The New York Times' Mini Crossword Is Now Paywalled

The New York Times games have been a staple here at Basis Independent Fremont Upper. Whether a middle schooler or high schooler, on their own or with friends, many students go out of their way to find time in their busy schedules and play the New York Times games. Recently, the Mini Crossword, one of the most commonly known and played games in the New York Times Games catalog, was locked behind The New York Times Games Subscription. This widely controversial subscription has a starting price of six dollars a month. For both BIFU high schoolers & middle schoolers, there is shared negative sentiment for NYT’s decision to paywall Mini Crossword.

“I think they should make it free again,” says Ahana Praveen (9) “Because it was free at one point.”

The paywall may be reflective of a larger trend in the current economy, where more digital content is being placed behind subscription services. ​​Companies are shifting to this model as a way to secure steady revenue, but for students, it can feel like an increasing number of everyday resources are becoming inaccessible.

”Why is everything behind a paywall?” says Tia Ghoshal (11) “I can't even read the news if… I don’t have a subscription for it”

Evidently, much of the BIFU population disagree with The New York Times’ decision to place the Mini crossword behind a paywall. Especially when its counterpart, the Crossword, was already a paywalled version. This abrupt change has been frustrating for many people who had already integrated the Mini Crossword into their daily routine.

Furthermore, The New York Times' silence on the topic only raises more questions and frustration, leaving students to wonder whether popular features will continue to become restricted. Is Connections next on the chopping block? Or Wordle? Will The New York Times raise their subscription prices?

“If [they’re] going to paywall a couple of games” says Yuvaan Chouhan (8) “They’re probably gonna paywall them all at this point.”