The Daily Cryptic

The Daily Cryptic is a single-clue cryptic puzzle with a newspaper look: a masthead, a dated issue number and a byline for the setter, Kit. Each day there is one hand-set clue, such as Texas Democrat makes waves thrashing orca tail (8), with a row of boxes for the answer and a Check button. A right answer with no help used is stamped a Front-Page Solve.

If you are stuck, the Editorial Desk hands out help one piece at a time. It first tells you what kind of clue it is, such as an anagram or a charade, then can show the indicator, the definition and the fodder, or reveal a letter. Each reveal counts against the day's Press Par, and a full reveal walks through how the wordplay builds the answer. The Newsroom posts the previous day's answer with its parsing and a short video.

You can play as a guest with no account. A free Press Pass account saves your streak across devices and earns a reader rank; the archive of back issues also needs an account, and the site says accounts made before 1 January 2027 get it free for the launch year. There is also a community page of reader-set clues to solve and rate, a clue setter, beginner guides and a cheat sheet of clue types. Some months carry a theme: October 2026 was movie month, and November is announced as a Sherlock Holmes murder mystery month.

The first issue was dated 1 September 2026, and the site shows no ads; it is funded by readers through Buy Me a Coffee and its own puzzle book. It suits cryptic regulars who want a quick daily clue and beginners who want to learn how cryptic clues are put together.