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 on the page lists earlier days. The last two are free with an account, and older ones are for DailyPlay+ members.

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 15 by 15 Maxi.