We’ve all heard the tell-tale piano jingle post a New York Times mini crossword victory, followed by the slamming shut of a laptop mid class. According to Axios, the NYT Games app was downloaded 10 million times in the past year, and their collection of puzzles was played over 8 billion times. These games include the infamous Wordle, Connections, the Spelling Bee, and the Mini Crossword. The news giant’s games are thriving amidst a dying industry, prompting the question: what makes these mini-games so popular? 

We asked a variety of students and faculty why they play the games that they do. Here is what we found:

1. Accessibility, ease.

While a typical all-access digital NYT subscription costs $6.25 per week, many of their mini-games are still free of charge. Additionally, these games are relatively simple, with the occasional curveball that will offer more difficulty. 

In reference to these games, Associate Director of Technology Alan Jeppson says that “they’re something that's really accessible that is satisfying to complete.”

Many students echo this sentiment. Ninth grader Paige Karney says that she likes these games because “they’re not that hard.”

2. Intellectual, but not impossible.

Even though these games are fairly easy, they provide a slight intellectual challenge that is not as time consuming and anger inducing as schoolwork but not as easy and brain numbing as your average game of Candy Crush. Freshman Henry Damico says that these games “get your brain going.” 

The mini-games often feel like a productive way to be unproductive. Freshman Emery Lieberman shares this sentiment: “They’re short, they’re fun, intellectual. Sometimes it is a little difficult but not too hard that you can’t do them.” 

The mini-games also foster a bit of a competition. You can hear brags of faster times in the crossword or fewer attempts in the Wordle all over school. A small win against a friend always manages to bring an unwarranted feeling of accomplishment.

3. Somewhat addicting, but still fulfilling.

Many games that people play on their phones are designed solely to addict, with no real measurable benefit to the user. Sophomore Leo Pickron attributes the success of the NYT games to this addictive element. He says, “Things on screens are usually addicting, so [the popularity] kinda just happens.”

However, unlike traditional mobile games, NYT mini-games are fulfilling because users are forced to think through somewhat complex activities. 

Despite the fact that just a few years ago most people associated crosswords with older generations, the NYT franchise has made them appealing to people of all ages. Through a smaller grid, an online version, and more “hip” clues relevant to a younger audience, crosswords have now become “cool.”

In short, NYT mini-games have become a staple of many students' daily lives. Whether in the classroom or on their own time, students appreciate the intellectual challenge that they pose.