The New York Times has entered the competitive word game space with NYT Crossplay: Play and Spell, a two-player tile game that feels immediately familiar if you've played Scrabble or Words with Friends. This is essentially the Times' take on tile-based word building—you place letter tiles on a shared board, build words off existing ones, and compete for the highest score.
The familiarity doesn't make it unnecessary. Crossplay makes enough strategic tweaks to distinguish itself from its predecessors, and more importantly, it arrives at a time when Words with Friends has become increasingly cluttered with ads and distractions.
What is NYT Crossplay?
Crossplay is a turn-based word game where two players share a board and take turns placing letter tiles to form words. If you've played Scrabble, you already understand the basic mechanics. Each letter has a point value, certain board squares multiply your score, and you're trying to outscore your opponent by the end of the game.
The game is available as a standalone app (not integrated into the main NYT Games app) and requires a free NYT account to play. You can challenge friends directly or get matched with opponents near your skill level. There's also the option to play against a computer opponent called Cross Bot, which is useful for practice without the pressure of a real person waiting for your move.
Image: Max McCaskill | WhistleOut
How it compares to Scrabble and Words with Friends
Crossplay is competing directly with Scrabble and Words with Friends. The core gameplay is nearly identical, which means your decision to download it comes down to the differences in execution rather than fundamentally different game design.
The most significant departure is in the tile values and distribution. Crossplay rebalances the point value of letters—common consonants like N, R, S, and T are only worth 1 point, while mid-tier letters like K, V, W, and Y score 5–6 points. This shifts strategy away from hoarding high-value letters and toward clever placement and multi-word turns. That means the strategies you've perfected in Scrabble won't transfer directly.
The dictionary is stricter than what you'll find in Words with Friends. Those two-letter words you've memorized for other games might not work here, which can be frustrating if you're used to using them.
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I really appreciate how the game handles the empty tile bag. Once there aren't any more tiles, both players get an equal number of final turns. In traditional Scrabble, whoever plays their last tile first wins immediately, which can feel arbitrary. Crossplay's last turn rule ensures both players have a fair shot at a comeback, which makes close games feel more satisfying.
Cross Bot is the real innovation here
The biggest difference between Crossplay and its competitors isn't the tile values or the board layout. It's the Cross Bot, or post-game AI analysis tool. After each match, Cross Bot reviews every move you made and shows you the highest-scoring play available at each turn. This is useful for players who want to improve, and it's more sophisticated than anything you'll find in Scrabble or Words with Friends.
Cross Bot doesn't just tell you what word you should have played, it explains why by highlighting patterns in your gameplay and helping you understand strategic concepts like board control and tile conservation. If you've ever wondered why you keep losing despite knowing plenty of words, Cross Bot will show you that vocabulary isn't everything.
Image: Max McCaskill | WhistleOut
Beyond Cross Bot, the app itself is cleaner than Words with Friends. You won't find any cartoon graphics or interruptions either. The board stays in focus. While there are ads in the free version, they appear between matches rather than interrupting gameplay.
What Crossplay is missing
Crossplay doesn't do anything dramatically better than Scrabble or Words with Friends. In fact, if you're already invested in another word game with an established friend group, the hassle of convincing everyone to switch probably isn't worth it.
The standalone app requirement is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, it allows Crossplay to have its own dedicated space without cluttering the main NYT Games app. On the other hand, it means you're managing yet another app on your phone, with another account. .
Plus, the free version includes ads, which the Times has kept relatively unobtrusive. However, removing them requires either a NYT Games subscription or an All-Access subscription.
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Download NYT Crossplay now for iPhone and Android
NYT Crossplay: Play and Spell is available to download on both major mobile platforms. The app is free to download and requires a free NYT account to play.
- For iPhone users: Download NYT Crossplay from the App Store. The app requires iOS 14.0 or later and works on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
- For Android users: Download NYT Crossplay from the Google Play Store. The app is compatible with devices running Android 6.0 and up.
Once downloaded, you can create a free NYT account directly in the app or log in with an existing account if you already subscribe to NYT Games or other New York Times services. The setup process takes just a few moments, and you can start playing immediately after creating your account.
Is Crossplay worth playing?
NYT Crossplay is a solid word game that fits well within the NYT Games ecosystem. The post-game analysis and new rendition of classic rules make it an addictive pastime.
If you're new to digital word games or you're looking for a fresh start with a less cluttered experience, Crossplay delivers exactly what it promises: Scrabble-style gameplay with NYT polish.
How WhistleOut reviews apps
Our mobile experts scour the app stores, looking for the best new apps for Android and iPhone. Before recommending an app, we use the app for at least one full workday, testing its basic functionality and evaluating whether or not it delivers on its promises.
- Easy to use
Great apps simplify your phone. We selected the tools that don't require a complicated instructional manual. - Affordability
The internet is filled with expensive price tags, but we're not buying what they're selling. We leaned into inexpensive, quality apps. Extra points if they're free! - Hands-on testing
We played around with these before recommending them, ensuring they're worth your download.
From there, we weigh the app's pros and cons and then determine whether or not it's a worthwhile download for the wider population of cell phone users.
Max McCaskill
Sr. Staff Writer
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