The Daily ‘The Pyrotechnics of Puzzles:’ How NYT Games Are Made
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Oct 11, 2025 
Joel Fagliano, the creator of the Mini Crossword and an experienced NYT games editor, shares insights into crossword selection and the editing process. Sam Ezersky, digital puzzles editor, discusses his role in curating the popular Spelling Bee game, emphasizing word-list decisions based on accessibility. The duo reveals the delicate balance of clue difficulty, the importance of player feedback, and their passion for puzzle culture. They also reflect on their unique journeys into the world of crossword creation.
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Learning By Checking Answers
- Wyna started solving the paper crossword by hand and left blanks rather than looking up answers.
- She now recommends checking answers to learn and improve faster.
From Teenage Submitter To Editor
- Joel got his first Times puzzle published at 17 after sending submissions and getting feedback.
- He later cold-emailed for an internship and that led to his career at The Times.
A Pattern Lover's Path In Puzzles
- Sam fell into puzzle-making via a fascination with fill-in puzzles and patterns as a teenager.
- He published his first Times puzzle at 17 and pursued puzzle editing thereafter.
