The New York Times Mini Crossword is a fun and simple younger sibling to the newspaper's legendary regular daily crossword. The Mini Crossword (we publish the answers daily) usually has only about six across-clues and six down-clues, and you can finish it in less than a minute if all goes well.
It makes me feel smart, unlike the big crossword, which sometimes makes me throw things.
But this Wednesday, some Mini Crossword players were met with a paywall. Going forward, anyone who doesn't pay for a Times subscription with a Games package will be required to subscribe if they want to continue solving the Mini Crossword.
Naturally, players were... well, what's a five-letter word for bummed out? UPSET?
Read more: CNET's daily answer page for Wordle, Connections, Strands, the Mini Crossword and Connections: Sports Edition
"Each day that passes, a bit of happiness is placed behind a paywall," wrote one Reddit user.
Another wrote, "Doing this crossword on the way home each day from work was my little ritual."
Pay to play: Games subscription for full access
Even if you have a digital subscription to the New York Times, you might not have full Games access. The Times has priced a Games subscription separate from its news, which costs $6 a month. There are annual sign-up options that could save you money, totaling about $50 a year. You also might see different promotional options or introductory sales on occasion.
Some puzzles are still free
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