We’ve known the New York Times as an authoritative source of news. It also shares crucial information surrounding government, business, science, home, travel, and art, among other features.
It also has an interactive segment of game subscriptions. A New York Times Games Subscription gives you access to Daily Crossword puzzles, Spelling Bee, and Mini Crosswords, among other exciting games.
The platform has provided readers with engaging logic games since the Crossword launched in 1942. The Spelling Bee was introduced in 2014, alongside the Mini Crossword Game Tiles, Vertex, and Letter Boxed.
The Spelling Bee Game was created by Frank Longo. NYT Spelling Bee gameplay offers players a grid of seven letters in a honeycomb structure. You score points by forming words with four or more letters.
Exciting as it may seem, the NYT version is not the only free Spelling Bee game available. Other games include Wordament, Spell Tower, Type Shift, Absurdle, Word Forward, Scrabble Go, Bonza Puzzle, and Letterpress.
Out of these games, Wordament is my pick. It challenges you to find as many words as you can. But what excites me about Wordament is its competitive multiplayer nature that allows you to compete with other players worldwide.
Why Look for NYT Spelling Bee Game Alternatives?
There is no doubt that gamers love the NYT Spelling Bee Game. Many claim that it puts their anagram-solving skills to the test, while others feel like the NYT game is more of a relaxing and meditative game.
However, gamers still fault it, especially when it comes to seeking assistance from the team. One user claims that you’ll only receive a form email whenever you email them for assistance, which is not helpful. Some users also feel like the game feels like a one-man show.
If you are like other gamers who feel like the NYT Spelling Bee Game is more subjective, this is for you.
The list below includes some of the best free spelling bee games like the NYT version. Check it out.
Also Read: Best Ducksters Science Games
Best Free Spelling Bee Games Like NYT
1. Wordament
Wordament is one of the most popular mobile games on the internet. This free game by Microsoft allows you to find as many words as you can on a 4×4 grid of letter tiles.
Wordament is a great evolution of hit games on Windows, iOS, and Android.
Like the NYT games, Wordament has daily challenges, where gamers earn special badges when they complete a certain amount of challenges. If you play the game as a single adventurer, you can earn up to three stars on every puzzle.
You’ll be convinced to choose Wordament over NYT games, thanks to its Xbox support feature for Apple devices.
Whether you are a single player or choose to play against multiple players, Wordament syncs all your progress and achievements to iCloud so you can access them from any device.
The game tests your vocabulary and challenges you to think creatively.
Also Read: Best Free Games Like Jackbox
2. Scrabble Go
Another free Spelling Bee Game like NYT is Scrabble Go. Scrabble Go is an e-version of the classboard. The game challenges you to create words using letter tiles.
You’ll love its multiple gameplay modes, including single-player mode, multiplayer mode, and daily challenges.
Like the NYT games, this game tests your vocabulary skills and wordplay. I particularly love its multiplayer mode, which allows you to compete against other game enthusiasts worldwide. Scrabble Go is available for iOS and Android.
3. Wordscapes
Wordscapes is another free Spelling Bee-like game that lets you connect letters to make valid English words. In this game, you’ll create words using letter tiles on a circular board that adds a unique twist to its gameplay.
Wordscapes is more feature-rich than the NYT games. The game has over 6,000 puzzles with different difficulty levels. Wordscapes claims that playing it at least 10 minutes a day sharpens your mind and effectively prepares you to face the day’s challenges.
Wordscapes is loved by over 10 million gamers. You’ll love it more if you enjoy Word Connect, Crossword, or Word Anagram games. You can play Wordscape on your Android or iOS device.
Also Read: Best Wordle Alternatives
4. Bonza Word Puzzle
Bonza Word Puzzle is a great crossword alternative to the NYT games that gives you free daily puzzles based on current events. It challenges you to fit together letter tiles to form meaningful English words.
Bonza Word Puzzle stands out for its minimalistic art style. It also features a series of themes, including animals, holidays, and relaxing ambient music. Bonza is available on Google PlayStore and AppStore.
The game is addictive. Its gameplay is a mix of word search, jigsaw, and trivia to create a fresh and unique gaming experience. But what I love the most about this game is that you can create your Bonza puzzles and challenge friends to try them out.
Also Read: Best Wordle Strategies
5. Alphabear 2
If you are looking for an NYT Spelling Bee Game replacement that also tasks you to spell words by picking letters on a grid, then Alphabear 2 is the game to try out.
Alphabear 2 is a puzzle game that’s bigger and better than its 2015 original version.
The game features multiple challenges and modes, including daily challenges and campaign modes. It also challenges you to think creatively and put your vocabulary skills to the test.
What puts Alphabear 2 ahead of the NYT variants is its unique gameboard that increases in size as the game progresses. You can play Alphabear 2 on your iOS device.
Check Out: Is Wordle Too Easy?
6. Word Domination
As the name suggests, Word Domination takes you on an exciting adventure of creating words of its kind. This fast-paced game is highly addictive, with about 45 collectibles to boost your competitive advantage against your opponent.
The game happens in real time, and you don’t have to wait until your opponent makes a move. Simply monitor how the tiles move on the board as you plan for your next move. You can play Word Domination with friends or other players worldwide.
Word Domination is a game of focus, available for iOS and Android. You don’t have to wait till your friends are online to play friendly live games. Make your move and let them catch up, as you have up to 72 hours between plays.
Word Domination makes things even more exciting with rewards. The game rewards you as you sharpen your skills with its regular themed solo modes. It is loved for its robust features, including boosted gameplay, exciting matches, and seasonal tournaments and events.
Also Read: Wordle vs Quordle
7. Ruzzle
Ruzzle is another exciting Spelling Bee Game like NYT that challenges you to create as many words as possible within a specific time frame. It is a perfect game for anyone looking for a fast and immensely popular game.
Ruzzle challenges you to make as many words as you can from a set of letters provided in just two minutes. Ruzzle houses multiple smart features that allow you to play the game with friends or random players worldwide.
Like the NYT spelling bee games, Ruzzle is one of the world’s most successful word games that has been downloaded over 70 million times. The game is available in more than ten languages in more than 140 countries.
Ruzzle wants you to think quickly and creatively. At the same time, its multiplayer mode makes live matches exciting.
Ruzzle is available for Android, iOS, Windows, Amazon Kindle, and Blackberry.
Check Out: Best Games Like HeadsUp
8. WordBrain
WordBrain challenges you to create multiple words by connecting letter tiles on a grid. WordBrain is home to over 1,000 puzzles with different difficulty levels to challenge players of various skill levels.
The game attracts over 40 million gamers around the world. WordBrain takes you on a journey through thousands of challenges to sharpen your word searching and logic skills. The first puzzle ushers you into a unique way of thinking that can easily get you hooked.
WordBrain keeps rejuvenating your gaming experience with regular events where you can win prizes to use in subsequent games. The puzzle of the day helps you maintain your streak, while WordBrain hints help you solve challenging puzzles.
However, most puzzles can be solved without hints. The game’s focus is to creatively connect letter tiles to create unique and satisfying gameplay.
WordBrain is available on Google PlayStore and AppStore.
Check Out: Best Jigsaw Puzzle Solver Apps
9. Word Collect
If you are looking for a NYT-style game that cuts across ages to relax and tease your mind, I highly recommend Word Collect. Word Collect is home to over 4,000 gaming levels of varying difficulty.
The game sets off as an easy word game, then progresses into a harder level where you can win up to 500 bonus points. Word Collect features daily puzzles, daily bonuses, and over 2,500 levels to play. You can play it online or offline.
You can play Word Collect from your Android or iOS device.
10. SpellTower
If you are ready to find the right words in the tiles to help clear the piling column, then SpellTower is the game for you. As the name suggests, you can already expect a pile-up of letters that you need to prevent from reaching the ceiling.
SpellTower rewards you for finding longer words with bigger clearings. The most exciting part is that you can share your scores with friends and family on social media. Like the NYT games, your success on SpellTower is based on strategy and word search proficiency.
SpellTower has 11 modes. The Tower Mode has less pressure as you are only required to get the highest score out of 113 tiles by eliminating small words to make seven to eight eight-letter blockbusters.
The Puzzle mode is all about strategic word finding, while the Rush mode lets you find words within the shortest time possible without locking yourself in a corner. The Search mode requires you to find words on a micro-sized board.
Other modes include Zen, Double Puzzle, and Blitz, among others. But what will make you love Spell Tower more are its night colors, which make the gaming experience more interesting. You can get Spell Tower for free on the App Store for iOS.
Check Out: Best Jigsaw Puzzle Solver Apps For iPad
11. Absurdle
Absurdle is an interesting Spelling Bee Game like NYT with a unique twist. You might need to upgrade your word-finding game to a whole new level with Absurdle.
Unlike Spelling Bee, Absurdle allows you to make random word guesses and an entire set of different features.
Absurdle is addictive. It has garnered a lot of popularity in the recent past and is one of the few games that do not start with a predetermined mystery word of the day. As mentioned earlier, its gameplay is different.
You don’t have to worry about reaching a word limit as you keep guessing five-letter words. The game aims to lower all available vocabulary to a single word. It might sound simple, but it’s tasking and might not occur in a sequential format.
The game avoids giving hints of the words you should create and keeps changing the secret word as you keep playing. Absurdle is a web-based game that gives you unlimited guesses.
12. Letterpress
Letterpress is another relaxing word game that allows you to casually play multiple games with friends, random opponents, or against bots. I was drawn to this game for its intuitive and beautiful design.
Letterpress engages two players simultaneously, who take turns spelling words to capture the board. The best part is that you can play Letterpress at your own pace. In addition to playing, you can also chat with other players in real time.
Letterpress is ahead of NYT-style games for its ability to track your performance with statistics and leaderboards. It also has dictionaries to help you track real-time word definitions. If you wish to play Letterpress as a group, Letterpress has got you.
Grouplay lets you play the game with custom groups with access to leaderboards-level statistics, among other excellent features. Letterpress is available on Google PlayStore and AppStore.
13. Wordle
Another free NYT-like game worth trying is Wordle. Your task at Wordle is to guess the hidden word—Wordle features simple rules. The game requires you to guess five-lettered words in six tries.
You can start the game by keying in a random word in the first line. If you guess the letter correctly and in the right place, Wordle will highlight it in green. If you guess the letter in the word correctly but place it in the wrong place, it will be highlighted in yellow.
But if the letter is not in the word, Wordle will highlight the word in grey. The good news is that you have six chances to get the words correctly.
The web-based game gets interesting with options to guess the words in the language of your choice. The multiple language options make Wordle a better fit than the NYT version for developing foreign language skills.
Don’t worry if you feel stuck along the way. The Wordle Solver feature can help you find a hidden word when you can no longer make a move.
Your little ones can also enjoy Wordle with Wordle for Kids. Its kids’ edition features a dictionary of words fit for kids up to eighth grade with a word length of three letters. Wordle helps kids develop memory and logical thinking skills.
Check Out: Best Websites Like MiniClip
14. Quordle
Last on my list of the best free Spelling Bee Games like NYT is Quordle. Quordle follows Wordle’s classic rules. The web-based game allows you to guess up to four words, which you can solve simultaneously.
In total, Quordle gives you nine guesses to solve the entire puzzle. You can solve puzzles for four to six words or switch to the daily game mode to solve the exact words with your friends. As mentioned, the game gives you nine chances to guess four words.
Once you start the game, make sure you get the hints, then find out the letters that are in hidden words. if you can guess all four words at once, the better. Once you complete the game, you can share your performance with friends and family on social media.
Quordle has recently gained popularity as gamers find it more difficult than its predecessor, Wordle. You can enjoy Quordle in different languages by changing the game language in Settings.
Check Out: Webopoly Alternatives
Final Words
There you have it. Some great Spelling Bee Games like NYT worth trying today. The good news is that you can play all these games for free, so you don’t have to worry about costly subscriptions.
You’ll also realize that these games test your vocabulary level and how you can think of meaningful English words or any other language you prefer within the shortest time.
But if you are looking for a Spelling Bee Game like NYT that is big on simplicity, I highly recommend Wordament.
Wordament is an excellent option for anyone tired of turn-based games. There is no pressure on when you can take your turn. The game is also rewarding, as it will occasionally throw in bonuses for finding special words or using specific letters.
Enjoyed the post?
