Daily Mini Crossword

About Daily Mini Crossword

DailyPlay is a small daily games site built by Chris Benjaminsen, a games industry veteran who runs it through his company GreatGamesNetwork ApS. He started it because he was tired of free puzzle games covered in ads, so the site shows none and is funded by optional subscriptions from players.

The Crossword Mini is the smallest of the site's three crosswords: a 5 by 5 grid with around ten clues, five across and five down. Each puzzle has a light theme tied to the date, for example a smiles theme on World Smile Day, and clues mix plain definitions with the odd bit of wordplay. A timer runs while you solve, and a hint button helps when a word will not come.

The puzzle resets at midnight and everyone gets the same grid, so you can compare times and share your result. Streaks and stats are kept in your browser, or across devices if you make a free account. A calendar lets you go back and play earlier days.

It suits anyone who wants a quick daily crossword without ads or a paywall. If the mini feels too short, the same site has a 9 by 9 Midi and a 13 by 13 Maxi.

How to play Daily Mini Crossword

1. Open the Crossword Mini page; today's grid loads with the timer running.
2. Tap a square or a clue to choose a word, and type the answer.
3. Move between across and down clues, using crossing letters to fill gaps.
4. Press Hint if you are stuck on a word.
5. Fill every square correctly to finish and see your time and streak.

Tips

• Read all ten clues first and fill the one you are surest of; in a 5 by 5 grid every answer crosses several others.
• Look at the date: the theme often links to something happening that day.
• Plurals and short common words often sit on the bottom row and right edge.
• Make a free account if you play on more than one device, or your streak stays in one browser.
• Use the archive to practise on earlier puzzles when today's goes quickly.

Questions