Wordcrux

Wordcrux calls itself a mini but deadly crossword. Each day there is one dated puzzle, the same for every player, built from five-letter answers in a small grid.

You type a valid five-letter word for a clue and press enter. Letters that are right are revealed and locked; a square where your letter was wrong gets a coloured outline, a second miss changes it again, and a third wrong letter in that same square ends the game. Unlike most minis, where a wrong guess costs nothing, every miss here counts, so the game rewards careful guessing and using crossing letters before you commit.

It is free in the browser, with statistics and an archive.

It suits crossword solvers who want a short daily grid with real stakes.