The web continually demonstrates its appreciation for word puzzle games, as evidenced by the enormously favored selections from The New York Times.

Now, Apple appears to be stepping into this space. iOS 26, revealed this week at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), introduces a new “Emoji Game” for Apple News+ subscribers.

The game requires filling in gaps with emoji to finalize three phrases. Words or emoji may possess various meanings throughout the phrases, with the goal of solving the puzzle in the least number of moves.

Here’s a sneak peek of the game.

You drag emoji into empty slots to complete the puzzle. Those who are using the iOS 26 beta and are Apple News+ subscribers can begin playing the game today. It seems to follow a comparable format to the NYT’s games — a daily, shareable puzzle that logs your statistics.

Apple mentioned in a press release:

“Users can share puzzles, monitor stats and streaks, and compete with others via Game Center leaderboards. Emoji Game offers a daily puzzle accessible in the U.S. and to English-speaking users in Canada, and can be found in the Following tab of the News app.”

Should the Emoji Game gain traction, it might motivate more individuals to sign up for Apple News+. Yet, at $12.99 per month, it would have to be an exceptionally engaging game.