Time and Business Insider follow New York Times Games playbook with puzzle launches

• Time's hub debuts with Market Movers, a fantasy prediction market game powered by real-time data.
• Business Insider has also rolled out a Mini games section, mirroring the same playbook.
• Both publishers are following the audience-engagement model proven by New York Times Games.

News publishers Time and Business Insider have launched puzzle destinations on their respective websites to follow the audience-engagement strategy pioneered by The New York Times Games.

The new Times hub features Market Movers, a fantasy prediction market game powered by real-time data, alongside Linked, a daily word-connection puzzle, classic titles including Sudoku and others. 

Business Insider's BI Games suite targets "curious, ambitious people" with four daily formats: Boxed, Pipeline, Knighthop, and Tally  (TipRanks) , designed for quick play during commutes, meetings, or short breaks.

Times said its games are optimised for mobile and desktop, with new challenges updated daily. Also, Select Time covers from the jigsaw will also be sold as fine art prints and physical puzzles.

The NYT effect

The launches reflect a growing trend among legacy publishers chasing the same retention loop that turned NYT Games into a subscription engine

New York Times Games, which PocketGamer.biz ranked 4th in its Top 30 US Mobile Game Makers 2026, has demonstrated that daily puzzles drive subscription retention and repeat visits at scale.

“Long before the internet, Time was pioneering interactive formats - from news quizzes to games - that gave readers a reason to engage beyond the headlines,” said Time COO Mark Howard.

“Time Games is a natural evolution of that spirit: building a daily habit with our audience, meeting them where they already are, and giving them something personal, playful, and distinctly Time to return to.”