5 Down: Another Word for Cash Grab
SEPTEMBER 29, 2025, 8:24 P.M.
It wouldn’t be surprising to look around class and see EBHS students playing The Mini Crossword, one of the many New York Times games that populate their website. The Mini allowed one to race against their friends for the fastest time, while stimulating their brain by searching for trivia in the back of their heads. However, on August 27th, the New York Times decided to put the Mini behind a paywall in hopes of increasing their subscriber count.
Certain articles and the larger NYT crossword had long been located firmly behind a paywall, but the Mini had always allowed people to experience the games for free.
Junior Maddie Bishop said, “The Mini was a great way for NYT to give potential subscribers a taste of what the original crossword would be like, which I think is better because it leaves people wanting more.”
Despite the sentiment and the nostalgia surrounding the loss of the Mini, what is most important to the NYT is how this is actually going to affect their profits.
“Personally, I won’t be subscribing, but it is a smart move from the NYT’s perspective because there are so many who have made the games part of their daily routine,” said Junior Sofia Bartolotta.
A month out from the announcement, it is too early to tell if the change to the Mini crossword will be a positive for the NYT, but it certainly gives EBHS students on a mission: finding a game as fun and stimulating to replace it.
