The internet is reeling from the bad news of the day: The popular Mini Crossword from the New York Times is no longer free. The beloved daily word game is now locked behind a paywall.
Mashable's shopping team has discovered a great deal ($18 for a year of NY Times Games access) for those looking to pay for the Mini Crossword, as well as other games like Tiles that the NY Times just locked up, too.
However, if you're like me (read: cheap) and don't want to pay to play, I have some good news for you. There are plenty of Mini Crossword alternatives, including some pretty good ones!
If you're looking for alternatives to Mini Crosswords specifically from legacy newspaper outlets, then you're definitely in luck. A whole slew of press publications have similar Mini Crossword games on their websites. And, best of all, they're still absolutely free.
The LA Times has The Mini, a free daily miniature crossword puzzle.
The Seattle Times has a daily Mini Crossword puzzle too.
While we're talking about the west coast's offerings, SF Gate has a California Mini Crossword with clues and answers related to the Golden State.
Back on the east coast, the Boston Globe offers up a daily Mini Crossword puzzle too.
The Atlantic has its own daily Mini Crossword puzzle.
The New Yorker doesn't have a daily Mini Crossword puzzle, but they do have a free one every Thursday and Friday. Their version of the mini crossword is a bit more robust too, falling somewhere between a regular, full crossword and the popular mini ones.
If you don't require that your crossword puzzles come from a newspaper or magazine, there are plenty of websites that have Mini Crosswords and Mini Crossword-inspired original games too!
For example, this very outlet itself, Mashable, has an entire Games section, including a daily Mini Crossword puzzle, The Daily Crossword.
There are also mobile apps in the iOS and Android store, like Mini Crossword Daily, that provide daily free mini crossword puzzles.
The professional networking social media platform, LinkedIn, of all places, has a free original crossword-inspired game called Crossclimb. While it's not technically a crossword, it scratches the same itch, according to one Mashable editor.
Speaking of free crossword puzzles with a spin, Clevergoats' Crossherd and Puzzmo's daily puzzle games are worth checking out, too.
Do you have a favorite free Mini Crossword puzzle game that can help others fill the hole in their morning routine (and hearts) left by the New York Times' puzzle going behind the paywall? Share it in the comments below.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.
