A free mini crossword, fresh every day
The Morning edition is a 5x5 mini crossword that takes a coffee break to solve. It is free, it has no ads, and you do not need an account. When you finish, a 7x7 and an 11x11 from the same day are one tap away.
What a mini crossword is
A mini crossword is a small grid, usually 5x5, with ten or so short answers. It keeps everything people like about crosswords, the click of a word falling into place and the crossings that rescue you when a clue stumps you, and fits it into a few minutes.
Chaosword publishes three crosswords together every day. The Morning edition is the mini: a 5x5 warmup. The Evening edition is a 7x7, and the Midnight edition is an 11x11 capstone. You can stop after the mini or keep climbing.
How the daily mini works
A new set of puzzles goes live at midnight UTC, which is evening in the Americas and morning in Europe. Every player in the world gets the same grid and the same clues, so you can compare times with friends or send a challenge link with your time to beat.
- Tap a square and type. Arrow keys move, Space or Enter flips between Across and Down, and Tab jumps to the next clue.
- Check marks wrong letters in red without giving away the answer.
- Reveal fills a stubborn letter or word when you are truly stuck.
- Pause freezes the timer if the kettle boils mid-solve.
- On a phone, the on-screen keyboard keeps the grid in view.
Clues you can read at a glance
Every clue carries one of three stamps, so you know what kind of thinking it wants. INK is a straight definition. SMUDGE comes at the answer sideways, through a metaphor or a wry observation. RIOT is wordplay: a pun or double meaning that still points firmly at one answer.
The mini leans on INK and SMUDGE, which makes it a friendly place to start. The bigger editions bring more RIOT clues and, on themed days, a hidden link between the longest answers that is unmasked when you finish.
Tips for faster mini solves
Speed in a mini comes from crossings, not from knowing every word. A few habits help:
- Read every Across clue first and fill the ones you are sure of. Short grids give you many free letters.
- Then sweep the Downs. Two or three crossing letters usually make the rest obvious.
- Plurals and tenses travel together. If the clue is plural, the answer often ends in S.
- Do not stare at one clue. Move on and come back with more letters.
- Use Check sparingly. A clean solve with no checks or reveals earns a place on the ranked leaderboard.
Play past minis from the archive
Missed a day? The archive keeps every edition since launch on 31 August 2026. Each day has its own page with all three grids, so you can work back through the minis at your own pace or save the bigger grids for a weekend.
Questions
- Is the mini crossword free?
- Yes. All three daily crosswords, including the 5x5 mini, are free to play with no ads and no paywall.
- Do I need an account to play?
- No. You can play straight away. Signing in with an emailed link is optional and only syncs your progress and streak between devices.
- When does the new mini come out?
- A new trilogy goes live at midnight UTC every day. That is evening in the Americas and morning in Europe and Asia.
- Is the mini the same for everyone?
- Yes. Every player gets the same grid and the same clues on a given day, so times are directly comparable.
- How long should a mini crossword take?
- It varies by day and by solver. A 5x5 is built to fit into a short break. Your own times are saved so you can watch them drop.
- Can I play older mini crosswords?
- Yes. The archive has every edition since 31 August 2026, each playable in full.