During its November 4–11, 2024 unfair-labor-practice strike, the New York Times Tech Guild published a collection of browser games for supporters while asking them to avoid NYT Games and NYT Cooking. The strike is over: Guild members ratified their first contract on December 19, 2024. The games were made by Guild members and supporters, not by The New York Times Company.
What were the Tech Guild’s strike games?
The Tech Guild’s Guild Builds page introduced its collection with the invitation “Games for you to play while we are on strike.” It listed word puzzles, matching games, arcade-style games, trivia, and other projects:
- Frogger 8th Ave
- Scabby’s Fair Contract Builder
- Match Strike
- Word Search
- Connections: Strike Edition
- Strikle
- STRIKEMAN
- Trivia and Jokes
- Mini Crossword: Strike Edition
- Guild Adventure
- Wide Guild Brick Breaker
The Guild described the games as projects by union members and supporters and stated that they “are not affiliated with the New York Times company.” They were part of the strike campaign, not commercial releases or official NYT products. The Guild also linked recipes and strike chants alongside the games.
The list grew over time. Fast Company reported seven games on November 7, 2024, and said Guild members made all but Strikle, which came from an outside supporter. The Guild’s page later showed a longer list. These are snapshots from different points in the strike, not competing counts of a fixed final collection. The Guild said the games might not receive new versions daily and would be updated when members could manage it.
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- The modern classic push your luck game of potions, explosions, and not being able to stop.
- NYT WIRECUTTER: Featured in “The best board games”
- WINNER of the prestigious Kennerspiel des Jahres award in 2018
- For 2-4 players, ages 13+
- 5 minutes to learn, 45 minutes to play
Why did the Guild make games during a strike?
The Guild asked Times subscribers to respect a “digital picket line” by not playing NYT Games, including Wordle and Connections, or using NYT Cooking during the work stoppage. Its own games gave supporters another way to spend time online while backing that request. The Guild called them its “tech-worker version” of strike publications, a reference to materials unions have used to communicate with supporters during labor actions.
The games also helped carry the campaign’s message beyond the workplace. The Guild’s website presented them alongside recipes and chants, connecting an informal online activity to the workers’ organizing effort. The project’s purpose was solidarity and visibility, rather than competing commercially with the Times’ games.
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- TRADE, BUILD, AND SETTLE: Use brick, wood, wheat, ore, and sheep to construct roads, settlements, and cities in your race to 10 victory points.
- REPLAYABLE AND ENGAGING: With a modular hexagonal board, no two games are the same, offering endless strategic opportunities and replayability.
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How many people played the games?
The NewsGuild of New York reported on December 11, 2024, that the games site had received more than a half million page views and more than 320,000 active users. Those are union-reported figures, not independently audited totals; page views and active users are different measures.
The Washington Post separately reported that more than 300,000 users visited the site, attributing that figure to the union. That wording is a distinct audience metric and should not be combined with the NewsGuild’s page-view or active-user figures.
Rank #3
- AWARD-WINNING STRATEGY BOARD GAME: Azul won the 2018 Spiel des Jahres. This draft and place game is inspired by Portuguese mosaic tiles to outscore rivals in this acclaimed game for adults and families
- TILE PLACEMENT & MOSAIC ART: Select tiles from shared factory displays, complete pattern rows, and build your stunning mosaic wall. Every placement decision shapes your score and your board
- BOARD GAMES FOR ADULTS & FAMILIES: Easy rules get you playing in minutes, yet deep tile placement strategy and draft & deny mechanics create satisfying complexity for experienced adult board gamers
- PERFECT BOARD GAME FOR TWO ADULTS: Azul shines in head-to-head 2-player duels and scales brilliantly to 3 or 4 players. New tile combinations each round make every game a fresh, replayable challenge
- GREAT GIFT ADULT BOARD GAME: Designed for 2-4 players ages 8 and up, 30-45 minutes playtime. Azul is consistently a top-rated mosaic board game worthy of any collection, family game night at home, road trips, vacations or gifts
When did the strike end, and what happened afterward?
The Tech Guild’s timeline dates the strike to November 4–11, 2024, and records “Zero Bargaining Sessions” during that period. The Washington Post reported that the strike ended November 11 after a majority of the roughly 600-person unit walked out. The Guild said the dispute involved workplace protections and bargaining issues; reporting on operational effects included differing claims from the company and the Guild.
The strike ended before the contract was settled. The NewsGuild announced a tentative three-year agreement on December 11, 2024. On December 19, the Tech Guild said members ratified their first contract, with 93% voting yes. The Guild’s retrospective lists gains including just-cause protections, salary minimums and annual raises, on-call pay, remote-work protections and return-to-office schedules, protections for gender identity, improved immigration and visa support, layoff protections, conference budgets, grievance and arbitration processes, member-led committees, and protections related to generative AI.
Rank #4
- Immerse your table in ancient Egypt with RA, an auction and set collection strategy board game where you bid with sun tiles, claim monuments and pharaohs, and grow your dynasty across three scoring epochs
- Deluxe edition production includes updated Egyptian inspired artwork, chunky tiles, custom sun tokens, and a large central board that improves visibility, table presence, and the tactile feel of every auction
- Supports 2 to 5 players and fits into weeknight game sessions, offering quick turns, shared tension along the RA track, and interactive bidding decisions that keep everyone engaged from start to final scoring
- Easy to teach yet strategically rich, RA rewards timing, risk management, and reading opponents, making it a strong choice for hobby gamers and families who enjoy interactive euro style board games
- Created by renowned designer Reiner Knizia and published by 25th Century Games, this edition refreshes a well loved auction design with modern production values and a welcoming, accessible table presence
The Guild’s timeline and retrospective are available at Times Tech Guild contract updates; the NewsGuild’s announcement provides the tentative-agreement date and its reported audience figures at New York Times Tech Guild reaches tentative agreement for first union contract.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you still play the games?
The Guild’s page is the primary source for the collection, but the sources do not establish whether every individual game link remains playable now. If you want to try one, check the Guild Builds page and the specific game link rather than assuming the entire collection is still online.
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- Udderly hilarious board game for family and friends game nights. Fun for big groups of 4-20+ players
- Easy to learn, quick to play and endlessly repayable board game. This version comes with 20 extra questions
- Think the same to win the game. Flip over a question and guess what your family and friends are thinking
- If your answer is in the majority, you win cows. If you’re the odd one out, you’re stuck with the pink cow of doom
- One of the best board games for families, adults, teens and kids aged 10+. Perfect icebreaker game. Easy and fun for everyone! Perfect as a Thanksgiving or Christmas game
For contemporaneous reporting, see Fast Company’s November 7, 2024 account, Engadget’s report on the Guild’s games, and The Washington Post’s report on the strike’s end.
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