One of my favorite pastimes is my daily regiment of playing the New York Times Wordle, The Mini Crossword, Connections, Sudoku, and Strands. I find that occupying my free time with these games is more productive than other ways I could be procrastinating/spending time, and solving each game proves to be rewarding. I first discovered these games in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, and in combination with my long-time love for logic games and puzzles, I’ve been hooked ever since.
#1: The Mini Crossword
Unfortunately, without a paid New York Times subscription, NYT Games aficionados only have access to the free, smaller crossword known as The Mini. However, the wide variety of clue topics and fast-paced nature of the game makes it my favorite of the bunch. It’s always exciting to see references I immediately recognize in the clues, such as a Phoebe Bridgers song or a certain type of snack. This is also a good option to compete against others with, as The Mini tells you how much time it took you to solve the crossword of the day at its completion.
#2: Sudoku
Something about filling in the three by three gridded sections, creating a larger three by three grid of those squares of nine numbers makes solving the Sudoku a very satisfying experience. I typically only attempt the “Easy” level, but sometimes venture to starting the “Medium” level if I have time—the “Medium” and “Hard” levels are serious time investments. I like how methodical the Sudoku is, with simple rules that still make for a fulfilling logical exercise.
#3: Connections
This is a relatively new NYT Game, but has already become a fan-favorite. With an assortment of 16 words, players must sort the words into categories of four, based on an overarching theme. The game consists of a yellow category with an easily identifiable theme, but progresses from green to blue, and finally purple, or the most difficult. My friends and I enjoy sending each other our results after solving each day’s puzzle, and it’s always rewarding to solve it with no mistakes.
#4: Strands
Strands is the newest addition to the New York Times Games family, and is currently in its Beta testing stage. I’ve found this game to be pretty difficult, as the daily theme is vague and there are so many possible ways to create words in the grid. The goal of this game is to find words that fall under the given theme, with an extra long word connecting the other theme words in the middle. This is called the “spangram,” and describes the puzzle’s theme. Strands also allows players to gain hints that direct you towards the theme words in the grid by finding non-theme words.
#5 Wordle
I love doing the Wordle as much as anyone else, but it is ranked last on this list because I feel like it has received more attention than the rest of the NYT Games and is overhyped. However, I do love the simplistic design of the game and the different variations that exist, like the French Wordle.
Next time you are left with some extra time on your hands 0r are simply looking for a way to start your day, I suggest giving one of these New York Times Games a try—you might even become a daily player like me!
