【Mother】

LinkedIn — the platform where your boss humblebrags about "leading with empathy" while denying your raise — is Motherdoubling down on its casual games suite.

The app is rolling out a games widget that puts word and logic puzzles just a tap away from your home screen. The games widget launched in May 2024, but this update makes them easier to access without opening the app. Competing with viral puzzles like The New York Times' Wordle and Connections, LinkedIn wants to keep users engaged longer.

Whether this boosts retention or just delays résumé updates, the platform is betting on distraction.

Its games page offers four options: Pinpoint, Crossclimb, Tango, and Queens. Pinpoint, the most Wordle-like, is a word-association challenge. Crossclimb functions as a trivia ladder "inspired by a mini crossword." Tango swaps numbers for symbols in a sudoku-style puzzle, while Queens is a grid-based logic game.

The widget, launching Wednesday, will automatically update to display your last played time and current streak count. Director of Product Lakshman Somasundaram says installation instructions will go live on LinkedIn the same day.

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