Do we đź’– this? Just in time for World Emoji Day, Apple News Plus has launched Emoji Game in another indication that we will never have enough digital toys to entertain and divert us.
In the new game — available in English for News Plus subscribers in the US and Canada — players will try to fill in the blanks of three short phrases using a selection of emoji and genmoji using as few moves as possible. For example, if the phrase is “- – – – – of my – – -” (“Apple of my eye”), then you would use the 🍏 and đź‘€ emoji to fill in those blanked-out words.
There will be clues for each of the three phrases, but if the player chooses to reveal any of the clues, that will count as a move. Game Center leaderboards will track results, and players can share their accomplishments with friends and family on messages, email and social media.
“Emoji Game is the perfect addition to the Apple News+ suite of word and number puzzles, turning the emoji we use every day into a brainteaser that’s approachable and fun,” said Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News, in a press release.
Emoji Game will appear daily in the Puzzles section of the Apple News app, and Apple News Plus subscribers can also play the puzzle in the Apple Games app, which will launch later this year and will host Emoji Game as well as crossword, crossword mini, Quartiles and sudoku.
Only hours after the announcement, the r/apple subreddit was already popping with reactions:
- “I wish we had that in my country. I love the nyt games Id like to try apple ones”
- “I just tried it, it’s pretty fun”
- “Looks like fun!”
For now the game is available in English for Apple News Plus subscribers in the US and Canada and for iPhones, iPads and Macs running iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 or MacOS 15.4 or later. Apple News Plus costs $13 per month after a free trial period.
