With the virtual world at our fingertips and hundreds of millions of people interconnected through social media, the phenomenon of digital trends has become more commonplace and influential than ever. From fashion to entertainment to food, there always seems to be some new hot obsession that everyone’s talking about; these days, it’s the “coquette” aesthetic, Dune 2, and cookie dough croissants, just to name a few. In a couple weeks time, it will likely be something else. In the world of gaming, the circumstances are no different – the last decade has seen the dramatic rise and fall of applications such as Flappy Bird, Geometry Dash, slither.io, 2048, Fortnite, and more. Most recently, the spotlight has fallen upon one particular suite of games: “The New York Times Games” collection.
Walking across campus, it is hard for one to get through the day without hearing someone talk about Wordle at least once. Though “The New York Times” minigames have been around for a decade, with the establishment of the Mini Crossword in 2014, they became especially popular following the addition of Wordle in 2022. Wordle, originally a private development by Josh Wardle, had been a groundbreaking success even before it was bought by the New York Times, catapulting from 90 daily users to 300,000 within the first two months of its public release in October 2021. While most games that grow with such rapid pace quickly prove to be little more than fads — TikTok reports that trends on its platform have an average shelf life of 90 days — data proves that “The New York Times” minigames are here to stay. Boasting over 2.6 million daily active users at the end of 2023, nearly two years after Wordle joined the game suite, the Times Games app clearly reflects the public’s collective love for these puzzles. However, not all games enjoy the same enduring success as “The New York Times” minigames have. Especially considering the nature of social media trends, it is common for certain games to go viral seemingly overnight, only to die off mere weeks later. So what is it about “The New York Times” minigames that allows it to elude this fate?
While one of the largest demands for Wordle is the ability to play multiple times a day, perhaps the limitation of one play per day is actually a factor in its sustained popularity. With the restriction, individuals are unable to play endlessly, making it harder to become bored or suffer burn-out after pouring in hours at a time.. Additionally, because the games update daily, they provide users something to look forward to, while also offering a sense of consistency they can find comfort in. Moreover, “The New York Times” games offer a more engaging style of play than games that go viral and then disappear. For one, they intellectually stimulate our brains by engaging puzzle-solving and critical thinking skills. Once a player successfully solves a puzzle, they receive meaningful gratification along with a serotonin boost. The limit of daily plays also forces players to practice their patience—a virtue that has become less and less exercised as convenience and speed spearhead modern innovations. With society running at an ever-increasing pace, we feel the effects of a go go go mindset as Andover students too, burdened by the constant pressure of work and extracurriculars, and we often find ourselves with limited time to sit down and relax. In this way, “The New York Times”’ bite-sized games offer an array of easy-to-learn, calming puzzles that are perfect for taking a quick break from our daily lives. Moreover, these small daily challenges can also help foster crucial interpersonal connections. Due to the difficulty of these puzzles, many complete them with friends. Perhaps they find friendly competition among others with a shared interest in bite-sized games, making use of the in-game leaderboard in the Mini Crossword or WordleBot Skill Score. The minigames’ easy accessibility helps to strengthen relationships across generations, with teenagers and elderly people playing the games alike.
The rise and fall of games is inevitable. Some of these trends have a short lifespan, rising to the spotlight and dying out quickly, while others morph from being simply trends to time-enduring elements of modern pop culture. Yes, although a game like the Wordle is just a 6×5 grid of empty boxes waiting to be filled with letters, it offers us the special opportunity to do much more than just toss words around in our head and rack our brains for five-letter words in the same way other games are about more than just thinking in our own rooms. While the problem-solving aspect is undoubtedly part of what makes these games so enjoyable, perhaps what makes them so special is the way their playfully competitive nature lets us connect with others. Sometimes, a word can be more than just a word. That word can bring competition, challenge, and connection.
