Have some down time? Check out the revamped L.A. Times games

A screenshot of a Los Angeles Times web page of 20 colorful boxes with buttons to play various online games

Dec. 29, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Sunday. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

We’ve got new favorites and classic games.
Climate change may take down California’s piers.
Valley fever cases surge in California, already way up from recent years.
And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

Check out our games

One of America’s enduring traditions is waking up on Sundays to complete the local newspaper’s crossword puzzle. The scene is often an individual or a couple in pajamas, sipping coffee or tea and tapping on their tables or chairs with a pencil as they ponder.

It’s an act that dates back to 1913, when the former New York World newspaper is believed to have run the first crossword puzzle.

While the Los Angeles Times boasts a robust Daily Crossword, its newly revamped Games section has so much more to offer.

There’s new takes on old classics and stalwarts, along with an emphasis from the Games team to draw 21st century subscribers more in favor of digital innovations. And they’re all free.

Let’s take a quick peek.

A yellow cartoon flower with arms and legs, wearing sunglasses and walking

Wordflower

The L.A. Times’ newest addition to the Games family, “Wordflower,” has a familiar feel for fans of the New York Times’ wildly popular “Spelling Bee.”

Challenge yourself each day to find words of four or more letters using the letter at the center of the flower. Advance based on the quantity and length of words you find. Can you make it to Golden Poppy?

We love “Wordflower,” and we think you will too for some of its features.

For instance, “Wordflower” features a timer not seen in similar versions, and you don’t have to toggle between screens to see what words you’ve already selected.

Maybe most important, “Wordflower” places the total number of words needed to be found in an obvious place the player can see.

2 adjoined squares, one white and one black, with cartoon faces, arms and legs, in front of a blue and black crossword puzzle

Daily Crossword

Play the nation’s oldest newspaper crossword free every day, and challenge friends to beat your time.

Check back each day for a new puzzle and to browse our recent archive.

The upgraded crossword enables the user to play in a larger and easier-to-use setting, which is mobile friendly for those who want to play on the go.

The puzzle is published every day at 9 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

2 adjoining squares, one white and one black, with cartoon faces, arms and legs, in front of a red and black crossword puzzle

Mini Crossword

Challenge yourself daily with a free mini version of the classic crossword puzzle.

Can you solve the Mini in minutes — or seconds? Play a new puzzle every day or browse the archive.

A white square with a cartoon face, arms and legs, and 4 smaller squares with the numerals 3, 1, 9 and 8 in various colors

Sudoku

Test your savvy with a new classic numbers puzzle every day, and come back daily for more free puzzles.

You can start on easy mode and ride your way up four levels to expert.

Conquered expert mode? Try Impossible Sudoku for the ultimate challenge.

A black square with a cartoon face, arms and legs, holding a pencil next to the word "solve"

Word Search

Speaking of classics, unwind by hunting for words on the day’s themed list.

They’re hidden horizontally, vertically, diagonally and backward.

Come back daily for a new theme or to browse the recent archive.

A black square with a cartoon face, arms and legs, holding a drink cup bearing a question mark

News Quiz

Hopefully, you’re already familiar with our popular news quiz.

This is where your range, from pop culture to history, science and current affairs, gets challenged.

Test your knowledge and memory of this week’s stories with 10 California-leaning multiple-choice questions about the week in news — straight from our quizmaster.

There are plenty more games to check out here. Have fun!

The week’s biggest stories

Remnants of a structure sinking into the sand and water in front of a bluff as a dog and person pass

Climate change, weather and animal news

California’s piers may not be able to withstand climate change.
Windy wonderland: Gusty conditions expected at Mammoth Mountain this weekend.
Big Bear’s celebrity bald eagles kick off mating season. Will fans finally meet a chick?
L.A. County health officials warn pet owners to avoid raw cat food after a feline dies of bird flu.

Crime, courts and policing

‘Ghost stops’: Lieutenant claims LAPD officials were warned about a troubled gang unit.
Go phish! Scammers target FasTrak system users with threatening texts.
Family of a man killed during a confrontation with a deputy sues the Sheriff’s Department.
Suspect arrested in deadly Santa Monica hit-and-run that killed a Vietnam veteran.

Holiday heartbreak and elation

He planned to propose to his girlfriend on New Year’s Eve. But he died trying to save the ring from a Christmas Day fire.
Organizer of a Christmas fair in southern Mexico is gunned down at the holiday event.
Greg Gumbel, longtime NFL and college basketball broadcaster for CBS, dies at 78.
‘Baby Driver’ actor Hudson Meek dies at 16 after falling from moving vehicle.
Winning $1.22-billion Mega Millions ticket is sold in California.

USC, Dodgers and other sports highlights

Column: USC players stepped up during a Las Vegas Bowl win. Now Lincoln Riley must do the same.
Column: By re-signing Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers raise the financial stakes even higher.
Here are 11 Fernando Valenzuela murals to visit in L.A.: ‘He did so much for the Mexican community.

More big stories

Trump advisor warns California cities not to block immigration enforcement.
Need to take the bus or rail on New Year’s Eve? L.A. Metro offers free rides.
Former Morrison Hotel, made famous by a Doors album, destroyed by fire in downtown L.A.
What to know about infectious diseases during this holiday season.
Bad Bunny teases 2025 album ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos,’ debuting in January.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and long-form journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

(Courtesy of Albert Sanders/Courtesy of Albert Sanders)

Albert Sanders Jr., the boy with the big dreams and the bigger drive, was scared. He was angry. Worried. He wanted to become a lawyer, to wow courtrooms just like Ben Matlock and Perry Mason did on his family’s clunky console TV. But in 1994, when he was 14, that dream suddenly seemed beyond reach, hence the anger and worry.

More great reads

Varsity Gray: A Times investigation into what really happened in the college admissions scandal.
Column: Fans are heard, title hopes are solidified, Teoscar Hernández is back with Dodgers.
Denis Villeneuve isn’t at peace. And he’s OK with that.
Move over, Champagne. A new wave of California sparkling wines is changing the bubbly game.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your weekend

Photo of a woman on a background of colorful illustrations like a book, dog, pizza, TV, shopping bag, and more

Going out

☕ Actress Justine Lupe spills the beans on her Sunday Funday, which includes coffee at Highland Park’s Amara Kitchen.
❄️ If you still want that winter magic, here are 25 things to do in L.A. to feel like you’ve walked into a holiday movie.
🎊 Ring in 2025 with 25 exceptional New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day meals.
🍸 Always changing, always interesting: This must be Beverly Hills.

Staying in

📚 We’ve got the top selections for the new year with 10 books to add to your reading list in January.
🕎 ‘Hanukkah on the Rocks’ offers Hallmark’s usual holiday joy, but with a menorah.
🥂 Ring in the new year with 10 bottles of California bubbly that will pop your top.
🧑‍🍳 That marvelous smell and melting goodness conjure up memories and magic. Here’s our recipe for cinnamon rolls.
✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, Sudoku, word search and arcade games.

L.A. Affairs

Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

A colorful illustration of a low restaurant with a blue awning and plantings and a sign reading "Ichima Sushi" in red

Through first dates and internships, there was always that one sushi shop in Pasadena. It’s where they celebrated birthdays and green card arrivals. It’s where she found calm during high times and anxiety, and where they celebrated anniversaries. Now, more than seven years into their relationship, the shop has served an unexpected monument to their love.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Carlos Lozano, news editor

Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.