The Mini Crossword from The New York Times is no longer free to play as of late August 2025. This turn of events upset some longtime fans, who noted that The Mini Crossword was paywalled with no notice.
The Mini Crossword is an abridged version of the NYT Crossword puzzle. Edited by Joel Fagliano, it was originally launched on August 21, 2014, arriving alongside the NYT Crossword app. The Mini Crossword's daily puzzles have always been free to play, with only its archive requiring a subscription.
Mere days after celebrating its 11th anniversary, The Mini Crossword was paywalled in late August 2025, TheGamer reports. Users first noted the change on Monday, August 25, wondering if it was accidental. That theory was promptly dismissed by an update to The Mini Crossword's FAQ page, which stated clearly that the popular puzzle game is now available only to The New York Times' paying subscribers.
The move has unsettled longtime players who considered the bite-sized game part of their daily routine. While some expressed disappointment, others reacted with anger. A few existing New York Times subscribers even canceled their subscriptions in protest of the move and shared their decisions on social media. However,...
