Can you play the NYT Spelling Bee without a subscription?
Playing the New York Times Spelling Bee is free until you reach the "Good" level. To reach the "Good" level, you need to score 8% of the possible points for that day's puzzle. For example, if there are 200 possible points, you need to score at least 16 points to reach the "Good" level.
As soon as you reach the "Good" level, you will be asked to subscribe to The New York Times to continue playing. You can subscribe to the New York Times Spelling Bee by visiting the Spelling Bee page on the New York Times website and clicking "Subscribe". You need to subscribe to the New York Times "Games", "All Access", or "Home Delivery" plans to play Spelling Bee; the "Basic" or any other subscription does not include Spelling Bee.
If you are subscribed to the New York Times and you are still getting cut off from playing Spelling Bee, you can check your subscription plan to make sure that it includes Spelling Bee. For more help, you can visit this help page or contact the New York Times customer service.