How to Play Mini Crossword

A fresh 5x5 crossword every day. Quick clues, beat the clock.

Rules checked: 22 September 2026 · Super King Games

Mini Crossword is a compact 5x5 word puzzle you can finish in a few minutes. Black squares split the grid into short across and down words, each with a quick clue. A timer starts the moment the grid appears, and your score is simply 600 minus the seconds you took, so speed and accuracy both matter. It is the crossword for a tea break, not a Sunday afternoon.

The daily puzzle is selected from a curated bank using the date on your device. People on the same calendar date get the same grid; different time zones can show different dates. Free Play rotates through puzzles you have not seen. Daily solves build a streak, while Reveal spends virtual coins and is recorded on the result.

Controls

• Touch: tap a cell to select it; tap it again to switch between Across and Down. Type on the on-screen keyboard.
• Desktop: click a cell and type; Backspace or Delete clears a letter.
• Space, Tab or Enter jumps to the next word; Shift+Tab goes back.
• CHECK marks wrong letters in red. REVEAL fills the selected cell for 20 coins.

How to play, step by step

1. Choose DAILY PUZZLE or FREE PLAY.
2. Read the clue bar for 1 Across and type; the cursor advances on its own.
3. Tap a cell twice to flip to the crossing Down word and use letters already placed.
4. Fill the short words first; they seed the longer entries.
5. If the grid is full but not solved, tap CHECK and fix the red cells.
6. Solve every word to stop the clock, then share or start the next puzzle.

Rules and scoring

• 5x5 grid with black squares; every white cell belongs to an across and/or a down word.
• Score = 600 minus seconds taken, never below 0.
• Coins: 60 for the daily, 40 for free play.
• REVEAL costs 20 coins per letter and the count appears on your result. CHECK is free.
• Only the daily counts toward your day streak. Fastest time is saved as a personal best.

Tips to score higher

• Start with a clue you know, then use its crossing letters to narrow down nearby answers. The easiest starting word depends on the grid.
• Do not sit on a clue. Tab to the next word and return with crossings filled.
• Type down a column when you know the answer; it fills several across entries at once.
• Use free CHECK before paying for Reveal; usually one letter is wrong and the crossing makes it obvious.
• The grid shakes when full but wrong. That is your cue to CHECK immediately.
• Every ten seconds costs ten points, so read the clue bar instead of hunting for lists.

Modes and challenges

• DAILY PUZZLE: one grid per date shared by all players, 60 coins, counts toward your day streak.
• FREE PLAY: random unseen puzzles from the bank, 40 coins each; once you have seen them all the rotation resets.
• Personal best tracking and share-my-time text for either mode.

Worked examples

Fix a crossing without paying for a reveal

1. Tap a white cell and type your Across answer. Tap the selected cell again to switch to the crossing Down clue.
2. If the Down answer disagrees with an existing letter, use Check to highlight mistakes. Check is free.
3. Correct the conflicting letter and continue. Reveal fills one selected cell for 20 virtual coins; you can finish the puzzle without using it.

Read your result correctly

1. A solve in 2 minutes takes 120 seconds, so the score is 600 − 120 = 480.
2. A solve beyond 10 minutes scores zero, but it is still a completed puzzle. Daily and Free Play have different coin rewards.
3. Only the daily counts toward the daily streak. Compare time and reveal count when challenging a friend, rather than comparing coins.

When something looks wrong

The grid is full but the clock is still running.

At least one letter is incorrect. Use the free Check button, fix the red cells, and compare the Across and Down clues at each crossing. Filling every square is not enough: every answer must match.

My friend has a different daily puzzle.

Daily selection uses the calendar date on your device. Check the date shown under Daily Puzzle on both devices, especially around midnight or across time zones. Free Play deliberately chooses a different puzzle from the daily.

I cannot type into a revealed square.

Reveal fills and locks that selected letter. Choose another white square to keep solving. It spends 20 virtual coins; Check only marks mistakes and costs nothing.

Frequently asked questions

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