Resources: Spelling Bee & NYT Games in the News
Gathered here are selected news articles, features, interviews, news releases, podcasts, selected social media posts, and other material from around the web with information, opinions, and background about the Spelling Bee and the New York Times games suite.
Some of the items listed here may also be included in other portions of this LexiConnexxions feature.
Items are listed in chronological order, with the newest given first.
The New York Times Spelling Bee.Grokipediahttps://grokipedia.com/page/The_New_York_Times_Spelling_Bee
The New York Times Spelling Bee Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Spelling_Bee How New York Times Games mastered the art of thoughtful play.Creative Review (UK), July 7 2026https://www.creativereview.co.uk/new-york-times-games-wordle-crossplay-design-jonathan-knight/The newspaper’s head of games, Jonathan Knight, explains why a consistent, human-crafted approach keeps millions of daily players coming back to the likes of Wordle, Crossplay and Pips
Inside New York Times Games: Why Killing 96% of New Ideas Is the Win.Deconstructor of Fun [created by games professionals for games professionals], July 6, 2026https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOY7hRSSGWsA video interview with Zoe Bell, Executive Producer of Games at The New York Times. [50 min.]"If you've played Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Strands, Letter Boxed, the Mini, or the Crossword, you've played something she helped build or bring to life. NYT has nearly 13 million subscribers, which includes the game business that features some ads but no in-app purchases and no battle pass. ... Zoe sits down with [host] Jen Donahoe to explain how a newspaper that has run for 175 years became one of the biggest names in games. They get into why the team kills 96% of the games it tries, how a subscription model reshapes the way they design and measure success, and what it takes to launch Crossplay, a full multiplayer layer on games that are fundamentally solo. They also talk about making every puzzle by hand while the rest of the industry automates, and where AI earns a place when human craft is the whole point. For anyone building games, this one is a window into the economics and the discipline behind one of the most envied portfolios in the business."There is a machine-generated transcript, as full of errors as you might expect.
Life As a Puzzle Editor.A Guest Post by Joel Fagliano, lead editor of New York Times GamesBarnes & Noble, October 21, 2025https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/joel-fagliano-guest-post/Includes brief mention of creative process re: Sam Ezersky and the Spelling Bee
Puzzling over crosswords with the editors of NYT Games.Connecticut Public Radio: Where We Live [local arts audio magazine], August 19, 2024https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/2024-08-19/puzzling-over-crosswords-with-will-shortz-and-the-editors-of-nyt-gamesIt's an hour for puzzle lovers! NPR's Puzzlemaster and The New York Times Crossword Editor Will Shortz and Everdeen Mason from The Times, talk about The Crossword, Spelling Bee, Connections and more. Plus, we’re celebrating 10 years of the Mini Crossword with its creator and editor, Joel Fagliano. GUESTS: Will Shortz: NPR's Puzzlemaster and Crossword Editor for The New York Times Everdeen Mason: Editorial Director for Games for The New York Times Joel Fagliano: Digital Puzzles Editor and Creator of The Mini Crossword for The New York Times.There's a "LISTEN" button on the linked page.
If AI is going to take over the world, why can’t it solve the Spelling Bee?Billions of dollars in investment have met their match with a simple word game.Engadget, June 13, 2024https://www.engadget.com/if-ai-is-going-to-take-over-the-world-why-cant-it-solve-the-spelling-bee-170034469.html“My task for our AI overlords was simple: help me crack the New York Times Spelling Bee.”
Why the New York Times is forging connections with gamers as it diversifies its audience.Digiday, April 19, 2024https://digiday.com/marketing/why-the-new-york-times-is-forging-connections-with-gamers-as-it-diversifies-its-audience/“NYT Games also has an avid fan base. When it comes to puzzle games, the quality of New York Times games is so far above the competition that they may as well not exist. ... Since acquiring Wordle, The New York Times has used its gaming product as a funnel to bring subscribers into the Times fold. ... [re: the] games-specific subscription, [there are now] over a million subscribers who specifically pay to access NYT Games content.”
‘New York Times’ and the puzzle wars.National Public Radio, All Things Considered, March 31, 2024https://www.npr.org/2024/03/31/1241923496/new-york-times-and-the-puzzle-warsThe New York Times is dominating a gaming business that many other media organizations are trying to break into. (Five-minute audio; complete transcript at the link.)
Inside the mind of New York Times Mini maker Joel Fagliano.Eurogamer, February 25, 2024https://www.eurogamer.net/inside-the-mind-of-new-york-times-mini-maker-joel-faglianoIn this lengthy and detailed interview, there is some discussion of the Spelling Bee, specifically, the internal testing of the Bee and other NYT puzzles.
Games can bring us distraction, satisfaction.Times Writers Group, January 21, 2024https://www.sctimes.com/story/opinion/2024/01/21/karen-cyson-games-can-bring-us-distraction-satisfaction/72267124007/Hi. I’m Karen and I’m a New York Times games addict. (Your response: Hi, Karen). It started simply. I read the paper every day; I saw the mini crossword. I thought: oh, this might be fun and certainly less daunting than the “real” crossword.And so it began. Then someone mentioned that I should try Wordle. … But have you tried Connections? No, I hadn’t. So I did. … Look at the Spelling Bee game. Isn’t it cute? It looks like a sweet little flower, with bees buzzing around it. Beware. Poppies are lovely flowers also, waving in the breeze, bright and pretty. Lovely and addictive. … [worth three minutes of your reading time]
How Three Brands Are Using OOH to Amplify Gamification Strategies.Chief Marketer, January 16, 2024https://chiefmarketer.com/how-three-brands-are-using-ooh-to-amplify-gamification-strategies/A brief look at how three major brands use out of home (OOH) strategies to attract audiences and build brand loyalty. The New York Times games team is highlighted for its 2022 marketing program for the Spelling Bee aimed at transit riders. Read the NYT’s news release about that program here.https://www.nytco.com/press/new-york-times-games-invites-spelling-bee-players-to-game-for-good/
The Noble Art of the New York Times Spelling Bee: A healthy, brain-exercising addiction.Amy Abbott via Substack, January 14, 2024https://amyabbott.substack.com/p/the-noble-art-of-the-new-york-times“One of the best things about Spelling Bee is that it is highly unpredictable. There may be days of difficult puzzles, followed by days of difficult puzzles, and vice versa. Repetition doesn’t get a reward, so one is always surprised.”
Jonathan Knight (New York Times): The Power of Shared Experiences.The CMO Podcast, January 03, 2024https://player.fm/series/the-cmo-podcast/jonathan-knight-new-york-times-the-power-of-shared-experiencesRing in the new year with the CMO Podcast as Jim welcomes Jonathan Knight, the SVP, Head of Games for The New York Times. The Times Games include the famous New York Times Crossword Puzzle, The Mini Crossword, Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, and Tiles. Founded in 1851, The New York Times is one of the oldest and most respected brands in the world, with nearly 10 million subscribers. Jonathan knows a lot about building brands with high and lasting consumer engagement and loyalty. He has worked in the gaming industry for nearly 30 years, holding roles at Activision in the early days, then Electronic Arts as the senior leader on the Sims franchise. Jonathan then moved to Zynga and Warner Brothers Games before joining the New York Times Games in the fall of 2020. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation about how brands can learn from the high-growth gaming category, and what leaders at large could learn from popular and lasting game brands.also here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cmo-podcast/id1460604334https://www.everand.com/podcast/696332655/Jonathan-Knight-New-York-Times-The-Power-of-Shared-Experiences
Inside the New York Times’ Big Bet on Games.Vanity Fair, December 19, 2023Wordle. Connections. Spelling Bee. Ye olde crossword. The Times is home to beloved brainteasers that are helping boost the paper’s bottom line. As one staffer jokes, the “Times is now a gaming company that also happens to offer news.”https://www.vanityfair.com/news/inside-the-new-york-times-big-bet-on-gamesPLUSGo behind the scenes of Vanity Fair’s photoshoot with the brains behind the New York Times’ games.a very brief video https://www.vanityfair.com/video/watch/inside-the-new-york-times-growing-wordleverse
An evening with Sam Ezersky, the Digital Puzzles Editor for the New York Times.Writers’ Bloc (Los Angeles), November 21, 2023https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLaeXF72r-A Description of the event here: https://writersblocpresents.com/main/sam-ezersky/
How The New York Times is making connections with puzzles and games.Editor & Publisher, October 17, 2023https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/new-york-times-makes-a-connection-with-puzzles-and-games,246051
Spelling Bee’s evolving word list.Axios June 05, 2023https://www.axios.com/2023/06/05/spelling-bee-evolving-word-listEXCERPTS [paywalled]Sam Ezersky, the editor of the New York Times’ popular daily word-finder game Spelling Bee, is less picky these days about the words he allows people to use.The game has millions of players per week, according to the Times.Ezersky builds a week’s worth of puzzles in about a day, sends them to testers, and spends much of his time deciding which words to allow as solutions.Words under four letters aren’t allowed, nor proper nouns or words Ezersky deems too esoteric. That last part is where the controversy lies. “One person’s personal wheelhouse is another person’s esoterica,” Ezersky says. He’s become more permissive with slang, especially if solvers keep trying for a word he hadn’t allowed in the past. For example: he’s warmed to “glamp” — slang for “glamorous camping.” He used to strive to create a consistently expanding word list that always allowed words that were permitted before. His new thinking: If too many people complained about a word that was allowed in the past, maybe don’t allow it in the future. “My goal is to be able to have this game live and breathe and evolve with its audience rather than create some draconian rules,” Ezersky tells Axios.
A world beyond Wordle: How games became a big deal at the New York Times.EuroGamer, April 02, 2023https://www.eurogamer.net/a-world-beyond-wordle-how-games-became-a-big-deal-at-the-new-york-timesThis is lengthy, thoughtful interview with Jonathan Knight, who heads up the NYT’s Games division. Interesting quote: “On something like Spelling Bee, we have an editor, Sam Ezersky, who curates that everyday and he has a specific lens – he wants to make sure that all the possible words are recognisable and that you’re not held back because you don’t know some completely obscure word - but he also wants to make sure he’s not banning obscure words that are legitimate. Every week there’s a furore over some word that he banned that should have been allowed. There’s a balance there between challenge and fun, and we want you to feel great when you solve the puzzle.”
‘The next level for us’: The New York Times eyes better retention for games in subscription drive.Digiday, March 22, 2023https://digiday.com/media/the-next-level-for-us-the-new-york-times-eyes-longer-play-sessions-for-games-in-subscription-drive/
How the New York Times is building a games platform around Wordle.GamesBeat, February 18, 2023https://venturebeat.com/games/how-the-new-york-times-is-expanding-into-puzzle-games-like-wordle/Transcript of an interview with Jonathan Knight, head of NYT’s games division.
From The 15th Annual Shorty Awards: The New York Times Games Spelling Bee Audience Honor In Local Campaign [2023]https://shortyawards.com/15th/the-new-york-times-games-spelling-bee “The Spelling Bee Forum, where players discuss the daily puzzle, share gameplay tips and list solution hints with each other, has become the most visited page of The New York Times every single day. We [at NYT] wanted to help new players discover this passionate community and love of the game by driving trial of Spelling Bee to bring new players into the game and expand the hive.”
From The New York Times’ ‘Spelling Bee’ to orthography, a look at all things spelling.Connecticut Public Radio, originally aired December 06, 2022https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/2023-06-26/from-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-to-orthography-a-look-at-all-things-spellingThis hour: spelling — what it is, why it matters, and why some of us actually find it fun. There will be a test. Guests include Deb Amlen: Crossword columnist and senior staff editor of the crossword column Wordplay for The New York Times; Richard Gentry: Education consultant and the author, most recently, of the Spelling Connections series; and Peter Sokolowski: Editor at large at Merriam-Webster and a member of the Word Panel for the Scripps National Spelling Bee
The making of the cult favorite game, “Spelling Bee” [3:45 video] [worth watching]Brut, May 22, 2022https://www.brut.media/us/entertainment/the-making-of-the-cult-favorite-game-spelling-bee--3a9b7270-9272-4861-9453-1471922c57beIt’s the puzzle game everyone is obsessed with. Brut spoke to the digital puzzle editor of The New York Times on making the internet’s nerdiest word game “Spelling Bee.”
The Wordle hurdle: the pitfalls of setting puzzles. [interview with Sam Ezersky, re: word choices in the Spelling Bee]Australian Financial Review, May 21, 2022https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/arts-and-culture/the-wordle-hurdle-the-pitfalls-of-setting-puzzles-20220512-p5akueEzersky selects each day’s hexagon of letters, a computer generates a list of possible words. Ezersky’s job is to whittle down that list to those the puzzle will accept. … “I thought: how hard can it be? I just get to say yes to some words and no to others.’ He quickly discovered he had walked into a trap that has ensnared lexicographers since Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language in 1755.”
A Ludicrously Deep Dive Into the Birds of Spelling Bee, Wordle, Scrabble, and More.Audubon Magazine, May 02, 2022https://www.audubon.org/news/a-ludicrously-deep-dive-birds-spelling-bee-wordle-scrabble-and-more
How Wordle brought us back together: Spelling Bee, too, and Words with Friends. Who knew online word games would get us talking to each other again?Experience Magazine, May 2022https://expmag.com/2022/05/how-wordle-brought-us-back-together/
What is the ‘New York Times’ Spelling Bee Game?WGTC, March 02, 2022https://wegotthiscovered.com/gaming/what-is-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-game/ While Wordle retains buzz among Nerdles, the New York Times’ Spelling Bee has an equally passionate fanbase. …the open chat forum that runs alongside the puzzle on theTimes site can become a hive of controversy, as players give each other clues and argue amongst each other about the unfairness of posting “spoilers,” as well as the futility of asking strangers on the Internet not to post spoilers. Befitting the readership of a paper nicknamed “The Grey Lady,” these arguments are often more genteel — and far more accurately-spelled — than similar quarrels on open bulletin boards like Reddit.
Leadership Lessons Courtesy of The New York Times Spelling Bee.Cause and Effect Strategies, March 02, 2022https://causeandeffectstrategies.com/blog/leadership-lessons-courtesy-of-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee“Some days, the SB is a slog of boring short words or uninteresting suffixes. I delight in finding long words, whether compound or not, and stopping every once in a while to clear my head, stare at the letters, and wait for my brain to see something new. At the bottom of the app screen, between the “delete” and “enter” buttons, is an icon with two arrows forming a circle. Tap it, and it rearranges the letters. And with that, the SB offers a simple, elegant lesson for us all: When you’re stuck on a problem, just try looking at it in a different way.”
5 lessons about innovation from the New York Times spelling bee: When you think you’ve thought of everything, you haven't.Fast Company, February 09, 2022https://www.fastcompany.com/90720208/5-lessons-about-innovation-from-the-new-york-times-spelling-beeAs someone who spends my days helping companies think about innovation, I can’t help but see similarities between the word game and best practices around the process of ideation. Given that, [here] are five ideation lessons you can learn from the NYT Spelling Bee.
Who will win the war of the Wordles? Letter puzzles have taken over social media. Is it an innocent pastime or etymological bloodsport?Town and Country, January 31, 2022https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a38899912/wordle-spelling-bee-games/ “Wordle lets you brag about how efficiently you solved it that day; Spelling Bee additionally lets you brag about not solving it because you know too much.”
What we’re obsessed with right now: The New York Times’ Spelling Bee.San Diego Union-Tribune, January 16, 2022https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/story/2022-01-16/what-were-obsessed-with-right-now-new-york-times-spelling-bee
The New York Times Spelling Bee.WNYC, January 13, 2022 (13 minutes)https://www.wnyc.org/story/new-york-times-spelling-bee/New York Times digital puzzles editor Sam Ezersky joins us to talk about the “Spelling Bee.” We also ask callers about their feelings about the bee.
New York Times newsroom rocked by a new public rift — over Spelling Bee game.New York Post, October 14, 2021, updated October 15, 2021https://nypost.com/2021/10/14/nyt-newsroom-rocked-by-a-new-public-rift-over-spelling-bee-game/Obviously tongue-in-cheek.
The Quest for Queen Bee.The Keith Law Show, September 11, 2021 (44 minutes)Keith is joined by Sam Ezersky, Digital Puzzles Editor for the New York Times, to discuss their shared love of word puzzles, the highly engaging and potentially addictive ‘Spelling Bee’, Sam’s path to his current role, and the ongoing challenge of determining which words make the cut for each version of the puzzle.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/sc/podcast/the-quest-for-queen-bee-w-sam-ezersky/id1499877854?i=1000541286581Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3327d6c3-f1c7-4aaf-8ea6-72a04cdcb78d/episodes/172762f4-73f1-47d4-99a0-18f0cbe86a06/the-keith-law-show-the-quest-for-%E2%80%98queen-bee%E2%80%99-w-sam-ezersky
How the Grid Kid Became King of the Online Spelling Bee: The New York Times’ Sam Ezersky breaks down how he adjudicates the Spelling Bee.Slate, August 31, 2021https://slate.com/podcasts/spectacular-vernacular/2021/08/are-you-spectacular-vernaculars-next-spelling-bee-championThis is an episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Slate’s podcast about language, where hosts Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer spoke with Sam Ezersky, digital puzzles editor for the New York Times, about the online Spelling Bee, which he oversees.; the entire audio is available within the article. The Spelling Bee segment begins at 18:26 and ends at 36:36.Complete transcript here (machine-generated, full of errors):https://slate.com/transcripts/cHBMRmgwMG9ydlg0U1Y1NE9MN0VVMDRYdXVVT1VpTi92TEF6VTBDaTNTRT0=
Insider Secrets of the Spelling Bee: The New York Times’ Sam Ezersky reveals all.Nicole Holliday and Ben ZimmerSlate, August 31, 2021https://slate.com/culture/2021/08/nyt-spelling-bee-sam-ezersky.htmlThis article is a condensed transcript of an episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Slate’s podcast about language, where hosts Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer spoke with Sam Ezersky, digital puzzles editor for the New York Times, about the online Spelling Bee, which he oversees.; the entire audio is available within the article. Within that recording, the Spelling Bee segment begins at 18:26 and ends at 36:36.Complete transcript here (machine-generated, full of errors):https://slate.com/transcripts/cHBMRmgwMG9ydlg0U1Y1NE9MN0VVMDRYdXVVT1VpTi92TEF6VTBDaTNTRT0=
...New York Times Eyes $100 Billion Games Market.Bloomberg, March 18, 2021https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-18/new-york-times-games-spelling-bee-the-mini-offset-news-slowdown#xj4y7vzkgpaywalled, but the text is here:https://jacklimpert.com/2021/03/new-york-times-13/“The most searched-for terms on the New York Times website [in 2020] weren’t ‘Trmp’ or ‘Biden’ or even ‘coronavirus.’ They were ‘crosswords’ and ‘Spelling Bee.’”
Secrets of the New York Times Spelling Bee.Culture Gabfest, February 24, 2021https://podcasts.musixmatch.com/podcast/culture-gabfest-01hvbyrfsgsjjt60fg2gnatrx0/episode/secrets-of-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-01hw7tj7pt6s89kk2qtcdwdxdvSegment on the New York Times’s Spelling Bee puzzle and interview its creator, 24-year-old Sam Ezersky, begins at 19:50.
My Puzzle Hero: An interview with Frank Longo, the creator of the NY Times Magazine’s ‘Spelling Bee’ Puzzle.Book and Film Globe, June 20, 2020https://bookandfilmglobe.com/gaming/spelling-bee-frank-longo-interview/Mr Longo developed and still creates the print version of the Spelling Bee, which appears every week in the New York Times Magazine.
The NYT Spelling Bee Gives Me L-I-F-E. In the real world, I am me. In Bee world I’m an Amazing! Genius!Slate, February 19, 2020https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/02/spelling-bee-new-york-times-praise.html
UVA's King of Crosswords Wins Dream Job.RADIO IQ Sandy HausmanWVTF, June 8, 2017https://www.wvtf.org/news/2017-06-08/uvas-king-of-crosswords-wins-dream-job
The New York Times Spelling Bee Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Spelling_Bee How New York Times Games mastered the art of thoughtful play.Creative Review (UK), July 7 2026https://www.creativereview.co.uk/new-york-times-games-wordle-crossplay-design-jonathan-knight/The newspaper’s head of games, Jonathan Knight, explains why a consistent, human-crafted approach keeps millions of daily players coming back to the likes of Wordle, Crossplay and Pips
Inside New York Times Games: Why Killing 96% of New Ideas Is the Win.Deconstructor of Fun [created by games professionals for games professionals], July 6, 2026https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOY7hRSSGWsA video interview with Zoe Bell, Executive Producer of Games at The New York Times. [50 min.]"If you've played Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Strands, Letter Boxed, the Mini, or the Crossword, you've played something she helped build or bring to life. NYT has nearly 13 million subscribers, which includes the game business that features some ads but no in-app purchases and no battle pass. ... Zoe sits down with [host] Jen Donahoe to explain how a newspaper that has run for 175 years became one of the biggest names in games. They get into why the team kills 96% of the games it tries, how a subscription model reshapes the way they design and measure success, and what it takes to launch Crossplay, a full multiplayer layer on games that are fundamentally solo. They also talk about making every puzzle by hand while the rest of the industry automates, and where AI earns a place when human craft is the whole point. For anyone building games, this one is a window into the economics and the discipline behind one of the most envied portfolios in the business."There is a machine-generated transcript, as full of errors as you might expect.
Life As a Puzzle Editor.A Guest Post by Joel Fagliano, lead editor of New York Times GamesBarnes & Noble, October 21, 2025https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/joel-fagliano-guest-post/Includes brief mention of creative process re: Sam Ezersky and the Spelling Bee
Puzzling over crosswords with the editors of NYT Games.Connecticut Public Radio: Where We Live [local arts audio magazine], August 19, 2024https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/2024-08-19/puzzling-over-crosswords-with-will-shortz-and-the-editors-of-nyt-gamesIt's an hour for puzzle lovers! NPR's Puzzlemaster and The New York Times Crossword Editor Will Shortz and Everdeen Mason from The Times, talk about The Crossword, Spelling Bee, Connections and more. Plus, we’re celebrating 10 years of the Mini Crossword with its creator and editor, Joel Fagliano. GUESTS: Will Shortz: NPR's Puzzlemaster and Crossword Editor for The New York Times Everdeen Mason: Editorial Director for Games for The New York Times Joel Fagliano: Digital Puzzles Editor and Creator of The Mini Crossword for The New York Times.There's a "LISTEN" button on the linked page.
If AI is going to take over the world, why can’t it solve the Spelling Bee?Billions of dollars in investment have met their match with a simple word game.Engadget, June 13, 2024https://www.engadget.com/if-ai-is-going-to-take-over-the-world-why-cant-it-solve-the-spelling-bee-170034469.html“My task for our AI overlords was simple: help me crack the New York Times Spelling Bee.”
Why the New York Times is forging connections with gamers as it diversifies its audience.Digiday, April 19, 2024https://digiday.com/marketing/why-the-new-york-times-is-forging-connections-with-gamers-as-it-diversifies-its-audience/“NYT Games also has an avid fan base. When it comes to puzzle games, the quality of New York Times games is so far above the competition that they may as well not exist. ... Since acquiring Wordle, The New York Times has used its gaming product as a funnel to bring subscribers into the Times fold. ... [re: the] games-specific subscription, [there are now] over a million subscribers who specifically pay to access NYT Games content.”
‘New York Times’ and the puzzle wars.National Public Radio, All Things Considered, March 31, 2024https://www.npr.org/2024/03/31/1241923496/new-york-times-and-the-puzzle-warsThe New York Times is dominating a gaming business that many other media organizations are trying to break into. (Five-minute audio; complete transcript at the link.)
Inside the mind of New York Times Mini maker Joel Fagliano.Eurogamer, February 25, 2024https://www.eurogamer.net/inside-the-mind-of-new-york-times-mini-maker-joel-faglianoIn this lengthy and detailed interview, there is some discussion of the Spelling Bee, specifically, the internal testing of the Bee and other NYT puzzles.
Games can bring us distraction, satisfaction.Times Writers Group, January 21, 2024https://www.sctimes.com/story/opinion/2024/01/21/karen-cyson-games-can-bring-us-distraction-satisfaction/72267124007/Hi. I’m Karen and I’m a New York Times games addict. (Your response: Hi, Karen). It started simply. I read the paper every day; I saw the mini crossword. I thought: oh, this might be fun and certainly less daunting than the “real” crossword.And so it began. Then someone mentioned that I should try Wordle. … But have you tried Connections? No, I hadn’t. So I did. … Look at the Spelling Bee game. Isn’t it cute? It looks like a sweet little flower, with bees buzzing around it. Beware. Poppies are lovely flowers also, waving in the breeze, bright and pretty. Lovely and addictive. … [worth three minutes of your reading time]
How Three Brands Are Using OOH to Amplify Gamification Strategies.Chief Marketer, January 16, 2024https://chiefmarketer.com/how-three-brands-are-using-ooh-to-amplify-gamification-strategies/A brief look at how three major brands use out of home (OOH) strategies to attract audiences and build brand loyalty. The New York Times games team is highlighted for its 2022 marketing program for the Spelling Bee aimed at transit riders. Read the NYT’s news release about that program here.https://www.nytco.com/press/new-york-times-games-invites-spelling-bee-players-to-game-for-good/
The Noble Art of the New York Times Spelling Bee: A healthy, brain-exercising addiction.Amy Abbott via Substack, January 14, 2024https://amyabbott.substack.com/p/the-noble-art-of-the-new-york-times“One of the best things about Spelling Bee is that it is highly unpredictable. There may be days of difficult puzzles, followed by days of difficult puzzles, and vice versa. Repetition doesn’t get a reward, so one is always surprised.”
Jonathan Knight (New York Times): The Power of Shared Experiences.The CMO Podcast, January 03, 2024https://player.fm/series/the-cmo-podcast/jonathan-knight-new-york-times-the-power-of-shared-experiencesRing in the new year with the CMO Podcast as Jim welcomes Jonathan Knight, the SVP, Head of Games for The New York Times. The Times Games include the famous New York Times Crossword Puzzle, The Mini Crossword, Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, and Tiles. Founded in 1851, The New York Times is one of the oldest and most respected brands in the world, with nearly 10 million subscribers. Jonathan knows a lot about building brands with high and lasting consumer engagement and loyalty. He has worked in the gaming industry for nearly 30 years, holding roles at Activision in the early days, then Electronic Arts as the senior leader on the Sims franchise. Jonathan then moved to Zynga and Warner Brothers Games before joining the New York Times Games in the fall of 2020. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation about how brands can learn from the high-growth gaming category, and what leaders at large could learn from popular and lasting game brands.also here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cmo-podcast/id1460604334https://www.everand.com/podcast/696332655/Jonathan-Knight-New-York-Times-The-Power-of-Shared-Experiences
Inside the New York Times’ Big Bet on Games.Vanity Fair, December 19, 2023Wordle. Connections. Spelling Bee. Ye olde crossword. The Times is home to beloved brainteasers that are helping boost the paper’s bottom line. As one staffer jokes, the “Times is now a gaming company that also happens to offer news.”https://www.vanityfair.com/news/inside-the-new-york-times-big-bet-on-gamesPLUSGo behind the scenes of Vanity Fair’s photoshoot with the brains behind the New York Times’ games.a very brief video https://www.vanityfair.com/video/watch/inside-the-new-york-times-growing-wordleverse
An evening with Sam Ezersky, the Digital Puzzles Editor for the New York Times.Writers’ Bloc (Los Angeles), November 21, 2023https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLaeXF72r-A Description of the event here: https://writersblocpresents.com/main/sam-ezersky/
How The New York Times is making connections with puzzles and games.Editor & Publisher, October 17, 2023https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/new-york-times-makes-a-connection-with-puzzles-and-games,246051
Spelling Bee’s evolving word list.Axios June 05, 2023https://www.axios.com/2023/06/05/spelling-bee-evolving-word-listEXCERPTS [paywalled]Sam Ezersky, the editor of the New York Times’ popular daily word-finder game Spelling Bee, is less picky these days about the words he allows people to use.The game has millions of players per week, according to the Times.Ezersky builds a week’s worth of puzzles in about a day, sends them to testers, and spends much of his time deciding which words to allow as solutions.Words under four letters aren’t allowed, nor proper nouns or words Ezersky deems too esoteric. That last part is where the controversy lies. “One person’s personal wheelhouse is another person’s esoterica,” Ezersky says. He’s become more permissive with slang, especially if solvers keep trying for a word he hadn’t allowed in the past. For example: he’s warmed to “glamp” — slang for “glamorous camping.” He used to strive to create a consistently expanding word list that always allowed words that were permitted before. His new thinking: If too many people complained about a word that was allowed in the past, maybe don’t allow it in the future. “My goal is to be able to have this game live and breathe and evolve with its audience rather than create some draconian rules,” Ezersky tells Axios.
A world beyond Wordle: How games became a big deal at the New York Times.EuroGamer, April 02, 2023https://www.eurogamer.net/a-world-beyond-wordle-how-games-became-a-big-deal-at-the-new-york-timesThis is lengthy, thoughtful interview with Jonathan Knight, who heads up the NYT’s Games division. Interesting quote: “On something like Spelling Bee, we have an editor, Sam Ezersky, who curates that everyday and he has a specific lens – he wants to make sure that all the possible words are recognisable and that you’re not held back because you don’t know some completely obscure word - but he also wants to make sure he’s not banning obscure words that are legitimate. Every week there’s a furore over some word that he banned that should have been allowed. There’s a balance there between challenge and fun, and we want you to feel great when you solve the puzzle.”
‘The next level for us’: The New York Times eyes better retention for games in subscription drive.Digiday, March 22, 2023https://digiday.com/media/the-next-level-for-us-the-new-york-times-eyes-longer-play-sessions-for-games-in-subscription-drive/
How the New York Times is building a games platform around Wordle.GamesBeat, February 18, 2023https://venturebeat.com/games/how-the-new-york-times-is-expanding-into-puzzle-games-like-wordle/Transcript of an interview with Jonathan Knight, head of NYT’s games division.
From The 15th Annual Shorty Awards: The New York Times Games Spelling Bee Audience Honor In Local Campaign [2023]https://shortyawards.com/15th/the-new-york-times-games-spelling-bee “The Spelling Bee Forum, where players discuss the daily puzzle, share gameplay tips and list solution hints with each other, has become the most visited page of The New York Times every single day. We [at NYT] wanted to help new players discover this passionate community and love of the game by driving trial of Spelling Bee to bring new players into the game and expand the hive.”
From The New York Times’ ‘Spelling Bee’ to orthography, a look at all things spelling.Connecticut Public Radio, originally aired December 06, 2022https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/2023-06-26/from-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-to-orthography-a-look-at-all-things-spellingThis hour: spelling — what it is, why it matters, and why some of us actually find it fun. There will be a test. Guests include Deb Amlen: Crossword columnist and senior staff editor of the crossword column Wordplay for The New York Times; Richard Gentry: Education consultant and the author, most recently, of the Spelling Connections series; and Peter Sokolowski: Editor at large at Merriam-Webster and a member of the Word Panel for the Scripps National Spelling Bee
The making of the cult favorite game, “Spelling Bee” [3:45 video] [worth watching]Brut, May 22, 2022https://www.brut.media/us/entertainment/the-making-of-the-cult-favorite-game-spelling-bee--3a9b7270-9272-4861-9453-1471922c57beIt’s the puzzle game everyone is obsessed with. Brut spoke to the digital puzzle editor of The New York Times on making the internet’s nerdiest word game “Spelling Bee.”
The Wordle hurdle: the pitfalls of setting puzzles. [interview with Sam Ezersky, re: word choices in the Spelling Bee]Australian Financial Review, May 21, 2022https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/arts-and-culture/the-wordle-hurdle-the-pitfalls-of-setting-puzzles-20220512-p5akueEzersky selects each day’s hexagon of letters, a computer generates a list of possible words. Ezersky’s job is to whittle down that list to those the puzzle will accept. … “I thought: how hard can it be? I just get to say yes to some words and no to others.’ He quickly discovered he had walked into a trap that has ensnared lexicographers since Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language in 1755.”
A Ludicrously Deep Dive Into the Birds of Spelling Bee, Wordle, Scrabble, and More.Audubon Magazine, May 02, 2022https://www.audubon.org/news/a-ludicrously-deep-dive-birds-spelling-bee-wordle-scrabble-and-more
How Wordle brought us back together: Spelling Bee, too, and Words with Friends. Who knew online word games would get us talking to each other again?Experience Magazine, May 2022https://expmag.com/2022/05/how-wordle-brought-us-back-together/
What is the ‘New York Times’ Spelling Bee Game?WGTC, March 02, 2022https://wegotthiscovered.com/gaming/what-is-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-game/ While Wordle retains buzz among Nerdles, the New York Times’ Spelling Bee has an equally passionate fanbase. …the open chat forum that runs alongside the puzzle on theTimes site can become a hive of controversy, as players give each other clues and argue amongst each other about the unfairness of posting “spoilers,” as well as the futility of asking strangers on the Internet not to post spoilers. Befitting the readership of a paper nicknamed “The Grey Lady,” these arguments are often more genteel — and far more accurately-spelled — than similar quarrels on open bulletin boards like Reddit.
Leadership Lessons Courtesy of The New York Times Spelling Bee.Cause and Effect Strategies, March 02, 2022https://causeandeffectstrategies.com/blog/leadership-lessons-courtesy-of-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee“Some days, the SB is a slog of boring short words or uninteresting suffixes. I delight in finding long words, whether compound or not, and stopping every once in a while to clear my head, stare at the letters, and wait for my brain to see something new. At the bottom of the app screen, between the “delete” and “enter” buttons, is an icon with two arrows forming a circle. Tap it, and it rearranges the letters. And with that, the SB offers a simple, elegant lesson for us all: When you’re stuck on a problem, just try looking at it in a different way.”
5 lessons about innovation from the New York Times spelling bee: When you think you’ve thought of everything, you haven't.Fast Company, February 09, 2022https://www.fastcompany.com/90720208/5-lessons-about-innovation-from-the-new-york-times-spelling-beeAs someone who spends my days helping companies think about innovation, I can’t help but see similarities between the word game and best practices around the process of ideation. Given that, [here] are five ideation lessons you can learn from the NYT Spelling Bee.
Who will win the war of the Wordles? Letter puzzles have taken over social media. Is it an innocent pastime or etymological bloodsport?Town and Country, January 31, 2022https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a38899912/wordle-spelling-bee-games/ “Wordle lets you brag about how efficiently you solved it that day; Spelling Bee additionally lets you brag about not solving it because you know too much.”
What we’re obsessed with right now: The New York Times’ Spelling Bee.San Diego Union-Tribune, January 16, 2022https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/story/2022-01-16/what-were-obsessed-with-right-now-new-york-times-spelling-bee
The New York Times Spelling Bee.WNYC, January 13, 2022 (13 minutes)https://www.wnyc.org/story/new-york-times-spelling-bee/New York Times digital puzzles editor Sam Ezersky joins us to talk about the “Spelling Bee.” We also ask callers about their feelings about the bee.
New York Times newsroom rocked by a new public rift — over Spelling Bee game.New York Post, October 14, 2021, updated October 15, 2021https://nypost.com/2021/10/14/nyt-newsroom-rocked-by-a-new-public-rift-over-spelling-bee-game/Obviously tongue-in-cheek.
The Quest for Queen Bee.The Keith Law Show, September 11, 2021 (44 minutes)Keith is joined by Sam Ezersky, Digital Puzzles Editor for the New York Times, to discuss their shared love of word puzzles, the highly engaging and potentially addictive ‘Spelling Bee’, Sam’s path to his current role, and the ongoing challenge of determining which words make the cut for each version of the puzzle.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/sc/podcast/the-quest-for-queen-bee-w-sam-ezersky/id1499877854?i=1000541286581Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3327d6c3-f1c7-4aaf-8ea6-72a04cdcb78d/episodes/172762f4-73f1-47d4-99a0-18f0cbe86a06/the-keith-law-show-the-quest-for-%E2%80%98queen-bee%E2%80%99-w-sam-ezersky
How the Grid Kid Became King of the Online Spelling Bee: The New York Times’ Sam Ezersky breaks down how he adjudicates the Spelling Bee.Slate, August 31, 2021https://slate.com/podcasts/spectacular-vernacular/2021/08/are-you-spectacular-vernaculars-next-spelling-bee-championThis is an episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Slate’s podcast about language, where hosts Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer spoke with Sam Ezersky, digital puzzles editor for the New York Times, about the online Spelling Bee, which he oversees.; the entire audio is available within the article. The Spelling Bee segment begins at 18:26 and ends at 36:36.Complete transcript here (machine-generated, full of errors):https://slate.com/transcripts/cHBMRmgwMG9ydlg0U1Y1NE9MN0VVMDRYdXVVT1VpTi92TEF6VTBDaTNTRT0=
Insider Secrets of the Spelling Bee: The New York Times’ Sam Ezersky reveals all.Nicole Holliday and Ben ZimmerSlate, August 31, 2021https://slate.com/culture/2021/08/nyt-spelling-bee-sam-ezersky.htmlThis article is a condensed transcript of an episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Slate’s podcast about language, where hosts Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer spoke with Sam Ezersky, digital puzzles editor for the New York Times, about the online Spelling Bee, which he oversees.; the entire audio is available within the article. Within that recording, the Spelling Bee segment begins at 18:26 and ends at 36:36.Complete transcript here (machine-generated, full of errors):https://slate.com/transcripts/cHBMRmgwMG9ydlg0U1Y1NE9MN0VVMDRYdXVVT1VpTi92TEF6VTBDaTNTRT0=
...New York Times Eyes $100 Billion Games Market.Bloomberg, March 18, 2021https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-18/new-york-times-games-spelling-bee-the-mini-offset-news-slowdown#xj4y7vzkgpaywalled, but the text is here:https://jacklimpert.com/2021/03/new-york-times-13/“The most searched-for terms on the New York Times website [in 2020] weren’t ‘Trmp’ or ‘Biden’ or even ‘coronavirus.’ They were ‘crosswords’ and ‘Spelling Bee.’”
Secrets of the New York Times Spelling Bee.Culture Gabfest, February 24, 2021https://podcasts.musixmatch.com/podcast/culture-gabfest-01hvbyrfsgsjjt60fg2gnatrx0/episode/secrets-of-the-new-york-times-spelling-bee-01hw7tj7pt6s89kk2qtcdwdxdvSegment on the New York Times’s Spelling Bee puzzle and interview its creator, 24-year-old Sam Ezersky, begins at 19:50.
My Puzzle Hero: An interview with Frank Longo, the creator of the NY Times Magazine’s ‘Spelling Bee’ Puzzle.Book and Film Globe, June 20, 2020https://bookandfilmglobe.com/gaming/spelling-bee-frank-longo-interview/Mr Longo developed and still creates the print version of the Spelling Bee, which appears every week in the New York Times Magazine.
The NYT Spelling Bee Gives Me L-I-F-E. In the real world, I am me. In Bee world I’m an Amazing! Genius!Slate, February 19, 2020https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/02/spelling-bee-new-york-times-praise.html
UVA's King of Crosswords Wins Dream Job.RADIO IQ Sandy HausmanWVTF, June 8, 2017https://www.wvtf.org/news/2017-06-08/uvas-king-of-crosswords-wins-dream-job
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