5 Sites and Apps for Unique Word Puzzles Like Wordle and Connect
Contrary to popular belief, the New York Times does not have a monopoly on word puzzles. If you’re looking for more daily brain games or don’t want to spend $50 for full access to NYT Games, check out these five platforms that might surprise you.
If you already subscribe to Apple News, you should check out the platform’s built-in daily puzzles. It’s not free – you’ll need an Apple News+ subscription to access its games. But for $12.99 a month, you get a lot more than puzzles, including stories from over 400 international publications and audio articles.
With News+ you can play daily crosswords, Mini crosswords and a Scrabble-like game called Quartiles. Sudoku is also said to be coming to the platform soon.
Quartiles are only available on devices running iOS 17.5 or later. Also, News+ puzzles are limited to US users.
As with the NYT, the News+ crossword puzzles are easiest on Mondays and get progressively harder as the week progresses. Being able to manage a Crossword Mini alongside a full Crossword provides some flexibility as you don’t always have the same amount of time to play. But don’t worry: you can easily go back and play games from previous days with access to archived puzzles from the past month.
Quartiles is a great alternative to the NYT’s Spelling Bee, which non-members only have limited access to. It’s not exactly the same game, but the way it involves matching words together with the available letter combinations gives off a similar itch.
Download: Apple News+ for iOS (free, subscription available)
Although Netflix has decided to ditch its interactive content, it now boasts over 80 mobile games that you can play on your iPhone, iPad, Android or tablet. As long as you have a Netflix membership, you can access the platform’s extensive catalog at no additional cost.
While a large part of this catalog is made up of action and adventure games linked to familiar Netflix properties, the platform also offers a modest selection of puzzle games. Its crossword-style game known as Word Trails seems appropriate for younger players, but a soon-to-be-released puzzle called TED Tumblewords is likely to appeal to Wordle enthusiasts.
To access Netflix puzzles, you can browse mobile games in the app or through the Netflix website. I recommend the latter because it breaks the games into categories so you can easily find what you’re looking for. Once you’ve decided on a puzzle, you can download it as a standalone app.
Download: Netflix for iOS | Android (subscription required)
When you hear LinkedIn, words like “fun” and “games” probably don’t come to mind. Known as a professional networking platform, LinkedIn has shaken things up by offering daily word puzzles. At the time of writing, LinkedIn hosts four games: Queens, Tango, Pinpoint, and Crossclimb.
Generally speaking, Queens is a simpler version of Sudoku that uses crown symbols instead of numbers, favoring spatial awareness over math. While Tango is a similar spatial puzzle, Pinpoint is more like a game like NYT’s Connections where you have to guess words based on categories. And finally, Crossclimb is a simplified twist on the crossword puzzle.
While LinkedIn may not be the most strategic place to share game scores, the platform offers a completely free way to play NYT-style puzzles and track your scores.
You should be aware that like most activities on LinkedIn, your game stats are visible to your contacts.
Download: LinkedIn for iOS | Android (Free)
Owned by Hearst Newspapers, Puzzmo is a solid alternative to NYT Games. While you don’t have to pay a cent for the free daily puzzle website from engineer Ort Therox and game designer Zach Gage, you can purchase a $39 annual subscription to Puzzmo Plus. Premium membership removes ads and gives access to exclusive games, including experimental puzzles that the platform is testing before they go mainstream.
One of the highlights of Puzzmo’s free collection is Cross|word, a traditional crossword that appeals to “more modern” players, as the Puzzmo website says. In addition to pop culture references, Cross|word also integrates special features such as the option Play together with a friend.
Other free Puzzmo games include the Tetris-inspired Flipart, a poker-themed Sudoku game known as Pile-Up Poker, and even Typeshift, an anagram-style word puzzle that also exists as its own app.
Like many other platforms, Puzzmo knows that statistics are key. With a Puzzmo Plus subscription, you can participate in leaderboards and compare your performance with other players. You can also customize your avatar, which is a small (but fun) detail.
At the time of writing, there is no app for Puzzmo. The only way to access the games is at Puzzmo.com.
Maybe its catalog isn’t as impressive as Puzzmo’s, but Pocket Puzzles is a similarly free site focused on everyday word puzzle games. Plus, there’s a companion app for iOS devices.
In addition to a daily joke and fact, Pocket Puzzles publishes five unique games each day: Fix the Mix, Passcodes, Four Square, String Theory and Letterhead. I personally found Passcodes to be the most engaging alternative to NYT’s Connections.
Beyond the passcode comparison, there are a few other benefits to note when weighing the NYT word game pocket puzzles. Most importantly, setting up a free account with Pocket Puzzle allows you to track your score. The platform also allows you to play backlogs – without paying a premium. On the other hand, there is no Pocket Puzzles app for Android devices (at the time of writing).
Download: Pocket Puzzles for iOS (Free)
Many of the titles in this ever-evolving list of word games are twists on the same basic puzzles. Yet it’s those quirks unique to different game makers that can spice up your daily brain training. The best puzzle platform for you will depend not only on what types of games you gravitate towards, but also on how much you care about leaderboards and prizes. In any case, I always recommend shaking things up, as breaking habits can lead to new worlds of intrigue.