The history of daily games: from newspaper crosswords to Wordle and beyond
How a 1913 "Word-Cross" puzzle, the Jumble, the sudoku craze and Wordle built the daily-puzzle habit, and where NYT Games, LinkedIn and the -dle boom fit in.
By PlayItDaily ·
Stories
Articles about daily games: where they came from, why they stick, and which ones to play next. Every fact links to its source.
Why daily puzzles are so addictive
One puzzle a day, the same for everyone, and a grid you can share without spoilers. What psychologists and designers say about why daily games stick.
By PlayItDaily ·
Best games like Wordle in 2026
Free daily games that keep Wordle’s formula and change one thing: more boards, math, geography, music, movies or other languages.
By PlayItDaily ·
The best daily geography games
Worldle, Globle, Tradle, Travle and more: free daily geography games for map lovers, and what each one tests.
By PlayItDaily ·
How Connections became the NYT’s second-biggest hit
From a June 2023 beta to billions of solves a year: how the New York Times’ grouping puzzle caught up with Wordle, with sourced numbers.
By PlayItDaily ·