The internet is reeling from the bad news of the day: The popular Mini Crossword from the New York Times is no longer free. The beloved daily word game is now locked behind a paywall.

Mashable's shopping team has discovered a great deal ( $18 for a year of NY Times Games access ) for those looking to pay for the Mini Crossword, as well as other games like Tiles that the NY Times just locked up, too.

However, if you're like me (read: cheap) and don't want to pay to play, I have some good news for you. There are plenty of Mini Crossword alternatives, including some pretty good ones!

If you're looking for alternatives to Mini Crosswords specifically from legacy newspaper outlets, then you're definitely in luck. A whole slew of press publications have similar Mini Crossword games on

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