Every New York Times Game, Ranked (2024)

New York Times puzzles have taken the world by storm. While daily mini-games have always existed, ones like Wordle have really popularized the daily brain game scene. Many of you are familiar with Wordle, but did you know that there are even more NYT games out there?

Here, we are going to see how these games stack up against each other. Although this list ranks NYT games from worst to best, it's important to note that all of these games are great; there is no 'bad' option. Still, some are a bit better than others, so we will figure out which games come out victorious.

9 Tiles

• Play Tiles Here!

In last place, we have Tiles. Like all NYT games, the premise of Tiles is simple; match tiles to make a combo chain. The tiles are similar in appearance, making this a real game of I Spy. If you are looking to sharpen your eye, Tiles is a great match.

Unfortunately, games of Tiles can be quite daunting. When completing games like Letter Boxed or Spelling Bee, there is a sense of satisfaction after successfully guessing a word. In Tiles, this sense of satisfaction is missing, as you are just clicking on identical squares.

8 Vertex

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Vertex is another visual-based game. For this, you need to connect dots to reveal an image. Each dot has a number in it, which corresponds to how many lines extrude from it. As you connect more lines, the number will go down.

When the picture starts filling in, Vertex can be quite fun. Seeing hidden objects fill in is cool, but after a while, the process of connecting lines to dots can be a bit repetitive. Once you get a feel for the basic shape of the item, it's easy to just rapidly connect all the lines without any struggle.

7 Sudoku

See Also

NYT Tiles Game – How To Play, Tips And Tricks – WordsRated8 NYT Tiles Strategies To Score Huge CombosI'm obsessed with The New York Times' Tiles game

• Play Sudoku Here!

We all love a good Sudoku, and the NYT Sudoku keeps it simple. Before starting, you can choose between three difficulties; easy, medium, or hard. Depending on what you choose, more numbers will fill in.

There is nothing wrong with a Sudoku game, but this places a bit lower on the list because it's not quite as original as the others. Many of the other games are unique to the New York Times, but there are tons of Sudoku apps out there, as well as physical Sudoku books.

6 Letter Boxed

• Play Letter Boxed Here!

Letter Boxed is the perfect name for a game that deals with... well, letters in a box shape. On each side of the box, you have three letters that can be connected to those on the three other faces. Your goal is to make a word with letters across from each other. Once a word is made, the next one must start with the last letter of the previous word.

This game is incredibly rewarding and worth playing, but from time to time, you may feel yourself getting frustrated. The ultimate goal is to use every letter at least once, which results in a winning screen. This can be very difficult though; one wrong word can cause your defeat.

5 Connections

• Play Connections Here!

Connections is a popular New York Times game that requires you to make four groups of words, with each group having four words. The groups will all have something in common, each each group having a varied difficulty. The yellow group is the easiest to complete, while the purple group can be the hardest.

Overall, Connections can be a hit or miss. Some days, the groups may instantly click, and you solve it with no issues. Other days, you may struggle to find any connection at all. While the game is still fun, this variation decreases the amount of enjoyment you get out of it.

4 The Crossword

• Play The Crossword Here!

The Crossword is an icon NYT game, first launching way back in 1942. This version was published in the newspaper, but since then, you can now play it right from their website. This online version keeps the format while providing some quality-of-life features, such as highlighted boxes and greying out completed hints.

If you aren't looking to buy a New York Times subscription though, you will not be able to do the daily puzzle. The Crossword requires a subscription if you are looking to stay current, but fortunately, you can still complete older puzzles. Due to this slight inaccessibility, The Crossword has dropped a few places on our list.

3 Spelling Bee

• Play Spelling Bee Here!

Spelling Bee presents a hexagonal shape with seven letters. Your goal is to spell as many words as possible, with each one containing the center letter; above, you can see that the E is yellow, so each word needs to have an E. This is a bite-sized word game that stretches your brain without getting too frustrating.

While working on the Spelling Bee, you can find the ultimate word that uses every letter. Although you may not find the seven-letter word each time, playing the Spelling Bee is still a rewarding and quick process that will leave you coming back the next day.

2 The Mini Crossword

• Play The Mini Crossword Here!

Don't have enough time to solve the full Crossword? With The Mini Crossword, you can complete a smaller version that will take a fraction of the time. This simple game launched back in 2014, providing daily free crosswords for you to complete.

The Mini Crossword isn't as daunting as the larger version and can be completed in a short amount of time. This is helpful if you just like to take a few minutes out of your day to work on some NYT games.

1 Wordle

• Play Wordle Here!

In first place, we have Wordle. This game is one of the most popular for a good reason! Your goal is to guess the correct word in six turns or less; letters in the right place are green, while letters in the wrong place (but still in the word) are yellow. While this is simple, the Wordle is a great brain exercise.

There is something so satisfying about getting the Wordle, even if it takes you all six tries to get the right answer. The puzzle itself isn't too hard, but it provides a daily challenge that many look forward to.