NYT Games’ Scrabble-like game Crossplay is a dream come true

For years, I’ve imagined a small but perfect future: one where I unlock my phone and see a notification telling me that my grandmother has challenged me to a game of Scrabble. I make my move. She makes hers. We trade turns over several days, peacefully and patiently, without either of us being ambushed by blinding neon ads, fake “skip” buttons, or endless pop-up screens. Just words, turns, and time. A modest dream, really.

It is reasonable to assume this kind of app already exists. It does not. At least, it didn’t — until now. (Zynga, I still haven’t forgiven you for what you did to Words With Friends.)

Now, The New York Times Games has finally delivered on that long-held hope with the launch of a Scrabble-inspired multiplayer word game called Crossplay, available on both iOS and Android.

Crossplay isn’t a one-to-one Scrabble replica, but unless you’re the kind of enthusiast who competes in tournaments or memorises official Scrabble word lists, it feels functionally the same. The board layout and tile distribution differ slightly, and there’s a minor rule adjustment for how the game concludes once the tile bag is empty. Those changes may exist for legal reasons. As a casual player, I barely noticed them.

Like most social word games, Crossplay lets you challenge friends directly or get matched with strangers at a similar skill level. Subscribers to New York Times Games will see no ads at all, while free users may encounter occasional banner ads. Even so, it’s a welcome alternative to paying $10 a month to remove ads from Words With Friends — only to still be stuck with a cluttered, cartoonish interface and other persistent annoyances.

Scrabble purists might debate the game’s minor rule tweaks, but they may appreciate one of Crossplay’s standout features: CrossBot. Much like WordleBot and ConnectionsBot, CrossBot reviews every move you make and analyses where you could have played more effectively. It evaluates your performance based on both strategy and luck, highlights your strongest plays, and points out moments where you missed better opportunities.

The New York Times has been publishing its iconic Crossword since 1942, but its digital gaming business truly accelerated in 2022 after it acquired Wordle during the height of its viral popularity. According to data from ValueAct Capital, which holds a stake in the Times, users were spending more time in the Games app than in the core News app by the end of 2023.

I’m far from alone in wanting a multiplayer word game free from excessive distractions. Jonathan Knight, head of Games at The New York Times, believes that restraint is epreciselywhat has fueled the success of the company’s Games division.

“Games like Spelling Bee and Wordle managed to capture that magical ‘solving a puzzle’ feeling and turn it into something mainstream, quick, and snackable,” Knight said. “They work beautifully on your phone, are easy to share with friends and family, and are very respectful of your time. You can choose to play in the morning, or right before bed — and then go to sleep.”

According to the Times, Wordle was played 4.2 billion times in 2025, while Connections reached 1.6 billion plays.

Wordle’s creator, Josh Wardle, expressed a similar philosophy shortly before selling the game. At the time, he said that “people have an appetite for things that transparently don’t want anything from you.”

While a publicly traded company like The New York Times may not carry the same purity as an independent developer building a game for a loved one, the underlying spirit has endured. Even after Wordle’s viral peak faded, players maintained their daily routines, Knight noted.

“The share rate for Wordle — the percentage of players who share their results every day — hasn’t changed since we acquired it,” he said. “It’s a genuinely special way to connect people. We’ve seen everyone from everyday players to Pope Francis talking about their Wordle scores and sharing them with family members.”

With Crossplay, Knight and his team aim to extend that same calm, distraction-free philosophy into multiplayer gaming.

“Our goal was to let people simply jump in, play a game with friends or family, and then move on with their day,” he said.