Apple has added a daily Emoji Game puzzle to Apple News+ that asks players to complete words and phrases using emojis and Genmojis created with Apple Intelligence. The new game joins the existing suite of Crossword, Mini Crossword, Quartiles, and Sudoku and is available to subscribers in the United States and Canada.
How the Emoji Game Works
Each day, players receive three puzzles with blank spaces in words or short phrases. Below each puzzle sits a panel of standard emojis and custom Genmojis. To solve a clue, the player drags the correct emoji into the blank. For example, the puzzle DISAP_ _ _ _ can be completed by dragging the pear emoji 🍐 to form DISAPPEAR. Some puzzles require more abstract thinking since the same emoji may fill different words based on context.
Subscription and Access
Emoji Game is exclusive to Apple News+, which costs $12.99 per month for the whole family. Subscribers can play on devices running iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, or macOS 15.4 and later. Non‑subscribers may try a daily sample, but full access to archives and all puzzles requires an active News+ plan.
Other Puzzles and Features
Apple News+ already offers a range of daily puzzles, including the full Crossword, a shorter Mini Crossword, Quartiles, and Sudoku. All game progress can be tracked in Game Center leaderboards or shared via Messages, Mail, and social platforms. A clue feature lets players ask for hints at the cost of additional moves.
Apple’s Strategy for Engagement
The success of The New York Times’ Wordle demonstrated the power of simple daily puzzles in driving user engagement. Apple aims to capture the same spirit by blending familiar emojis with brain-teasing gameplay. Lauren Kern, editor‑in‑chief of Apple News, described the game as approachable yet fun and a natural addition to the Apple News+ puzzle collection.
What Comes Next
This fall Emoji Game will come to the all-new Apple Games app, alongside other News+ puzzles, as a place to get a daily challenge. The company is also extending its services ecosystem by introducing interactive content, which keeps subscribers coming back to it day after day.
The Genmoji puzzles seem just a good example of how Apple Intelligence can diversify even something as down-to-earth as a word game. The Emoji Game and Genmoji puzzles, news subscribers on News+, offer a new opportunity to check the level of knowledge and enjoy a little daily fun by testing their language skills.
