You can play bonus puzzles in The New York Times Games app and on the web.

In the Games app, select Bonus Puzzles from the Play tab.

On the web, bonus puzzles can be accessed through:

• nytimes.com/crosswords - select Bonus Puzzles from the main menu 
• nytimes.com/games/bonus/hub - select the week and bonus puzzle you wish to play

Bonus puzzles are not available in The New York Times News app.

Bonus puzzles are released weekly on Wednesdays at midnight in your time zone.

Past bonus puzzles are also available. Select the desired week in the Bonus Puzzle Hub to see puzzles from a past release.

Wordle in 1 is a variation of Wordle. Players are given one clue and there is only one possible word solution. There are five rounds in each Wordle in 1 game, with one word to be guessed for each round. Guess all five words to win the game.

• Players have infinite guesses towards the solution in each round. 
• The rules are the same as Wordle — green means right letter right spot, yellow means right letter wrong spot, gray means wrong letter.
• Players can move between rounds freely at any time.
• Players can use the • • • menu to reveal a round if stuck.
• By default, there is a timer enabled to track the time taken to solve all the rounds. To disable the timer, select Settings; this will disable it both during gameplay and in game results sharing. 
• The timer will pause when players open How to Play, Settings, or go back to view a completed round. 

Wordle in 1 puzzles are constructed in collaboration with The Upshot.

Connections 3x3 is a variation of Connections with three groups of three instead of four groups of four.

• There are nine items in each puzzle. To win, identify three groups of three items that share something in common. 
• Each group is assigned a color (yellow, blue, purple), with yellow being the most straightforward category and purple being the trickiest. 
• Players can still make up to four mistakes.

Colorful Strands is a variation of Strands. The rules are the same but with visually-interesting, editorially-designed board treatments.

Mystery Mini is a variation of the Mini. The rules are the same, but with a creative twist to the presentation of the grid or the clues. 

Easy Mode Crossword is a special version of the Friday Crossword, featuring the same grid but easier clues for one of the hardest crossword puzzles of the week. This puzzle is also published in the Easy Mode Newsletter every Friday.

Special Crossword is a themed version of the Crossword published on the first day of each month. It was formerly known as the monthly Bonus Crossword. In some months, more than one Special Crossword may be published. The puzzles are designed to have the difficulty of an early-week puzzle, and the theme is featured throughout.

What is a starter set?

The starter set is a group of introductory bonus puzzles that all players can play for free. It is a one-time sample and will not be refreshed with new puzzles. For Subscribers, the starter set appears as the 2026 August Drop 1 bonus puzzle.

Do Bonus puzzles count towards my stats and badges?

Bonus puzzles don’t have stats, streaks, or badges. Playing a bonus puzzle does not affect the stats, streaks, or badges of the original daily puzzles.

If something is not working:

You can report a technical issue with a Bonus Puzzle directly in the app or on the website as long as you are logged in. 

Note: Using the app to report an issue sends diagnostic information that allows us to troubleshoot the issue faster.

App

1. Open Settings by selecting the Me icon at the bottom of the app screen.
2. Select the Settings (gear) icon.
3. Scroll down to the Support section.
4. Select Report a Bug.

Web

1. Select the Question Mark icon in the upper right corner of the game.
2. Select Report a Bug.