Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
User consensusAlternativesIs it worth it?
Is it worth paying for

NYT Games

65
Value score / 100 Worth paying? Depends It depends

The NYT Games app offers a wide variety of engaging puzzles that many users find to be an integral part of their daily routine, but recent updates have introduced significant bugs, crashing issues, and usability problems, making the paid subscription questionable for some.

Free to download seen up to $39.99 4.8★ lifetime (291,661) since 2009

The NYT Games app is highly praised for its diverse and challenging puzzles, including crosswords, Wordle, and Spelling Bee, which many users consider a valuable daily mental exercise. However, recent updates have led to widespread complaints about app instability, frequent crashes, and poor interface changes, which detract from the overall user experience and the perceived value of the subscription.

Free vs paid

The reviews indicate that some games are available for free, but a subscription is required to access most games and features, including the full range of crosswords and archives R115R203. Users paying for a subscription expect full access and functionality, but recent updates have caused issues like blocked access on older devices and loss of streaks, even for subscribers R12R44.

Value complaints

  • The subscription price is considered too high for what some perceive as simple flash games.R45
  • The app forces paying customers to buy new devices by no longer supporting older iOS versions, rendering subscriptions unusable.R12R21R22R42
  • Some games are paywalled, limiting access for non-subscribers.R55R115
  • Users paying for subscriptions have experienced loss of streaks and high scores due to app issues and forced reinstalls.R44

Where it delivers

  • Many users find the games, including crosswords, Wordle, and Connections, to be an integral and enjoyable part of their daily routine.R6R14R57R77
  • The puzzles are challenging, keep the mind sharp, and offer educational benefits, teaching lateral thinking and expanding vocabulary.R14R23R25R80
  • The app provides a good variety of games and puzzles, with increasing difficulty throughout the week.R23R25R28R56
  • The app is considered the 'undisputed king' for crosswords, having popularized and innovated the genre.R19
Worth paying if

It is worth paying if you are a dedicated puzzle enthusiast who enjoys a variety of daily mental challenges and is willing to tolerate potential app bugs and interface quirks R6R14R23R77. It is also for those who value the intellectual stimulation and learning opportunities provided by the puzzles, especially the crosswords R25R80.

Skip / stay free if

Skip paying if you use an older device, as recent updates have blocked access for iOS versions below 18+, making the app unusable for paying subscribers on those devices R12R21R22. Also, skip if you are easily frustrated by frequent app crashes, lag, and poor interface design, as these are common complaints following recent updates R10R20R30.

Evidence note: Recent reviews are heavily skewed negative due to widespread app stability and usability issues following updates, which contrasts with the high lifetime rating.

Frequently asked

Is the NYT Games app free to use?
The NYT Games app is free to download, but many games and features, including most crosswords and archives, require a paid subscription R115R203.
Why does the NYT Games app keep crashing?
Many users report that the app frequently crashes, especially during crossword puzzles, following recent updates, making it difficult to complete games R20R30R70R103.
Does the NYT Games app support older devices?
No, recent updates have blocked the app's use on older devices that cannot update to iOS 18+, frustrating paying subscribers who can no longer access their content R12R21R22R42.
Are there issues with the crossword interface?
Yes, users report several issues with the crossword interface, including lag, unreadable clue highlight colors, removal of long-term stats, and a new annoying confirmation prompt every time 'check puzzle' is selected R10R17R38R40.
Why does the app ask for reviews so often?
Many users complain about being constantly prompted to review the app, sometimes after every puzzle, even if they have already submitted a review R1R3R13R19.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R45] 3/5 · US Love it but $$$: I love these games and would pay a buck or two a month for the rest. That subscription price is beyond insane for what amounts to a pile of flash games from the 2000s.
  2. [R12] 1/5 · US Blocked older devices unnecessarily: The app was working fine then they blocked its use with a pop up to force an an update. Except the new app version is only supported on iOS 18+ and that cannot be installed on older iPads. So now I’m paying for a subscription but blocked from using it. Nice work. There was no need to shut out older iPads. Particularly frustrating that I didn’t discover it was b
  3. [R21] 1/5 · US Not supported: I have a subscription to NY Times Crossword, but I’m unable to use it on my device. I’m not purchasing a new device to for The NY Times crossword app. The app is not that user friendly anyway. I guess I won’t renew my subscription.
  4. [R22] 1/5 · US Old does not equal outdated: Count me as another faithful user who now cannot access NYT puzzles b/c I’m on an older, and perfectly fine, ipad. Why would I go out and buy a newer ipad when this one still works? What a shame to lose loyal puzzlers over an operating system requirement.
  5. [R42] 3/5 · US Very annoying that App is no longer supported on older devices: NYT should not be forcing paying customers to buy new devices and render older devices that are otherwise perfectly ok obsolete to the point of becoming landfill
  6. [R55] 2/5 · US shame: App runs slower than my grandma. NYT keeps paywalling games so only half are available.
  7. [R115] 4/5 · US It’s ok 👌: It’s ok 👌 it doesn’t let me play most of the games without a subscription, which I refuse to get. I do like it but I want to be able to play more of the games on this app. 4/5 stars for being fun, but not getting the full application.
  8. [R44] 3/5 · US Lost high score and streak: Because there was an issue with crossword, but they made me reinstall before posting a fix. I lost my wordle streak and higher score. Thanks for taking care of subscribers.
  9. [R6] 5/5 · US Integral Part of my Day: I don’t know how I ever lived without the NYT Games, it is such a part of my routine. So much love to all the writers and creators!
  10. [R14] 5/5 · US Ten Years and Still Loving It: I have played on the app for a decade or so. It’s a daily habit which keeps me sharp. My wife and I play it together daily now. Easy app functionality, and great data (if you are a numbers geek like me).
  11. [R57] 5/5 · US Games: I enjoy the Connections, the Crossword and Wordle with my morning coffee. A great way to start my day
  12. [R77] 5/5 · US One of the best parts of my day: My favorite app. From Wordle to Connections to the Crossword- I rarely miss a day. Keeps my brain sharp and a great antidote to mindless scrolling
  13. [R23] 5/5 · US NYT Games: Great way to exercise your mind during your commutes and especially while enjoying your morning coffee. Plenty of games to choose from allowing your mind to wander
  14. [R25] 5/5 · US Fun & educational: Love the way the puzzles get harder every day. After doing these crosswords for several years, I can now get most of the answers on Fri and Sat as well. I’ve learned some lateral thinking from the often cryptic clues. Thursday puzzles are always fun with their tricky themes. I just wish they were a little less addicting!
  15. [R80] 4/5 · US Perfect App: I play daily. It’s great for passing time on the commute or while waiting. Started as a complete newbie but can now solve most puzzles. Fun to do, and I learn something, too. My only quibble is that the developers recently changed it so that you can’t open the daily crossword column and swipe between the puzzle and the column. You have to keep opening and closing the column to get ba
  16. [R28] 5/5 · US Great games app: Easy to use. Increasing difficulty as the week proceeds
  17. [R56] 5/5 · US Great: Appreciate that they keep adding new puzzles. It's a morning ritual
  18. [R19] 3/5 · US The undisputed king: The NY Times made crosswords what they are in this country today, introduced, popularized, innovated, and supported games and puzzles such as these. Why go anywhere else? One major problem with the app on iPhone, though. It asks me about once a week how I like the app and offers me the opportunity to write this review again.
  19. [R203] 3/5 · US Keeps crashing during crosswords.: Anytime I’m doing crosswords they keep crashing every two minutes and I’m forced to close and restart app. Tried updating app, deleting and redownloading and still crashes. Also don’t like that you have to pay for crosswords now. All the other games are fun
  20. [R20] 1/5 · US Crosswords crashing all the time: Another update. Still using v 6.32.0. There is still something wrong with the crosswords. The app still crashes sometimes when solving a crossword. After you exit the crossword, some other puzzles (pips, strands) are balky to open. I must hold my finger on the puzzle for a long time, and try several times. After playing a crossword, Strands can play very slowly fo
  21. [R30] 2/5 · US Crashes constantly: App crashes constantly of late, on iPad
  22. [R70] 1/5 · US Crash: Crossword crashes constantly
  23. [R103] 3/5 · US Crashing more often than ever: The app wasn’t broken and didn’t need fixing. They updated it and now the app is constantly crashing on iPad and iPhone. Extremely irritating.
  24. [R10] 1/5 · US Recent updates make the crossword unplayable: Recent updates to the app make the crossword interface so laggy it is unplayable.
  25. [R17] 2/5 · US Changed: Stopped providing long term stats such as solution time
  26. [R38] 1/5 · US Unreadable clues: The new dark blue background for the crossword clues on the iPad version makes them extremely hard to read. There’s simply not enough contrast. Please go back to a lighter blue so we can actually read the clues.
  27. [R40] 4/5 · US Fix the highlight color, please!: I love the puzzles but recently, the color of the clue highlight has changed to a darker shade of blue that makes it difficult for this vision-impaired player to read. Please change it back to the light blue.
  28. [R1] 1/5 · US Don’t Like Updates: I keep getting asked to review even though I’ve submitted one. Also I don’t like that the warning to check the puzzle comes on now every time you check a puzzle. There should be an option to turn off, especially for puzzles from the archives.
  29. [R3] 5/5 · US Stop asking: Just rating it so it stops asking me to rate it
  30. [R13] 5/5 · US Enough w daily rating: Yes. I love the games app. I am tried of answering the same question on daily basis. Stop asking for a rating every day.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store