The New York Times games fully captivated the attention of audiences across the world these last couple of years. So when users woke up on Aug. 26. to see their beloved game under a $6 a month pay wall, many users began to take to social media apps to vent their frustrations.
The Mini Crossword, beloved by many players, was exchanged for the addition of Pips to the New York Times games website. This new game involves numbers and dominos unlike the word based stimulus of a crossword. While the Mini was a fan favorite for many, some users appreciate the trade off.
“My favorite was always the Mini Crossword because of the timer and trying to beat my time,” Alex Fetner ’28 said. “But then when Pips came out, I think that’s probably my favorite now because it’s a fun thinking game.”
Some users, however, are left longing for the mini.
“I took a break from the New York Times games recently, and when I came back and I tried to open The Mini, I thought there was a glitch in my computer, and I was really distraught,” Charlotte Brookbanks ’27 said.
The sudden disappearance of the Mini has affected daily routines for students. Through personal experience and talking with other students, this seems to be the case for many connections classes; however, there are still many games left to play, such as Wordle, Connections and Strands.
These types of games have helped to fuel The New York Time’s popularity. The New York Time’s Digital advertising revenue rose 18.7%, to $94.4 million, beating the company’s estimates, because of strong demand in areas like games and sports. Data from Statista reports that the New York Time’s profit values from the games went from 6.4 million in quarter one to 11.2 million in quarter two. The truth may be that the reason why the New York Times is making so much money is due to the games, and not their news articles.
