A Mini Crossword is a full crossword with the difficulty taken out and the time cut down. The grid is small, the clues are few, and the whole thing is over in a couple of minutes.
That makes it the crossword people actually keep up with. A daily habit survives when it costs two minutes and dies when it costs forty.
How to play Mini Crossword
A small grid, a short clue list, one new puzzle a day.
- Click a square to select it. Click again to switch between across and down.
- Type. The cursor moves along by itself.
- Arrow keys move square by square, Tab moves to the next clue.
With a grid this small every square is crossed, so a single confirmed answer usually unlocks two more. There is no reason to work in order.
Check and reveal are there if a clue refuses to give.
Tips and strategy
- Solve the longest entry first. In a small grid the long answer touches almost everything else.
- If nothing looks obvious, fill in the vowels you are confident about. Even one correct vowel narrows a short answer to a handful of options.
- Do not overthink. A mini clue rarely hides a pun, because there is not enough grid to recover from a wrong guess.
- Come back tomorrow. The value of a mini is the streak, not the single puzzle.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does a Mini Crossword take?
A couple of minutes for most people, sometimes under one once you are used to the format.
Is the Mini Crossword easier than a full one?
Yes, mostly because it is shorter. The clues are written to be solved quickly rather than to resist you.
Is there a new mini every day?
Yes, a new grid daily.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The small grid suits a phone screen better than a full crossword does.