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The Mini CrosswordNYT Style Daily Puzzles
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Sunday, October 25, 2026Daily Edition
Free Daily PuzzlesResets at Midnight

The Mini Crossword & Daily Logic Arcade

Play free daily 5×5 mini crosswords, word deduction games, and logic puzzles inspired by the classic New York Times Games aesthetic. 100% free with no subscription or paywall.

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Day Streak
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Solved
Today's Featured Puzzle5×5 Grid

Harbor Heights

The signature 5×5 Mini Crossword with bite-sized clues. Designed for quick, satisfying solving on desktop or mobile.

Sample Clue • 1 Across (5 Letters)

“Tall wading bird or heavy construction hoist”

Play The Mini
Est. solve time: 1–2 minutes
1C
2R
3A
4N
5E
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Daily 5×5 Grid

All Daily Games

Select your puzzle of choice. All games refresh daily with personal streak tracking.

6 Daily Games
Word LogicEasy

Daily Mini Crossword

The daily 5x5 grid puzzle with bite-sized clues.

2 min
Play
DeductionMedium

Word Guess

Guess the secret 5-letter word in 6 tries.

3 min
Play
Category AssociationChallenging

Connections Categories

Group 16 words into 4 distinct secret categories.

4 min
Play
Honeycomb VocabularyMedium

Spelling Bee Honeycomb

Build words using 7 letters with a mandatory center.

5 min
Play
Combinatorial LogicMedium

Mini Sudoku 6x6

Fast-paced 6x6 number grid with pencil marks & hints.

3 min
Play
Letter TransformationMedium

Word Ladder

Transform one word into another, one letter at a time.

3 min
Play
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Solver's Honor Roll

Full Ledger →
First Victory
Solve your very first daily puzzle.
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Speed Demon
Solve any puzzle in under 60 seconds.
0/1
Weekend Warrior
Maintain a 3-day solving streak.
0/3
NYT Games Standards

Clean, Fast, and Uncompromised

Honoring the New York Times Games tradition of accessible, intelligent casual word puzzles with zero paywalls.

Iconic Highlight Palette: Sunny yellow active cells and soft sky blue word vectors.
Native Mobile Keyboards: Effortless typing with automatic device keyboard focus.
Progressive Web App: Full offline support directly from your home screen.
Ready for today's puzzle?Play The Mini
Frequently Asked Questions

About The Mini Crossword & Daily Arcade

Everything you need to know about our daily puzzles, mobile keyboards, streaks, and offline play.

What is The Mini Crossword Puzzle?

The Mini Crossword Puzzle is a free, fast-loading casual puzzle hub offering daily brain games including a 5×5 Mini Crossword, Word Guess (Wordle style), Connections Categories, Spelling Bee, 6×6 Mini Sudoku, and Word Ladder.

Is The Mini Crossword Puzzle free to play?

Yes, 100% free! All daily games, past archives, and leaderboard rankings are accessible with zero subscriptions and zero paywalls.

How often do new daily puzzles come out?

Puzzles refresh daily at 12:00 AM midnight. Solvers can also replay past editions anytime using the comprehensive Puzzle Archive.

Can I play offline on mobile devices?

Yes! The app is configured as a Progressive Web App (PWA). You can install it on your iOS or Android home screen to solve crosswords and logic puzzles on the subway or plane without internet access.

Does it support native smartphone keyboards?

Yes! Tapping on any grid cell automatically focuses your native iOS or Android keyboard, and you can toggle the on-screen keypad whenever preferred.