Meet Crossplay, the Word Games Experience Built on Simplicity

For years, I’ve wondered if an ad-free, distraction-free word games platform could exist—one where friends and family could challenge each other in real-time without invasive pop-ups or flashy notifications constantly interrupting gameplay. The New York Times Games division has finally answered that call with Crossplay, a new multiplayer word games title that’s drawing considerable attention from casual players and word game enthusiasts alike.

How Crossplay Solves the Ad-Spam Problem

Crossplay isn’t a carbon copy of Scrabble, but it’s close enough for most players. The board layout has minor adjustments, tile distribution differs slightly, and endgame rules have been tweaked—likely for legal reasons—yet these differences are barely perceptible during actual gameplay. What truly sets Crossplay apart isn’t the mechanics; it’s the experience. Subscribers to NYT Games enjoy a completely ad-free experience, while free users encounter only minimal banner advertisements. Compare this to Words with Friends, where players once paid $10 monthly just to remove ads, only to be stuck with a cartoonish interface cluttered with other bothersome features. Crossplay delivers the cleaner, more respectful experience that many word games players have been craving.

The NYT Games Strategy Behind Crossplay’s Success

The New York Times entered the digital games space through its Crossword offering in 1942, but the company’s gaming division experienced explosive growth after acquiring Wordle in 2022. Within just over a year, the impact became undeniable: by late 2023, users were spending more time in the Games app than in the News app itself. The numbers tell an even more compelling story. During 2025, Wordle generated 4.2 billion plays, while Connections reached 1.6 billion plays. This momentum provided the perfect foundation for Crossplay’s launch, positioning the new word games title as the next evolution in NYT’s gaming ecosystem.

Smart Features That Set Crossplay Apart

Beyond its clean interface, Crossplay introduces CrossBot, an AI-driven analysis tool that evaluates your gameplay after each match. Similar to WordleBot and ConnectionsBot, CrossBot breaks down your performance across both strategy and luck, highlighting your strongest moves while identifying missed opportunities. For serious word games enthusiasts, this feature provides genuine insight into gameplay patterns without the condescending tone of other gaming apps. You can challenge friends directly or get matched with opponents of similar skill levels, making Crossplay accessible whether you’re a casual player or someone who approaches word games with competitive intensity.

Why Simple Word Games Keep People Coming Back

Jonathan Knight, who leads NYT Games, credits the division’s success to one core principle: respect for users’ time. “Games like Spelling Bee and Wordle have managed to capture the joy of solving puzzles in a quick, accessible way that fits perfectly on mobile devices,” Knight explained. “They’re easy to share with friends and family, and they respect your time. You can play in the morning or before bed, and then move on with your day.” This philosophy isn’t unique to NYT—Wordle’s original creator Josh Wardle expressed similar thoughts before selling the game. “People are drawn to experiences that clearly don’t demand anything from them,” Wardle said.

What makes this philosophy particularly powerful is that it persists even after viral peaks. The percentage of users sharing their Wordle results daily hasn’t shifted since NYT acquired the title, demonstrating that players return not for external rewards or engagement mechanics, but for genuine enjoyment. Knight shared a particularly telling example: even the Pope mentioned sharing his Wordle with his brother, illustrating how these games have become a natural social connector across demographics.

The Future of Word Games: Built on Simplicity

As word games continue to dominate the casual gaming landscape, NYT’s approach with Crossplay represents a deliberate shift away from the ad-heavy, feature-bloated ecosystem that has frustrated players for years. “Our goal was to let people jump in, enjoy a game with loved ones, and then get back to their day,” Knight stated. In a market saturated with games demanding constant engagement and monetization, Crossplay’s promise of straightforward, respectful gameplay stands out—making it the answer to a question many word games players have been asking for far too long.