A free alternative to the NYT Mini
If your morning mini now asks for a subscription or a sign-in, Chaosword is a free daily 5x5 you can play right away. No ads, no account, the same grid for everyone, and two bigger crosswords from the same day when you want more.
Why people look for an alternative
The New York Times Mini made the five minute crossword a daily habit for a lot of people. Over time, more of the NYT Games lineup has moved behind accounts and subscriptions, and plenty of solvers simply want a quick daily grid without signing up for anything.
Chaosword is not affiliated with The New York Times. It is an independent daily crossword that keeps the parts of the habit people care about: a small grid, a fresh puzzle every day, and a time you can compare with friends.
What carries over from the Mini
If you liked the Mini, these parts will feel familiar:
- A 5x5 grid every day that fits into a short break.
- One shared puzzle per day, so everyone solves the same clues.
- A running timer and a saved history of your solve times.
- Check and Reveal when you get stuck, with clean solves ranked on a leaderboard.
- Keyboard play on a computer and an on-screen keyboard on a phone.
What is different
The mini is only the first of three puzzles. Each day also brings a 7x7 Evening grid and an 11x11 Midnight grid. Some days they share a theme, and clues in the later grids can echo answers from the earlier ones, so solving all three feels like reading one story in three chapters.
Every clue is stamped INK for a straight definition, SMUDGE for a sideways angle, or RIOT for wordplay. The stamp tells you what kind of thinking a clue wants before you start guessing.
Challenge links let you send a friend the exact puzzle you just solved with your time attached. When they open it, the link preview shows who they are trying to beat.
Keeping a streak without paying
Your progress and streak are saved in your browser from the first puzzle, with no account. If you want the same streak on your phone and your laptop, you can sign in with a one-time email link. There is no password and nothing to buy.
Other free daily puzzles worth a look
A good daily routine often mixes a few games. Many newspapers still publish a free daily crossword on their websites, and word games like Wordle style guessers make a nice pair with a mini. Chaosword is built to be the crossword part of that routine: short when you want it short, and deeper when you have time.
Questions
- Is there a free alternative to the NYT Mini?
- Yes. Chaosword publishes a free 5x5 crossword every day with no ads and no account required, plus a 7x7 and an 11x11 from the same day.
- Is Chaosword affiliated with The New York Times?
- No. Chaosword is an independent daily crossword and is not connected to The New York Times or NYT Games.
- Can I keep a streak without an account?
- Yes. Your streak is saved in your browser. Signing in with an emailed link is optional and only syncs it across devices.
- Is the daily 5x5 the same for everyone?
- Yes. Everyone gets the same grid and clues each day, so you can compare times or send a challenge link.
- Does it work on a phone?
- Yes. It runs in any modern mobile browser with an on-screen keyboard. There is no app to install.