I was inspired by this thread to go back and get queen bee today. I did use hints (just the two letter hints, I’ve never looked at reader hints) for the last three words and for the last word looking how many letters it had made all the difference. Not too many words today though.
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I know some of us are still working on today’s SB. Not really a spoiler but I was really shocked at one of the words.
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Agree, no hints! I didn’t even know Queen Bee existed until I got it. Genius is nearly always achievable, but QB is rare. I still play the print version in the NYT Sunday magazine too, but it’s much harder with a five letter minimum, and no reshuffle of letters to get a different view.
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Love it. Haven’t noticed the hints.
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I just started playing a few days ago and it’s become part of my daily routine (along with Wordle). I didn’t know about the hints so I’ll have to check that out. I’ve yet to achieve QB… didn’t know about it either.
Thanks for the tips!
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I have tried in the past but didn’t stick with it. Wordle is not my cup of tea. I’d like to try Spelling Bee again, and I have a NYT online subscription - does that not include playing Spelling Bee? I tried playing this morning and after I got 5 or 6 words it told me I needed a games subscription??
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There’s a separate games subscription you have to purchase. 
Boo!!!
Thanks to this thread, I made it to QB! I used the hints grid after achieving Genius on my own. 
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I often make Queen Bee, but never without the two letter list in the hints and mostly also using the hints in the comments. I try to get genius, or at least amazing, before going to the hints. I don’t have that much time to devote to the bee, so having the two-letter list helps me stop focusing on combos that don’t exist (e.g. hints show one word that starts with te, already found it, don’t look for more).
I like the comment hints because the bee can include obscure words or slang I just didn’t know. Otherwise, I just get frustrated and give up!
Some days I fly through it, others are a huge struggle to even get to great.
Happy Spelling!
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I am not aware of any games subscription. I do have the regular online subscription to NYT.
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I had no idea Queen Bee existed until this thread.
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I’ll try on my phone and see if that makes a difference. I swear I have tried playing before with no screen stopping me telling me I had to subscribe - but maybe I gave up too soon!
I play both wordle and spelling bee on my phone. I am signed in to my phone app.
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Yes, once I got addicted to the online version, I’ve struggled a lot and often skipped the Sunday print one.
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You do need a games subscription. I play this every morning, with my morning coffee but I am booted out within a few minutes. No way of getting to genius or queen bee. And think knowing my OCD tendencies, this is better for me. I’d be sitting there obsessing about the last few words!
I do look at yesterday’s answers each day - and usually there’s at least a word or two on there that I am really not familiar with, very baffled by.
Was that directed at me? Because I wasn’t making any statements about game subscription or not.
I subscribe to the NYT online so I get all the games with the NYTimes app. I play the daily crossword, Wordle, and the Spelling Bee. I do the crossword with my husband. Luckily, I’m retired so I do have the time. Plus, I hear keeping your mind active like this helps ward off Alzheimer’s. I have no data to support that but I like to believe it’s true.
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Not to drag down the thread, lol, with my questions about paying to play but I have tried signed into my account on my desktop, my phone through a Google search and through the NYT APP all prompting me that I need to sign up for a games subscription!
Maybe I have a lesser online membership- I pay $7.50/month.
I can live without it but it seemed like a “start of the school year” new routine to add!
Sorry, not directed at you. I was responding to @abasket’s question about requiring a subscription. As far as I can tell, one does need a special games subscription to play this in an unlimited fashion.
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