Perhaps playing these puzzles and sharing our experiences of them is strangely democratising, particularly when a lot of the content we see online is widely aspirational and unrealistic. These free puzzles are something anyone can do, knowing thousands of others are doing the same.

What’s important about the New York Times puzzles is that each of them are only available to play once a day, which is refreshing when you think about the endless content available to us online and how overwhelming that can feel. Plus, with so much social content feeling impersonal and the rise of AI in so many aspects of life, Bennett says she... See more

So what is it about these puzzles that has people so invested? “Honestly, it all just tickles a very nerdy, repressed part of my brain,” says 25-year-old Chess, who plays the New York Times games every day. With most of us addicted to our phones, spending hours each day mindlessly scrolling, puzzles offer a simple and satisfying way to use our... See more