- NYT Games says more than 11 billion puzzles will be solved on its platform in 2025.
- Crossplay is a turn-based word game where players form words on a shared board to earn points.
- Matches are decided after all tiles have been used, with the one with the highest score winning.
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New York Times Games’ multiplayer word game CrossPlay has surpassed one million downloads on mobile.
The game launched as a free-to-play title on January 20, 2026, following NYT’s efforts to expand into real-time competitive play beyond single-player puzzle formats.
NYT Games claimed that players solved more than 11 billion puzzles on its platform in 2025, paving the way for the launch of its first two-player game crossplay.
CrossPlay is the company’s entry into a market with competitors including Zynga’s Words with Friends and Scopely’s Scrabble Go.
Like them, the title is designed as a head-to-head word game where players take turns forming words on a shared board, earning points based on the rarity and placement of letters.
Matches end once the tile bags are exhausted, with the highest score deciding the winner. Players can compete against friends, use skill-based matchmaking to find new opponents, or practice against the AI at various difficulty levels.
market giants
When it comes to competition, Zynga’s Words with Friends is projected to generate $43 million in gross revenue and 3.5m downloads in 2025, according to AppMagic.
Meanwhile, Scopely’s Scrabble Go generated an estimated $14.2 million in revenue and 8.1 million installs last year.