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New York Times Launches Crossplay, a Two-Player Word Game App

The standalone release brings real-time social play into the Times' growing games business.

Overview

  • Crossplay is live on iOS and Android as the Times’ first two-player competitive word game.
  • The standalone app matches friends or similarly skilled opponents and supports in-game chat.
  • Gameplay tweaks include an original last-turn mechanic when tiles run out and a CrossBot review of every move.
  • Subscribers see no ads, while free players may encounter banner ads.
  • The launch ties into a Grammys campaign with Leslie Odom Jr., Breland and Amy Allen, and it joins an 11-game portfolio played 11.2 billion times in 2025.