Wordle is still free, for now, but the New York Times has put another one of its most popular games behind a paywall, causing plenty of grumbling in the US and overseas. Fans of the Mini Crossword got an unpleasant surprise Thursday when they found out the Mini Crossword is now subscriber-only, the Hill reports. Users were told there was a 75% off discount for new subscribers. On social media, one user said the move had done "irreparable damage" to their spirit. "I hope whoever decided to put the NYT Mini Crossword behind a paywall has warm pillows for the rest of their life," another user wrote. Another said the Times "deserves Cracker Barrel-level bullying."
The Mini, which the Times introduced in 2014, is typically 5 squares by 5, and some users complete it in under a minute. Other games, including Letter Boxed and Tiles, were also paywalled Thursday, part of the newspaper's push to make money off its growing arsenal of puzzles. A Times spokesperson told the Irish Star that with the addition of domino game Pips this month, "we now offer 10 distinct puzzles, a rich and diverse portfolio that reflects both the breadth of gameplay and the depth of experiences our team of puzzle editors and constructors has built."
The spokesperson added: "With Wordle, Connections, Strands, and Sudoku remaining free to play for all, our portfolio features a dynamic mix of free puzzles and subscriber-only offerings." The Los Angeles Times' Mini Crossword, meanwhile, remains free.
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