On August 21, a Greenwich Village bar became the epicenter of puzzle enthusiasm as The New York Times Games hosted its first live event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Mini Crossword game. Held at Rocco’s Sports & Recreation, the gathering featured a live Mini Crossword competition, which was hosted by “Saturday Night Live” cast member Ego Nwodim.
The event was free, with tickets allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and attendees enjoyed an evening dedicated to the crossword community without any overt commercial objectives from the Times.
The event was designed as a fan appreciation night rather than a revenue-generating opportunity. The New York Times did not sell merchandise or subscriptions at the event, although it did distribute free Times-branded finger sweatbands as souvenirs.
The Mini Crossword game, introduced in 2014, was initially developed to offer a daily, accessible puzzle that could be enjoyed for free, contrasting with the challenging nature of the main New York Times crossword, which is part of a subscription service.
New York Times Games Hosts First Live Mini Crossword Event in Greenwich Village with Ego Nwodim
Despite the non-commercial nature of the event, it was clearly seen as a valuable marketing opportunity by the New York Times, with a dedicated marketing team on-site to manage operations. The event drew significant interest, with the venue reaching full capacity before the official start time, and a line of eager attendees stretching around the block.
Leading up to the event, over 17,000 scores were submitted for consideration in the “Mini Hall of Fame,” underscoring the game’s popularity.
The evening brought together notable figures from the crossword community, including NYT Games influencers and top puzzle solvers like 2024 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament champion Paolo Pasco, who won the live competition.
Pasco expressed his excitement about the lively and fast-paced atmosphere of the event, noting that it was unlike any other crossword tournament he had attended, especially given the unique hosting by Ego Nwodim.
The success of this inaugural event highlighted the strong and growing fandom surrounding NYT Games, which has expanded its puzzle offerings far beyond the popular Wordle. While Wordle played a significant role in boosting NYT Games’ profile, other games like Connections, Spelling Bee, and the long-running Crosswords have contributed to its success.
Although The New York Times has not confirmed plans for future live events, the enthusiasm from attendees suggests that there would be strong interest in more such gatherings, potentially creating new opportunities for the company in the live event space.
age of interest.
“If there are similar events in the future, I’ll absolutely be there,” said attendee Cameron Montag, who placed third in the competition, with a time of 11 seconds on the penultimate puzzle. “Any chance to mingle with the puzzle community and do some solving is worth it in my book.”
