How to play
Click a square to select; type a letter to fill it. Use arrow keys to navigate the grid. Click a clue to jump to its starting square. Toggle between across and down with the tab key or by clicking the orientation indicator.
Game features
- Fresh 5x5 puzzle daily
- Twelve clues per puzzle
- Three-second auto-save
- Optional reveal-letter and check-letter buttons
- Personal-best completion times
- Opt-in global leaderboard with anonymous default
Editor review
Crossword Mini is a 5x5 crossword puzzle, a format popularised by the New York Times Mini in 2014. Five-by-five grid. Six to eight clues (three or four across, three or four down). Solvable in two to seven minutes once you know the format. Designed for the bus ride, the lunch break, the doctor's-office wait, the moment you need to think about something other than work.
The puzzle quality is the whole point. Crossword Mini has 365 puzzles in its pack (one for each day of the year), and the quality is uneven. Maybe a third of them are tight and clever. Maybe a third are filler. The rest are okay. And some are just baffling, with clues that assume crossword-veteran vocabulary. I'd guess the design budget was uneven, and it shows.
Interface is fine. Tap a cell. Type a letter. Tab to the next clue when you finish a word. Backspace works as expected. Pencil-mode for tentative guesses. Reveal-letter as the cost of giving up on a clue. Standard. The mobile keyboard works on touch.
Three stars. Concept is right, execution is uneven enough that I'd recommend the actual NYT Mini if you can afford the subscription.
Math tutor turned freelance writer. Reviews puzzle and logic games, mostly the ones with an obvious right answer she got wrong on the first three tries.
Frequently asked questions about Crossword Mini
How do I play Crossword Mini?
Click a square to select; type a letter to fill it. Use arrow keys to navigate the grid. Click a clue to jump to its starting square. Toggle between across and down with the tab key or by clicking the orientation indicator.
Is Crossword Mini free to play in my browser?
Yes. Crossword Mini runs free in any modern browser. No installation, no signup, no payment required. Click the play button to load the game.
Does Crossword Mini work on mobile devices?
Crossword Mini runs in mobile browsers on iOS and Android with touch controls. Most puzzle games on FinanceMass support both desktop and mobile, though precision-heavy titles tend to play better on desktop with a keyboard or gamepad.
Who reviewed Crossword Mini on FinanceMass Arcade?
Maya Brennan reviewed Crossword Mini. Their full editor review appears above and their other coverage is available on their author profile.
Where can I find more games like Crossword Mini?
More puzzle titles are available on the Puzzle category page. Every game on FinanceMass has been played and reviewed by one of our three reviewers before publication.