The New York Times Mini Crossword is a fun and simple younger sibling to the newspaper's legendary regular daily crossword. The Mini Crossword ( we publish the answers daily ) usually has only about six across-clues and six down-clues, and you can finish it in less than a minute if all goes well.

It makes me feel smart, unlike the big crossword, which sometimes makes me throw things.

But this Wednesday, some Mini Crossword players were met with a paywall. Going forward, anyone who doesn't pay for a Times subscription with a Games package will be required to subscribe if they want to continue solving the Mini Crossword.

Naturally, players were... well, what's a five-letter word for bummed out? UPSET?

"Each day that passes, a bit of happiness is placed behind a paywall," wrote one Red

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