The Atlantic has 5 games, all accessible from the games hub on desktop computers and the Games tab on the updated version of The Atlantic app. To play a game, scroll to the icon of the game you want to play and click Play. The archives to past games are also accessible via that same hub, under the “Play” button.
Crossword
The Atlantic crossword is a mini puzzle that gets bigger and more difficult every day, with a full-size themeless puzzle every Sunday. The puzzle goes live at midnight ET.
Each crossword includes the ability to solve alongside a friend (Social Play) by clicking the icon to the right of the timer on the top left corner above the puzzle.
You can reveal or check your answers by clicking the Assist drop-down menu on the top right corner above the grid.
You can print your puzzle by clicking the print button on the top right corner above the grid.
You can also customize your solving experience by clicking on the settings button on the top right corner above the grid.
Bracket City
Bracket City is a daily word game where nested clues resolve into other clues, eventually revealing a fun fact from today in history. New puzzles go live every day at midnight ET.
You can start by typing an answer to any bracketed clue highlighted in light blue into the input bar on the bottom. If it’s right, the clue will disappear and the answer will become part of the next clue. If you’re wrong, it will say “incorrect.”
If you’re stuck, you can tap on any light-blue clue to peek at the first letter of the answer or reveal it entirely.
To play the tutorial, click on the question mark on the top right corner of the puzzle.
To change settings, including dark mode and hard mode, click on the exclamation mark on the top left corner of the puzzle.
To access the archives, click on the date in the center above the puzzle.
Stacks
Stacks is a daily word puzzle where the goal is to drop words on top of each other in an order and position that creates new words going across. New puzzles go live every day at midnight ET.
Click on a word in the bank at the top of the puzzle to get it ready to drop. Click the arrows on either side of the selected word to move it left or right to test out different positions.
Click the drop button below the selected word or the down arrow on your desktop keyboard to make a drop. Undo a drop by clicking the “Undo Drop” button at the bottom of the stack.
When a word has been dropped in the right stack, it will turn green.
To play the tutorial, click the question mark on the top right corner of the puzzle.
To play on hard mode, with no silhouette and limited Undo Drops, click the gear icon on the top right corner of the puzzle.
Fluxis
Fluxis is a daily word game where the goal is to build words off the end of previous words through given categories to create a circuit looping back to the original word from the other side. New puzzles go live every day at midnight ET.
Starting with the word on the top, input a word in the given category that’s built off the end of the previous word. If the word is built off the end of the previous word, the first part of the connection will light up green.
Then, make sure the word you’ve input fits the given category. If the word fits the category, the second part of the connection will light up green.
When the word is both built off the end of the previous word and also fits the category, the entire connection will light up green. Keep this process going until you complete the whole circuit by connecting the final entry back to the beginning of the original word.
The more overlaps you create between each word, the more points you get. These overlaps are measured on the top left corner of the game. The target score for each puzzle is represented on the top right corner of the game. The goal is to finish the game with enough overlaps to meet or beat the target score.
To play the tutorial, click the question mark on the top right corner of the puzzle.
Caleb’s Inferno
Caleb’s Inferno is a variation of the crossword that gets more difficult as you solve downward. This puzzle is published monthly on the back page of the print magazine. Online, it’s published the Sunday before the print magazine is released.