Comparison

NYT Crossplay vs Shiftogram

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

NYT Crossplay

Engage in a strategic 2-player word game that combines social interaction with competitive play. Build words using letter tiles, improve your vocabulary, and track your progress. Enjoy distraction-free gameplay with friends or against the computer.

Highlights
  • 2-player word game
  • Play with friends and family
  • In-game chat
  • Leaderboard competition
  • Cross Bot tips
  • Word of the day
  • Game history tracking
Read full description

Play with friends, compete and connect in Crossplay, the first 2-player word game from NYT Games that blends socializing and strategy. Play distraction-free and build words with letter tiles. Use built-in tools to learn, improve and win, or simply enjoy the challenge of this multiplayer game. App Features: PLAY • Take turns placing letter tiles on a shared word game board. • Build words and rack up points with easy-to-play, focused gameplay. • No in-app ads. Focus on your word game strategy. CONNECT • Easily play word games with friends and family. • Share strategies and friendly banter with in-game chats. • Grab your letter tiles and go word-to-word in this multiplayer game. COMPETE • Start a friendly competition and climb the leaderboard. • Play multiple word games against friends or random opponents simultaneously. • Get matched up with equal opponents. IMPROVE • Get tips from Cross Bot after every 2-player game and computer game. • Spell and sharpen your word game skills against the computer. LEARN • Expand your vocabulary with the word of the day and a built-in dictionary. • Check your game history and review your thewords you made on the game board. STATS • Track your progress and lifetime stats, including wins and losses, average scores, longest words and more. BY DOWNLOADING THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSPLAY APP, you agree to: • The New York Times Privacy Policy: https://www.nytimes.com/privacy/privacy-policy • The New York Times Cookie Policy: https://www.nytimes.com/privacy/cookie-policy • The New York Times California Privacy Notices: https://www.nytimes.com/privacy/california-notice • The New York Times Terms of Service: https://www.nytimes.com/content/help/rights/terms/terms-of-service.html • Crossplay Acceptable Use Policy: https://help.nytimes.com/35116654771220-Crossplay-Acceptable-Use-Policy

About

Shiftogram

This game offers a unique 4x4 mini-crossword experience where clues are randomized. Solve the clue, then strategically drag and drop letter tiles to fit words into the grid. A new puzzle is available daily to maintain your playing streak.

Highlights
  • 4x4 mini-crossword puzzles
  • Randomized clue order
  • Drag-and-drop tile placement
  • Daily new puzzles
  • Streak building
Features
Read full description

Shiftogram is a new take on a 4x4 mini-crossword puzzle- with a twist! Instead of numbered clues matching specific spots on the board, all of the clues are presented in a random order. First you solve the clue, then you figure out where each word belongs by dragging, dropping, and shifting letter tiles into the correct positions! A new puzzle is released daily- play each day to build your streak!

Screenshots

NYT Crossplay4 screens
Shiftogram4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shiftogram at none against NYT Crossplay's 3. Shiftogram also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 75%). NYT Crossplay's advantage is ratings volume (240K vs 7) and chart position (#18 vs unranked). On price, rating and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. NYT Crossplay sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Shiftogram asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for NYT Crossplay against 5.0 for Shiftogram. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NYT Crossplay has 240K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of NYT Crossplay's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shiftogram's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NYT Crossplay ships an update weekly, Shiftogram every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
NYT Crossplay versus Shiftogram: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNYT CrossplayShiftogram
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (240K ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings240K — better7
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#18 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size99 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe New York Times CompanyBradley Frizzell

Customer experience

NYT Crossplay

All ratings236,981 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews1,327 reviews
Positive75.2%
Neutral10.3%
Negative14.5%

Shiftogram

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

NYT Crossplay

Subscriptions3
  • Games - Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Crossplay - Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Crossplay - Annual$49.991 Year
None

Shiftogram

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NYT Crossplay free?
NYT Crossplay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shiftogram free?
Shiftogram is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NYT Crossplay or Shiftogram?
Shiftogram is rated higher. NYT Crossplay averages 4.9 out of 5 from 240K ratings, while Shiftogram averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do NYT Crossplay or Shiftogram have ads?
NYT Crossplay shows ads; Shiftogram does not.
Which is updated more often, NYT Crossplay or Shiftogram?
NYT Crossplay ships an update weekly, and Shiftogram every 2 weeks. Most recently, NYT Crossplay was updated on November 10, 2026 and Shiftogram on October 31, 2026.

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