Crossword + Word Game Apps
Daily brain workout.
NYT Games
$5/moNew York Times daily crossword + Wordle + Spelling Bee + Connections. Senior favorite.
Best overall.
Crosswords with Friends
FREEFree, daily themed crosswords. Easy → hard.
Best free.
Washington Post Crosswords
$30/yrDaily, easier than NYT. Sunday is great.
Best easier.
USA Today Crossword
FREEFree daily. Easier puzzles. Good for warmup.
Best for beginners.
Crossword Solver app
FREEHelp when stuck. Fill in letters, get suggestions.
Best helper.
Print newspapers
Newspaper priceOriginal way. Pencil + paper. Best for some seniors.
Best traditional.
Daily 5 — NYT Games picks
- Wordle — 5-letter word in 6 guesses. 5 minutes.
- Spelling Bee — make words from 7 letters. Half hour.
- Connections — find 4 groups of 4. 5-15 min.
- Mini Crossword — 5×5 puzzle. 2-5 min.
- Sunday Crossword — bigger weekly challenge.
Other senior-favorite word games
- Words With Friends — Scrabble vs. real friends. Async, play over weeks.
- Wordscapes — simple word search-style puzzles.
- 7 Little Words — 7 mini puzzles a day.
- Codycross — themed crossword with stories.
- Word Cookies — letter rearrangement.
- Bookworm — classic word game from 2000s, now mobile.
Pair with newspaper
Many seniors keep paper newspapers for crosswords specifically. NYT Sunday Crossword in print + digital app for shortcuts works great. Pen + paper engages memory differently than tap. Use both.