Can you play Bonus Puzzles without a subscription?
The official NYT Starter Set is a one-time free sample, rather than a fresh free set every week. For more play without a subscription, BonusPuzzles.com offers six independent original games covering clue words, compact grouping, themed letter paths and three crossword formats. They do not unlock, copy or supply paid official puzzles.
The NYT Bonus Puzzles help page describes Wednesday releases of four or more puzzles and eligible subscriber access. Official access information checked November 6, 2026; availability and terms can change.
Six playable alternatives, matched to the experience
| Official format you recognize | Our independent game | What you actually play | More practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wordle in 1 | One Clue Word | Five rounds of written clues, five-letter answers and unlimited guesses. | One Clue Word Unlimited |
| Connections 3×3 | Triple Connections | Nine words, three hidden categories and four mistakes to work with. | Triple Connections Unlimited |
| Colorful Strands | Color Trails | Follow bending letter paths, uncover a theme and find its spanning word. | Color Trails Unlimited |
| Mystery Mini | Mini Mystery | A compact 5×5 crossed grid with Across and Down clues. | Mini Mystery Unlimited |
| Easy Mode Crossword | Easy Crossword | Roomier 11×11 original crossed grids and approachable clues. | Easy Crossword Unlimited |
| Special Crossword | Crossword Stories | Themed 15×15 original crossed grids with longer centerpiece answers. | Crossword Stories Unlimited |
All six game links above are playable. Each uses this site’s own clues, boards and interface. Daily, Unlimited and Practice are available without registration; Unlimited uses a finite authored bank with no daily play cap.
Choose by the skill you enjoy
- Reading a clue and testing letters: One Clue Word has five rounds and unlimited guesses, with green/yellow/gray positional feedback.
- Finding a shared meaning: Triple Connections asks for three groups of three from nine words.
- Following a theme through letters: Color Trails uses bending adjacent paths, a spanning theme word and whole-board coverage.
- A small crossed grid: Mini Mystery has a 5×5 blocked layout and creative clues. The familiar Mini Mystery branded address remains playable too.
- Gentler definitions and more room: Easy Crossword is an original connected 11×11 blocked grid.
- A longer theme answer: Crossword Stories uses a 15×15 connected thematic grid with related vocabulary.
What differs from an official subscription?
Choose the official service if you want its particular constructors, weekly sets, archives, app or account features. Choose an independent game here for another original puzzle with repeat-play choices and no subscription. The formats share recognizable ideas, but their puzzles, layouts, difficulty and help rules are not identical.
For example, our 11×11 and 15×15 crosswords are intentionally spacious blocked grids, not reproductions of densely filled NYT newspaper layouts. Color Trails has its own Theme hint and Trail hint controls; it does not assume the official non-theme-word hint-credit system. One Clue Word uses our own clues and help/skip semantics.
More than one daily puzzle
The six-game Daily page gives you the shared selections for the New York date. Unlimited lets you focus on a format, subject or level, and the original puzzle library lets you find and replay a specific set or reconstruct a date’s selection.
Weekly puzzles lists dated releases of newly authored content alongside repeatable six-game selections. Each new release identifies its own original puzzle IDs. The eight rotating selections remain a separate way to revisit the library; a selection coming around again is not a new content release or an official Wednesday drop.
Are regular Wordle and Connections paid games?
The regular daily games and the Bonus collection are different services. The NYT subscription help page lists regular daily Wordle and Connections among its free options. Do not confuse a subscriber Bonus release with those daily games.
If you already subscribe and want official sets, use the official Bonus Puzzle Hub. This site cannot manage an NYT account, repair its app access or import its subscription history.
Questions about the alternatives
Do I need an account or credit card here?
No. The six original games and their repeat-play modes are free without registration. Progress stays in the browser when local storage is available.
Can I play official NYT grids and answers here?
No. The games use independent content. Their answer explanations apply to our own puzzles, not the official daily, weekly or monthly answers.
Can a friend get the same puzzle?
Yes. A completed result includes an exact-puzzle link. The friend plays that set or board separately from their Daily save; a URL score is not a verified public ranking.
Where are the rules and strategy examples?
Use the full six-game rules guide or the individual guide linked from each game. The game collection helps you choose a format.
Independent site: BonusPuzzles.com is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by The New York Times Company. Read the independence statement and how the original library is organized.