What is a midi crossword?
A midi crossword is a mid-sized grid that sits between the mini and a full daily puzzle: a few minutes to solve, with light themes. Free, no login.
The middle ground between mini and full-size
A midi crossword is a mid-sized puzzle, typically built on a grid somewhere between 9×9 and 11×11. That's roughly four times the area of a 5×5 mini, but still a fraction of the 15×15 weekday or 21×21 Sunday grids that define traditional crosswords. The format isn't new — constructors and indie publishers have used the "midi" label for years — but it found a wider audience after major outlets, including the New York Times, launched their own daily midi puzzles.
Why the format exists
Most solvers don't have thirty quiet minutes for a Sunday, but a one-minute mini can feel over before it starts. A midi answers that gap. There's enough room for a light theme, a couple of longer marquee answers, and a handful of clever crossings, but the whole thing still fits inside a coffee break or a commute. Typical solve time lands somewhere between three and five minutes once the format becomes familiar — quick enough to do daily, substantial enough to feel like a real puzzle.
What to expect when solving
Clues in a midi tend to sit halfway between the punchy, pun-forward style of a mini and the denser wordplay of a full crossword. Expect a mix: a few definitions, a couple of fill-in clues, the occasional cryptic-leaning twist, and one or two theme entries that share a hidden link. Because the grid is larger, answers can run longer than five letters, so guessing from a single crossing letter is rarely enough — the fun is in the intersections.
Midi crossword vs. mini at a glance
The mini is a warm-up: 5×5, often themeless, solvable in under a minute once the clues click. A midi keeps that approachable feel but adds depth — space for misdirection, for a theme to develop across multiple answers, and for the kind of "aha" moment that usually only shows up in larger grids.
Where to play one
Midi puzzles are increasingly tucked behind subscriptions and apps. This site publishes a fresh midi every day at midnight UTC, free to play in any browser, with no account, no paywall, and no install. The archive is always open for catching up.