Our Story

There are few morning rituals more regarded than a cup of coffee and a crossword puzzle. For some perhaps the ritual is to solve the puzzle before starting their day’s responsibilities, or to wind down in the evening. But no matter the time-of-day, crosswords are a solidified part of our culture. In fact, the New York Times has over 500,000 subscribers to their crossword app alone. Some may say the crossword is a lost art but the data speaks for itself. People love their puzzles! Black Rock City is our home away from home but we miss the joy and ritual of a daily puzzle, so a few years ago the idea for a crossword puzzle dome was born!

Fast forward to 2022 and in addition to the project having to wait a couple of years, the world has now been introduced to Wordle-mania. Are you as addicted as we are? If you’re not already doing the Wordle every day and sharing your results with family & friends, you may be after visiting Word Play Cafe!

Word Play Cafe will be the place for lovers of crosswords and other word games to gather, play and learn together. Come to the dome for morning coffee and crosswords. Relax in the shade in the afternoon and join a friendly word game contest, attend a talk by a renowned crossword constructor, or simply chill and work on a word puzzle by yourself in the company of other word play lovers. We’ll have special events for kids, and for adults. We will offer puzzles of different degrees of difficulty to support a sense of accomplishment for Burners at all skill levels. We aim to have two to three events per day. The dome will be an inclusive and accessible space. All are welcome in Word Play Cafe’s 30 foot diameter crossword theme decorated dome in the BLD Village.

We look forward to seeing you there!