Apple is enhancing its subscription service, Apple News+, by introducing more games. On Thursday, the company announced the launch of the Emoji Game, an original title that will join existing offerings like Crossword, Crossword Mini, Sudoku, and Quartiles in both the U.S. and Canada.
Bundling games with other services has proven effective for user engagement, as seen with The New York Times and LinkedIn. While Apple hasn’t disclosed user numbers for its games, it claims many subscribers join News+ primarily for the puzzles.
Launched to coincide with World Emoji Day, the Emoji Game combines logic and wordplay, inspired by emoji communication. In this daily game, players aim to solve phrases using emojis while completing the puzzle in the fewest moves.
For example, if the word “appear” is presented, players might see “ap” followed by four blank spaces, and they would drag the emoji for a pear into the blanks. The puzzles will often involve more challenging combinations and abstract thinking.
Players can unveil clues if needed, but this will cost them a move. Each day features multiple phrases, with a perfect score achieved by finishing in six moves. Leaderboards allow users to track their performance against friends and other players. Upcoming iOS 26 will enable users to challenge friends through the new Games app.
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To enhance the gameplay, the Emoji Game incorporates Genmoji, custom emojis created using Apple Intelligence, offering a wider range than the standard emoji keyboard. For instance, a Genmoji of a blender and a tomato could represent the word “purée.”
Developed in partnership with The Puzzle Society (now GoComics) and edited by Apple puzzle editors, the game is now rolling out to Apple News+ subscribers on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Users on iOS 18.4 and later will automatically gain access without needing to update their app.
In addition to games, the News+ subscription provides access to over 400 premium publishers, narrated audio, local news, sports, and a new recipe-saving feature called Apple News+ Food.
SOURCE: TECH CRUNCH
