It was 7:58 AM in my Introduction to Marketing class, and the students’ silence was deafening. Out of the forty people in the class, ten showed up. Three of the ten students broke the silence, murmuring about the Wordle. One asked, “How come S-A-R-A-H is not in the word list, but S-A-L-L-Y is?” The other responded, “I don’t care, it’s the only thing I look forward to in the mornings.” The third person nodded.
The New York Times (NYT) is a widely respected name in news media and beyond, making it people’s go-to source for everything from lifestyle to politics. However, the most impactful aspect for many college students is not the articles but the NYT Games. Since 1942, the NYT Crossword has challenged fellow readers, but with the rise in mini-games, the NYT has garnered a new category of viewers, perpetuating the company’s success.
“My record on the mini is probably 15 seconds,” Amelia Bluman, 18, a student at Tufts University, remarks after completing the most recent puzzle in an equally impressive one minute and fourteen seconds. The “Mini” or the free, daily updated, 4×4 crossword puzzle is not rocket science but pulls from pop culture, common sayings and traditional wordplay one would expect to see on the standard NYT crossword. Due to minimal clues and a time crunch, the Mini serves as a quick yet strong brain game that is quickly turning into a cultural phenomenon.
The Mini Crossword is a classic in the NYT Games multiverse. The popular new games — Wordle, Connections and Strands — are where the competition amplifies. “I have to stay up until midnight to do the Wordle and Connections, it’s a part of my routine,” says Carmen Kendall, 18, a student at Northeastern University.
The Wordle was created by Josh Wardle during COVID-19 to produce an innovative word game for his partner. After publishing a website for his beloved game, it increased in popularity and was acquired by the NYT Games sector a month after the start of fame. As much as Wordle resonates with college students, there is a similar love among all age groups. Lily Rogen, 18, a student at Northeastern University, explains, “My parents play the Wordle every morning, and it turns into a competition. My Dad gets so into it that he checks his Wordle stats … and then they text about it in the family group chat.” The NYT interface makes it easy for users to copy and paste their results into a crafty text message, with emojis depicting each move.
Conversely, Connections is a completely different ball game with fewer positive results and more frustration among users. Behind Wordle, it is the second most popular NYT game. With a grid of 16 words, four groups of four words are linked by a common theme. Recently, the Connections has upset players on social media, sparking debate over how connected the groups truly are. Yet, users crave the puzzle and come back day after day.
Individuals have created word games mimicking the classics yet separate from the NYT games. “Each morning in class, I do the Mini, Wordle and Connections. Sometimes I attempt the Strands, but it’s new and a little time-consuming. After that, I play the Worldle (Wordle but for countries), Framed (Wordle but for movies) and the Taylordle (Wordle but for Taylor Swift albums,)” says Peyton Durkin, 19, a student at Northeastern University. This is a standard practice for many students.
Nonetheless, these games provide a sense of routine among multiple generations with the daily incentive to maintain a streak and see what the NYT editors may suggest next. With this upward trend in popularity, the NYT Games will only grow along with their growing audience.