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Zorse Lives On: NYT Beta Game Archive & Last Puzzle

Rule of thumb about ending stuff

NYT Zorse Beta Has Ended – But We Want to Keep the Fun Alive!

The New York Times officially ended its beta game, Zorse, on January 12th, 2025, leaving fans of this clever phrase mash-up wanting more. While the game is no longer active, you can still explore the full archive of past puzzles right here.

And don’t worry— Zorzzle is here to keep the fun going! It’s our new puzzle game where two phrases come together as one, blending the best of Zorse with the excitement of Puzzle and Wordle!

What is Zorse?

Zorse was an exciting phrase-guessing game from The New York Times, available in its beta phase exclusively in Canada. It challenged players to decipher clever mashups of two phrases, blending wordplay and logic for a unique and mentally stimulating puzzle experience. Sadly, Zorse was retired on January 12th, 2025, leaving many fans disappointed. It was part of NYT's expanding portfolio of digital puzzles, offering something fresh for those who enjoy thinking outside the box. Although the game has ended, we continue to celebrate Zorse’s clever design and creativity.

How to Play Zorse

Objective

In Zorse, your goal was to figure out a clever mash-up phrase that combined two separate phrases into one. The clue at the top of the screen would hint at both components of the combined phrase. The twist? One or more words from each phrase overlapped to form the mash-up. For example, "Man of few words" + "Words of wisdom" gives you "Manoffewwordsofwisdom."

Clues

To help solve the phrase, players could tap a square to reveal a letter. With 5 reveals available, each would show that letter in every spot it appeared. The challenge was to guess the phrase before using all the reveals!

Submit

Once ready, players could tap "Enter a Phrase" to submit their guess. Each player only got one shot, with the answer revealed afterward.

Zorse Scores

The score was represented by ranks—🐴🦓🐎🏇🎠🦄—ranging from "Nice" to "Perfect," based on how many reveals you used. Players aimed for "Perfect" by using fewer reveals!

Explore All Past Zorse Puzzles

Since its launch on October 8, 2024, Zorse featured daily mash-up puzzles. Although the game has ended, fans can still revisit the fun with the full archive of past puzzles below.

Navigate to answer date

January 2025
  • NYT Zorse January 12, 2025

    Rule of thumb about ending stuff

    Answer: EVERYTHING MUST GO OUT WITH A BANG

  • NYT Zorse January 11, 2025

    What the creators of Zorse attempted to do

    Answer: REINVENT THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

  • NYT Zorse January 10, 2025

    “Hurry, get over that moat ASAP!”

    Answer: “QUICK ON THE DRAWBRIDGE!”

  • NYT Zorse January 9, 2025

    *So* not impressed by Apollo 11 any more

    Answer: OVER THE MOON LANDING

  • NYT Zorse January 8, 2025

    Successfully kick your hangover’s butt

    Answer: WIN BY A HAIR OF THE DOG

  • NYT Zorse January 7, 2025

    “This new plan came to me while cleaning the storm drain”

    Answer: I CHANGED MY MIND IN THE GUTTER

  • NYT Zorse January 6, 2025

    Make an X over your sternum, slightly to the left of center

    Answer: CROSS YOUR HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE

  • NYT Zorse January 5, 2025

    Dolly Parton’s tribute to internet videos

    Answer: “I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUTUBE”

  • NYT Zorse January 4, 2025

    Pessimist’s caution to a happy optimist

    Answer: “WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN IN THE DUMPS”

  • NYT Zorse January 3, 2025

    “This huge animal is here to eat cake!”

    Answer: “THERE’S AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM FOR DESSERT”

  • NYT Zorse January 2, 2025

    “If Mr. Shortz is around, we’ll hear some clever puns and witicisms!”

    Answer: WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY WITH WORDS

  • NYT Zorse January 1, 2025

    Successfully kick your hangover’s butt

    Answer: WIN BY A HAIR OF THE DOG

December 2024
  • NYT Zorse December 31, 2024

    “Sesame Street” muppet’s last time saying “3, 2, 1”

    Answer: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN FOR THE COUNT

  • NYT Zorse December 30, 2024

    Decide it’s finally time to watch that 1962 classic you’ve never seen

    Answer: FACE “THE MUSIC MAN”

  • NYT Zorse December 29, 2024

    Bits of adornment for a Best Kindergarten Art Project trophy

    Answer: GOOGLY EYES ON THE PRIZE

  • NYT Zorse December 28, 2024

    What Aladdin said to Jasmine before flying faster than anyone has ever flown on a magic carpet

    Answer: “I CAN SHOW YOU THE WORLD RECORD”

  • NYT Zorse December 27, 2024

    What an Olympic judge might have after watching an athlete make a splash

    Answer: DIVING-IN-HEAD-FIRST IMPRESSION

  • NYT Zorse December 26, 2024

    Instructions for completing a contract while on a desert island

    Answer: “SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE IN THE SAND”

  • NYT Zorse December 25, 2024

    Christmas song with lots of extra features

    Answer: CAROL OF THE BELLS AND WHISTLES

  • NYT Zorse December 24, 2024

    Popular lifestyle magazine’s exciting announcement about their Christmas issue

    Answer: “SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN AND COUNTRY!”

  • NYT Zorse December 23, 2024

    Best. Nana. Ever.

    Answer: ALL-TIME GREAT GRANDPARENT

  • NYT Zorse December 22, 2024

    Really, really expensive mutton dish

    Answer: AN ARM AND A LEG OF LAMB

  • NYT Zorse December 21, 2024

    Like a movie that takes place surrounded by big famous rocks

    Answer: SET IN STONEHENGE

  • NYT Zorse December 20, 2024

    “Who hosts ‘The Great British Bake Off?’” and “Who starred in ‘The Mighty Boosh?’” for two

    Answer: NOEL FIELDING QUESTIONS

  • NYT Zorse December 19, 2024

    Motto for a go-getter in the orchestra

    Answer: ALL WORK NO PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE

  • NYT Zorse December 18, 2024

    What you might see if you turn some old clothes into a nest

    Answer: A BIRD IN THE HAND-ME-DOWNS

  • NYT Zorse December 17, 2024

    Cry after dropping a Christmas cookie from a ship deck

    Answer: “GINGERBREAD MAN OVERBOARD”

  • NYT Zorse December 16, 2024

    Ethical landscaper who just happens to be a bit stoned

    Answer: THE MORAL, HIGH GROUNDSKEEPER

  • NYT Zorse December 15, 2024

    Season in which weenie roasts are most popular

    Answer: HOT DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

  • NYT Zorse December 14, 2024

    Bribe used to get a kid with a sweet tooth to be quiet

    Answer: ICE CREAM CONE OF SILENCE

  • NYT Zorse December 13, 2024

    What you might be having when your ‘do is mostly under control

    Answer: NOT-HALF-BAD HAIR DAY

  • NYT Zorse December 12, 2024

    Bit of advice on how to manufacture drama on reality dating shows

    Answer: “ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE TRIANGLES”

  • NYT Zorse December 11, 2024

    What you might might take at a late-night college party

    Answer: JELL-O SHOT IN THE DARK

  • NYT Zorse December 10, 2024

    What you might say when a you’re in a flow state with your sparring partner

    Answer: “WE’RE ON A ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES”

  • NYT Zorse December 9, 2024

    Advice about installing an 80-foot Christmas tree, e.g.

    Answer: “DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS”

  • NYT Zorse December 8, 2024

    Make your sodium pentothal last as long as possible

    Answer: STRETCH THE TRUTH SERUM

  • NYT Zorse December 7, 2024

    Like the crescent roll dough in pigs in a blanket

    Answer: WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER FOOD

  • NYT Zorse December 6, 2024

    Avoid Wile E. Coyote, watch out for TNT and falling anvils, etc.

    Answer: THE RULES OF THE ROAD RUNNER

  • NYT Zorse December 5, 2024

    Dedicated time set aside for listening to “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Say My Name”

    Answer: A DATE WITH DESTINY’S CHILD

  • NYT Zorse December 4, 2024

    What The Three Stooges participated in by a swamp

    Answer: SLAPSTICK IN THE MUD

  • NYT Zorse December 3, 2024

    What you might say at the end of renovation when it’s finally time to pick out a faucet

    Answer: “NOW I’VE SEEN EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK”

  • NYT Zorse December 2, 2024

    Shiftless layabout who’s not quite so bad

    Answer: THE GREATER GOOD-FOR-NOTHING

  • NYT Zorse December 1, 2024

    “If we want to get an Uber, we’ve got to go now!“

    Answer: “MOVE IT ALONG FOR THE RIDE”

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