NYT Games vs Block Blast!
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
NYT Games is the better app overall, scoring 8.4 to 7.3. NYT Games wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Block Blast! on 1.
Word and logic fans who like a daily puzzle ritual
Commuters who want a quick, offline block puzzle for spare minutes
Score by score
The details
| Feature | NYT Games | Block Blast! |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Puzzle & Word Games | Puzzle & Word Games |
| Category rank | #3 of 12 | #11 of 12 |
| Developer | The New York Times Company | Hungry Studio |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | — |
Common questions
Is NYT Games better than Block Blast!?
NYT Games is the better app overall, scoring 8.4 to 7.3. NYT Games wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Block Blast! on 1.
Which is cheaper, NYT Games or Block Blast!?
NYT Games: Wordle, Connections and Strands are free; a Games subscription unlocks the rest. Block Blast!: Free with ads; optional App Store subscriptions from $4.99 a week. On value for money, NYT Games scores higher.
Do NYT Games and Block Blast! work on the same devices?
Only NYT Games runs on Web.
Which is more private, NYT Games or Block Blast!?
Block Blast! scores higher on privacy (5.6/10). App Store label: identifiers and usage data may be used to track you; user content, identifiers, usage data and diagnostics may be linked to your identity.
Strengths and weaknesses
NYT Games
- Fresh puzzles every day across many styles
- The biggest names, Wordle and Connections, stay free
- Stats, streaks and friend leaderboards built in
- Heavy tracking listed on the App Store label
- The Crossword and archive need a subscription
- The App Store listing notes ads in the app
NYT Games is the best daily puzzle habit you can build on a phone. Wordle, Connections and Strands cost nothing, and a subscription adds the famous Crossword, the new Midi, the full Spelling Bee and an archive of more than 10,000 past puzzles. Bots that grade your Wordle and Connections play add a nice coaching layer. The catch is privacy: the App Store label lists a lot of tracking.
Full NYT Games review
Block Blast!
- Learn it in seconds, with real strategy in combos
- Plays offline, no Wi-Fi needed
- Short rounds fit any spare minute
- Ads interrupt the free version
- Weekly subscription pricing is steep
- Thin on depth beyond chasing scores
Block Blast! is the block puzzle that has dominated download charts, and it's easy to see why. You drag shapes onto an 8x8 grid, clear full rows and columns, and chase combos for a high score, with an Adventure mode and daily puzzles for variety. It works offline. The free version leans on ads, though, and Apple Arcade subscribers can get an ad-free edition instead.
Full Block Blast! review
