When Wordle became the most popular game to play during school and workdays, senior Kendall Gleason gave in to the pressure and began her fascination with the New York (NY) Times games.
The New York Times has released an abundance of games and puzzles for users to complete, and FHC students are no exception to this participation.
“I play Connections, the Mini Crossword, the Crossword, and the Wordle every day,” Kendall said. “I was bored in class, so I looked up the Wordle because everybody was doing it a couple of years ago, so I started, and I got addicted. Now, I play every day in class when there’s nothing to do. [Aside from that,] I play it mainly because of my streak; I get better every time I do it, so it’s a bit of an ego boost.”
Kendall’s enthrallment with these games has grown over time, and they have become a staple in her everyday life.
However, as anybody can understand in regard to any hobby, she has her qualms.
“I wish [the games] were free and there were unlimited tries for everything,” Kendall explained. “With Connections, you only have a few tries, and with the Crossword you have to pay for it. I pay for it either way because I’m addicted, but it’d be nice if I didn’t have to.”
It’s a really good brain break between classes without losing your train of thought. You’re still using your brain, but it’s in a much more fun way.
— Ashley Hibma
Similarly to Kendall, other FHC students share a similar appreciation for these puzzles, including junior Norah Hemsley.
Norah plays both the New York Times games and the spinoffs of them, like the Wordle variations.
“I play Connections, Wordle, Mini Crossword, Spelling Bee, Globle, and Quordle,” Norah said. “I like to do stuff that still uses my brain, and it’s somewhat educational, so it’s still like school but more fun and relaxing.”
Norah also dislikes the concept of needing to pay for the games, but she plays to the best of her ability regardless, her strategies helping her exponentially.
“It’s annoying,” Norah said, “because I’ll be going through the Spelling Bee, and then I’ll get around 10 words in and then it’ll say that I have to pay to keep playing. It gets annoying, so I do wish they’d make it free. I have different strategies; for the Globle, I always start with Ukraine since it’s somewhat in the middle, so I use that one and it gets me thinking quicker.”
Like Norah and Kendall, junior Ashley Hibma finds solace in the NY Times games, using them as a daily escape from the stress brought on by schoolwork.
Also having started during the rise of Wordle, Ashley holds strong in her dependence on the games to get her brain working in a fun way.
“I play Connections, Wordle, Quordle, Sudoku, and Waffle,” Ashley said. “I like the satisfaction of winning the game, and I like trying to work through it in my brain. It’s a really good brain break between classes without losing your train of thought. You’re still using your brain, but it’s in a much more fun way.”
With this, she understands that these games are made for anybody and everybody. There is a game for every skill set, thus the basis of its appeal to so many students at FHC.
While every game isn’t perfect for Ashley, she appreciates the fact that there is such a sense of diversity and accommodation through the platform.
“Some of the games are so hard for my brain to understand,” Ashley said. “Obviously, there are enough games that, whatever way your brain works, you can always find something. Some of them just don’t work well with my brain. Letterbox doesn’t work for me; I just can’t figure out how to do it in my head, so I would change that one to be more appealing to my brain but there’s enough to choose from that it’s fine.”
Ashley’s devotion to the games is not without difficulty, but she has figured out the most effective tricks to ensure her success.
“For Wordle, I always start with ‘adieu’ and then ‘slimy,’” Ashley explained. “That gives me most of the telling letters. For Connections, I always start with the most obvious things, and then after that, I find the others that could be even remotely similar.”
Ashley, Norah, and Kendall alike all appreciate the New York Times for their implementation of these games and puzzles, as do countless other students at FHC and people across the world.
Especially as a high school student, it is important to find a source of calm to participate in throughout the day.
“They’re such a good brain break, and I’d recommend [playing them] if you don’t feel like doing your schoolwork,” Ashley said. “Most people just talk or whatever, but it’s a fun and educational way to make sure your brain is still working while also calming yourself down a bit.”
