My Favorite New York Times Mini-Games
Although The New York Times is famous for being a reputable journalism site, its mini-games have slowly but surely gained popularity. I used to think that the games were stupid. I even laughed at others while watching them play the Crossword and the Wordle, which is ironic considering I have found myself getting so (oddly) addicted to the games that I can’t help but play every morning. In fact, I’ve come to love them so much that they’ve become a part of my daily routine.
I start with Wordle because it’s the easiest game to play, yet it gets my brain thinking. My friends and I like to compete to see who can get the word in the fewest number of tries, and who did it the quickest. I love it more than NYT’s other games because it’s very straightforward. It acts as a quick warm-up before I play the crossword mini, which is much more challenging and requires a bit more brain power than the Wordle.
Next is the NYT’s Mini Crossword puzzle, which, at maximum, has ten words to solve. I enjoy The Mini because similarly to the Wordle, it’s small, but it’s not small enough to be ‘boring’. Additionally, I love the crossword’s hints, which give just enough information to get an idea of the word, but not enough for me to figure it out immediately - it’s like a cliffhanger. My favorite thing about the crossword is that it’s timed because it forces me to think on my feet and try to solve the puzzle as quickly as I can; it’s surprising how excited I get when I solve a puzzle in less than a minute.
After The Mini Crossword, I move on to Spelling Bee, which gives me seven letters to make as many words as I can. The twist is that I must use one of the seven letters in every word, otherwise the word doesn’t count. This game forces me to rely mainly on myself and my vocabulary because all the game gives me is letters. There are no words or hints to guide me along the way and help me create new words. This being said, this game is not easy and requires a decent amount of thought and creativity.
After playing the Wordle, The Mini Crossword, and Spelling Bee, I attempt to play Connections, which is (I believe) one of the hardest NYT mini-games. In Connections, the goal is to ‘connect’ or group 16 words together that share a common thread through four categories. It seems straightforward, but the words that are given can be similar, have different definitions, and be put in various categories. I’ve never been able to solve a Connections game, but I’m determined to eventually. I complain about the game because of how challenging it is, but I still find myself playing the game every day, addicted to the possibility of being able to solve Connections at least once.
The New York Times’s mini-games are not only entertaining, but they’re also a great way to start the day. After I finish playing my favorite games, I find myself feeling more awake and motivated to carry on with my day than I did before - especially when I can win/solve the games/puzzles in record time. Because of these things, these mini-games have become an essential part of my morning ritual.
By Marin Zocca