an undisclosed amount rumored to be over $1 million, and the game has since become a major part of the Times’ games category. With the help of social media, many of their other selections became more popularized, creating a plethora of similar brain exercises for users to complete after their daily Wordle.
Here is my personal ranking of all nine of Times‘ games:
- Vertex
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To be quite honest, I don’t think I’ve ever completed a game of Vertex. It involves connecting a series of dots to uncover an image. Each dot has a number, representing the remaining number of times it can be used to connect to another. Seems confusing, right? I feel as if this game is more tedious than it is fun, and for that reason, it is my least favorite New York Times game.
- Letter Boxed
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Letter Boxed is another forgettable game on the Times website. Players are presented with 12 letters surrounding a white box and are tasked with connecting them all to form 4 words or less. Though it sounds easy, the difficulty increases when informed that letters from the same side of the square can’t be used consecutively.
If you’re like me, I challenge myself to use as few words as possible, which adds to the frustration of this game. I won’t completely skip over it like I do Vertex, but you won’t catch me playing Letter Boxed daily.
- Sudoku
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This might be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t really like Sudoku. Honestly, I think it’s just because I get so frustrated and end up cheating.
If you’re unfamiliar with Sudoku, it is a game of numbers that doesn’t involve math. The game is composed of a grid, and within each grid, there are boxes made up of 9 squares. The goal of Sudoku is to fill the entire board with numbers 1-9, without repeating in any row, column, or square. Typically, Sudoku fills in a box or two in each square as a clue, but it’s up to you to fill the grid without making any mistakes. Sounds simple enough, right?
Maybe I’m just not very good at it, but I always find myself turning on the hints to check if I’ve filled in the right squares. However, it’s ranked higher than Letter Boxed because it doesn’t frustrate me nearly as much.
- Tiles
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Depending on which puzzle is present that day, I think Tiles can be pretty fun. At the beginning, players are presented with an image composed of different tiles (see what they did there?). Every tile looks the same at first glance, but each is composed of different characteristics that make them unique. Players have to match two tiles at a time that share a similar feature. The end goal is to clear the board without making any mistakes.
One of the best parts of Tiles is that it can be played an infinite number of times each day. This allows players to practice and attempt to beat their previous score. I’ll usually play Tiles if I like the daily puzzle; some are definitely better than others. But, in the end, it’s simple, quick, and doesn’t require too much concentration. Check this one out if you haven’t done so yet.
- The Crossword
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Arguably the New York Times’ most infamous game is its daily crossword puzzle, and for good reason! The Crossword updates daily with different clues, descriptions, and patterns, allowing players to always have a new experience. This game is the first one listed here that I actually play every day. However, the reason that it’s not ranked higher is because I rarely finish it.
It could just be me, but the crossword puzzles can be hard. I find myself using the “autocheck” feature often, as I get so stuck and refuse to look up the clues online. After a couple minutes of staring blankly at my computer screen, I give up. I’m pretty sure I’ve only ever completed like 5 of these crosswords.
- Spelling Bee
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I love this game. It’s a fairly similar concept to Letter Boxed, but the style and end goal is a bit different.
Players are presented with 7 letters in the shape of a honeycomb (a creative play on words with the title). In the center of the comb is one yellow letter, which must be a part of each word. Additionally, each word cannot be less than 4 letters long. The goal for the player is to continue to rank up by creating more and more words, with hopes of achieving “Queen Bee” status.
Word games are my favorite, and this one sure hits the mark. It requires some trial and error, but I recommend it to word lovers like me.
- Wordle
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Wordle is the first game I play every day. It’s simple, quick, and always satisfying. Though some like to use the same starting word every time, I always change it up. It’s more fun that way. It adds some uniqueness to a straightforward game.
- Connections
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The Times’ newest game comes in second place on my list. I would argue that Connections is currently the most viral game.
Each day, players are given 16 random words and are tasked with putting them into four different categories. Some words can be related to more than three other ones, adding to the complexity and, sometimes, frustration. Players have four tries to correctly guess the categories.
I have such a love-hate relationship with this game. When the categories are self-explanatory, I love it. When they are impossible and I can’t solve the puzzle, I loathe it. Success depends on the day, but Connections sits proudly at #2.
- The Mini Crossword
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I strongly believe that this is the New York Times’ best game. The Mini Crossword is the same concept as the regular Crossword, except, well, mini.
I challenge myself to complete the daily Mini in a minute or less, as I often compete with my friends to see who has the best completion time. The clues for this crossword are usually easier than the bigger ones, which makes speed your biggest competitor. I love the mini. So. Much.
In the end, all of NYT’s games can provide a little bit of joy on a busy work day. Check them out – you won’t be disappointed.
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