So, you’re staring at that blue "Subscribe to Play" button on your phone screen. It’s 8:00 AM, you’ve got your coffee, and you just wanted to spend ninety seconds solving a 5x5 grid before your first meeting starts. But the gate is down. The free ride is over.
If you’re wondering why you suddenly have to deal with NYT mini crossword pay hurdles, you aren't alone. For a decade, the Mini was the "gateway drug" of the puzzle world—a free, bite-sized teaser that lived outside the New York Times' famous paywall. That changed in late 2025.
Honestly, the move caused a bit of a meltdown on Reddit and Twitter. People felt like their morning ritual had been snatched away. But there’s a lot more to the "pay" side of this puzzle than just your monthly subscription fee. There’s the business logic, the creator side of the coin, and the cold hard truth about whether it’s actually worth the cash.
Why the Mini isn't free anymore
The New York Times didn't just wake up one day and decide to be mean. Well, maybe they did, but there’s a balance sheet involved. For years, the Mini was a loss leader. It brought people into the ecosystem. The hope was that you'd play the Mini, get hooked, and then eventually pay for the "big" crossword or a news subscription.
But things changed. The Games app became a powerhouse. With the massive success of Wordle and Connections, the Times realized they didn't need to give away the Mini to get people in the door. People were already there.
The price of admission
Right now, if you want to play the Mini, you generally need an NYT Games subscription.
- Monthly Rate: Usually around $6.
- Annual Rate: Approximately $50.
- The Bundle: If you already pay for "All Access" (News + Cooking + Wirecutter), the Mini is included.
Kinda steep for a 5x5 grid? Maybe. But the Times is betting that you won’t just play the Mini. They want you in there for Strands, Spelling Bee, and the archival crosswords.
What do the creators actually get?
This is where the NYT mini crossword pay conversation gets interesting. Most people assume the puzzles are just generated by a computer. They aren't.
Joel Fagliano, the digital puzzle editor, has been the primary architect of the Mini since its birth in 2014. While Joel is a staff member, the Times does occasionally accept outside submissions for their puzzles. However, the pay scale for a "Mini" vs. a "Standard" crossword is a different beast entirely.
The Breakdown of Constructor Pay
If you’re a freelance constructor, landing a spot in the Times is the gold standard. But don't quit your day job just yet.
- Standard Weekday Puzzles: These usually pay around $500 for beginners. If you’ve been published more than three times, that rate often jumps to $750.
- Sunday Puzzles: The big ones. These pay $1,500 for new folks and $2,250 for veterans.
- The Mini: Here’s the kicker—the Mini is largely handled in-house. When they do take outside minis (which is rare), the pay is significantly lower than a full-sized puzzle, often reflecting the smaller grid size and reduced time commitment.
It’s a "per-puzzle" freelance world. No royalties. No residuals. You get paid once, and the Times owns the puzzle forever. It’s prestige pay, basically.
Is the subscription actually worth it?
Let's talk value. If you only play the Mini, paying $50 a year is objectively a tough pill to swallow. That’s about 13 cents a puzzle. It sounds cheap until you realize the puzzle takes most people less than a minute.
But the "pay" isn't just for the grid. You're paying for the leaderboard. The social aspect of the Mini—racing your friends or your spouse to see who can get it done in 14 seconds—is the real product. Without the subscription, you lose your stats. You lose your streak. For many, the streak is worth more than the $6 a month.
The Alternatives (For the Frugal)
If you refuse to pay on principle, you have options. They just aren't the Mini.
- The LA Times Mini: Usually free, supported by ads.
- The Washington Post: Offers a variety of smaller puzzles that don't require a hard login.
- Crosshare: A community site where indie constructors post minis for free.
The "All Access" Trap
There is a weird quirk in the NYT billing system. Some people pay for the News subscription and assume Games is included. It often isn't. You might find yourself paying for the newspaper but still getting blocked from the Mini.
This "siloed" pricing is a strategic move. The Times has found that "Games-only" subscribers are some of their most loyal customers. They don't care about politics; they just want their 1-Across. By putting the Mini behind the paywall, the Times is forcing these casual players to choose: pay up or move on.
The Hidden Costs of Perfection
Constructing a Mini is harder than it looks. You have very little space to be clever. You can’t have "obscure" words because there’s no room for them to be saved by easy "crosses."
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Every word has to be "clean."
When you pay for the NYT Mini, you’re paying for an editor like Joel Fagliano to ensure there’s no "crosswordese" (those weird words like ESNE or ETUI that only exist in old puzzles). You’re paying for a puzzle that feels modern, mentions current pop culture, and actually makes sense.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're tired of the paywall but love the game, here's how to handle it:
- Check your current sub: If you have a student email (.edu), you can often get the "All Access" bundle for as low as $1 a week, which includes Games.
- The "Cancel" Hack: Try to go through the cancellation flow on the NYT website. Frequently, they will offer you a "retention deal" like $20 for a full year of Games just to keep you from leaving.
- Go Indie: Follow constructors on Twitter (X) or BlueSky. Many of them have personal blogs where they post "Mini" style puzzles for free via platforms like Amuse-Bouche or PuzzleMe.
- Consolidate: If multiple people in your house play, set up a "Family Sharing" option if you have an Apple-based subscription; it can sometimes bypass the need for individual accounts.
The Mini isn't coming back to the free side of the fence. The data shows people are paying, and in the world of digital media, if it makes money, it stays. Your best bet is to find a discount or embrace the broader world of indie puzzles that don't require a credit card.