According to CNET, The New York Times has launched a new Wordle puzzle creator feature that lets subscribers design their own custom word games. The feature allows words between 4 and 7 letters in length, expanding beyond the standard 5-letter format. Only New York Times Games or All Access subscribers can create puzzles, though anyone can solve them via shared links. The puzzles don’t reset daily like regular Wordle, giving recipients unlimited time to solve them. Dictionary rules apply, filtering out curse words, pet names, and obscure terms – while TANGO is acceptable, RINGO gets rejected. Creators can add their name and optional hints before generating shareable puzzle links.
The subscription wall strikes again
Here’s the thing – I’m not surprised The New York Times put this behind a paywall. They paid over a million dollars for Wordle back in 2022, and they need to keep finding ways to justify that investment to shareholders. But it does feel like yet another example of a free feature getting monetized after acquisition. Remember when everything was just… free? Now we’re nickel-and-dimed for every extra feature.
The creative limitations are real
So you can make puzzles with 4 to 7 letters – that’s cool. But the dictionary restrictions are going to frustrate people. Want to use your pet’s name? Probably not happening. Inside jokes with friends? Nope. The system apparently rejects anything that’s not a single dictionary word, so forget about MARRYME or other creative combinations. Basically, you’re working within pretty tight constraints. Is that really “personalized” or just slightly customized?
How sharing will actually work
Now, the sharing aspect is interesting. Anyone can solve your puzzle without a subscription, which is smart – otherwise this feature would be dead on arrival. But I wonder how many people will actually create puzzles versus just solving them. There’s always that one friend who goes overboard with these things. And let’s be honest – how many custom Wordles can you realistically send to people before they start ignoring your links? It’s the modern equivalent of chain emails, but with word puzzles.
Will people actually use this?
Look, it’s a neat feature for superfans and maybe for teachers or team-building exercises. But for the average player? I’m skeptical. Most people just want to solve the daily puzzle and move on with their lives. Creating puzzles requires extra effort, and let’s face it – not everyone has that Wordle genius gene. The real test will be whether this becomes a lasting feature or just another novelty that fades after the initial excitement. Remember when everyone was making their own Spotify playlists? Exactly.
