NYT Mini Crossword Locked Behind Paywall, Sparking Outcry

New York, NY - August 28, 2025 The New York Times announced today that its popular Mini Crossword is no longer available for free on the web, joining the main daily Crossword behind a subscription paywall. The change, which took effect this morning, was implemented without prior public notice, leaving many casual solvers surprised and frustrated.

According to the company’s games page, the Mini Crossword-which launched in 2014 as a free teaser to attract new puzzle enthusiasts-now requires a New York Times Games subscription to play online. While some users report intermittent access via the NYT mobile app, non-subscribers attempting to play on the web are greeted with a prompt to subscribe.

Fans took to social media to express their disappointment. “This just obliterated my morning routine,” wrote one user on the r/crosswords subreddit, reflecting the sentiment of many who had integrated the five-minute puzzle into their daily rituals. Another lamented losing a shared pastime: “My partner and I raced each other every night - now it won’t let us play.” These reactions echo earlier reports that “the NYT Mini Crossword is no longer free to play,” a shift that follows the full Crossword’s paywalling in 2012.

Insiders note that the Mini’s free status had helped the Times cultivate a massive audience: the puzzle exceeded one billion plays in 2023 and contributed to a suite of online games attracting over ten million daily players, of whom more than one million currently subscribe for unlimited access. The standalone Games subscription is priced at approximately $5 per month or $40 per year, with bundled offers available for all-access digital subscribers.

To retain free puzzle options, many solvers are turning to alternatives. Libraries often provide complimentary NYT access, and other publications offer similar mini crosswords at no cost, including the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. Independent sites like MiniCrossword.io also host user-created puzzles that replicate the quick daily challenge enthusiasts crave.

The Times has not commented on whether additional games-such as Spelling Bee or Wordle-will follow the Mini into the paywall, leaving players uncertain about the future of the remaining free offerings. For now, the Mini Crossword’s shift marks the end of an era for one of the Web’s most beloved quick puzzles.