Mini Crossword
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Mini Crossword is a free daily crossword made for seniors. Each puzzle is a small 5 × 5 grid with about ten words, so you can finish one over a cup of tea. The clues are plain and friendly, with everyday words, no obscure crossword jargon and no trick questions. Pick a theme to start: Around the House, In the Kitchen, Garden, Animals, Weather & Seasons, Travel, Music or Remember When.
The letters are big and the squares are easy to tap. Choose a square and the clue appears in a large bar above the grid; tap the square again to switch between Across and Down. Type with the big on-screen keyboard on a phone or tablet, or with your own keyboard on a computer. If a word has you stumped, Reveal letter or Reveal word fills it in for you.
Choose Easy, Medium or Hard. Easy fills in the first letter of every word and checks each letter as you type, turning a wrong one amber so you can simply type over it. Medium checks each word once it is filled in. Hard leaves the checking to you with a Check puzzle button. There is no timer, no lives and no game over, so every puzzle is a calm, satisfying workout for vocabulary, memory and word recall.
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Are these crossword puzzles free?
Yes. Mini Crossword is completely free to play online — no payment, no ads, and no account required.
How big are the puzzles?
Each puzzle is a 5 × 5 grid with about ten words of three to five letters, so a puzzle takes a few relaxed minutes rather than an hour.
Are the clues hard?
No. The clues use plain, everyday words with no crossword jargon, abbreviations or trick questions, and each puzzle has a friendly theme such as the kitchen, the garden or music.
What if I don't know an answer?
Use Reveal letter to fill in one square or Reveal word to fill in the whole answer. On Easy and Medium the game also checks your letters and turns a wrong one amber so you can type over it.
Can I play on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The game has its own large on-screen keyboard, so the phone's keyboard never covers the puzzle. On a computer you can type with your own keyboard and use the arrow keys.
Is it suitable for someone living with dementia?
Easy mode is a good fit: the first letter of every word is filled in, each letter is checked as it is typed, and there is no timer or penalty, so it can be done side by side with a caregiver at any pace.