Overview

• Players encountered subscription prompts this week to access the Mini, with reports of a “75 percent off” offer for new sign-ups.
• Access has been inconsistent, as some users can still play in the app while the web version no longer lists the Mini as a free game.
• In a statement to The Hill, the Times said it is testing what works for subscribers and highlighted a portfolio of 10 puzzles as Wordle, Connections, Strands and Sudoku remain free.
• The move follows recent tightening of the free Spelling Bee experience, which now cuts off non-subscribers after only a few words.
• User complaints spread across social platforms, and coverage points readers to possible workarounds such as library-provided access or mini crosswords from other newspapers.