What is NYT Mini Crossword?
The Mini is a small crossword, usually five squares by five, designed to be solved in a minute or two. The clues are short and friendly, often playful, and there are no obscure crossword-only words to learn first, which makes it a gentle way into crosswords for beginners. For regular solvers the appeal is speed: the timer invites you to beat your personal best, and many people compare times with friends. It has been part of The New York Times' puzzle collection since 2014 and grew into one of the most played crosswords in the world. In 2025 it moved behind the New York Times Games subscription, so you will need one to play. If you already subscribe for other games, it is a lovely quick addition to your daily set. If not, the free crosswords elsewhere on dailyfika are a good place to start.
How to play
- Click a square and type your answer for that clue.
- Switch between across and down clues as you go.
- Fill every square correctly to finish. The timer records your time.
Quick facts
- Typical time
- 1–3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Price
- Needs a New York Times Games subscription.
- Account
- Yes. You need a New York Times account with a Games subscription.
- Past puzzles
- Subscribers can also play past Minis.
- On a phone
- In the browser, or in the NYT Games app for iPhone and Android.
- Grid
- Usually 5×5 squares. Saturday's is a little bigger.
Tips to get better
- Take one pass through every clue first. Fill in what you know straight away and skip the rest. In a grid this small, a few sure answers hand you letters for everything else.
- Start with the fill-in-the-blanks. Clues with a gap in them, like '___ and cheese', are usually the quickest to get.
- Let the crossings do the work. Stuck on an across clue? Solve the downs that run through it. Three letters out of five are usually enough to see the word.
- Match the grammar of the clue. A plural clue has a plural answer, and a past-tense clue has a past-tense answer. That often gives you the last letter for free.
- Racing the clock? Read the next clue while you type the current answer. Most of your time goes on reading, not typing.
Who it's for
The Mini is for anyone who wants the feeling of finishing a crossword without setting aside half an hour. It's friendly enough for beginners and quick enough to race against friends. The catch is the price: since 2025 it needs a subscription, which is a lot to pay if the Mini is the only thing you'd play. In that case, The Atlantic Crossword on a Monday is the closest free match.
