Free Mini Crossword

A fresh 5×5 every day. No subscription, no account — free, always.

When The New York Times moved its Mini Crossword behind the NYT Games subscription in August 2025, a lot of morning routines broke. The mini was the quick one — two or three minutes with coffee. If you've been looking for that same quick crossword fix without another subscription, this is it.

DailyGrid's Mini Crossword is a proper 5×5: real interlocking Across and Down clues, a fresh puzzle every day at midnight Eastern, and a gentle Monday-to-weekend difficulty ramp. It's free — not a trial, not a teaser for a paid tier. There is no paid tier.

✏️ Play today's Mini — free How it works Mini strategy: the cascade method

Why players land here

💸 The daily puzzles are free. Always. No subscription, no "first week free."
🚪 No account. No email, no password — open the page and play.
📱 Any device. Runs in your browser on phone, tablet, or desktop; add it to your home screen if you like.
🔁 Never repeats. Every puzzle is checked against everything we've published, so you never see the same mini twice.
🔥 It counts toward your streak. The mini is one of ten daily games sharing one streak.

And nine more, while you're here

The mini is the gateway. DailyGrid has ten daily puzzles in all:

🔐 CipherA daily cryptogram — crack the code to reveal a quotation.Play free →
🪜 LadderWord ladder: turn one word into another, one letter at a time.Play free →
🔍 Word SearchFind the hidden words in the letter grid.Play free →
🔢 GridClassic Sudoku with a verified unique solution.Play free →
🖼️ PixelNonogram: paint by number clues to reveal a picture.Play free →
➕ KakuroCrossword meets Sudoku — runs that sum to their clues.Play free →
➰ SlitherlinkDraw one loop that satisfies every numbered cell.Play free →
🌉 HashiConnect the islands into a single bridge network.Play free →
💣 MinesweeperThe classic — every board logic-solvable, no guessing.Play free →

📬 Get the daily set by email The free daily email lands at 7 AM ET with today's puzzles. Sign up on the homepage — ten seconds, unsubscribe anytime.

More ways to switch

Comparing lineups? See our free alternatives to NYT Games, free alternative to Puzzmo, games without LinkedIn, and free alternatives to Apple News+ Puzzles.

Words are your shelf? All four word games together — Word Search, this Mini Crossword, Ladder, and Cipher — live on the daily word games page.

The New York Times and NYT Games are trademarks of The New York Times Company. DailyGrid is an independent puzzle site and is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by The New York Times Company.