What is NYT Letter Boxed?
Letter Boxed puts twelve letters around the sides of a square, three on each side. Your goal is to use every letter at least once by making a chain of words. Each new word must start with the last letter of the previous word, and consecutive letters in a word cannot come from the same side of the square. The game suggests a target number of words, but the real challenge many players chase is solving it in just two. That turns it into a satisfying search for long, unusual words that cover lots of letters at once. There is no timer and no fail state, so you can come back to it throughout the day. It suits people who like anagrams, Scrabble and slow, thoughtful puzzling. Letter Boxed is part of the New York Times Games subscription, so you will need one to play.
How to play
- Make a word by clicking letters, never using two letters in a row from the same side.
- Your next word starts with the last letter of the previous one.
- Use all twelve letters within the suggested number of words.
Quick facts
- Typical time
- 5–15 min
- Difficulty
- Medium · a two-word solution is hard
- Price
- Needs a New York Times Games subscription.
- Account
- Yes. You need a New York Times account with a Games subscription.
- Past puzzles
- No. The Times keeps archives for its word games and crosswords, but not for this one.
- On a phone
- In the browser, or in the NYT Games app for iPhone and Android.
Tips to get better
- Deal with the awkward letters first. If there's a J, Q, V or X, find a word for it before anything else. The common letters will take care of themselves.
- Think about endings. The last letter of each word starts the next one. A word that ends in S, T or C gives you plenty of options. One that ends in a rare letter can strand you.
- Go long. Long words cover more letters. Look for endings you can attach, such as -ING, -TION, -MENT or -ABLE, if the sides allow it.
- Check the sides. Two letters from the same side can never sit next to each other in a word. That rules out a lot, including every double letter, so check before you get attached to a word.
- Solve it, then shrink it. Finish the puzzle in any number of words first. Then look at your chain and see which words could be merged or replaced. Many puzzles can be done in two.
Who it's for
Letter Boxed suits people who like to chip away at a problem. There's no clock and no way to fail, only the itch to do it in fewer words. On days when the letters are unfriendly it can feel like work, and some perfectly good words are refused. It's for subscribers only, so think of it as a bonus rather than a reason to sign up.
