The crossword puzzle has been a daily ritual since Arthur Wynne published the first one in the New York World in 1913. Over a century later, crosswords are more popular than ever, and the digital versions have brought them to a whole new generation.
Nobody pays to be on this list, and we earn nothing when you click through to a game. Read how we choose and review games.
1. NYT Crossword
Developer: The New York Times | Released: App launched 2014
Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy (Monday) to extremely hard (Saturday) | Price: NYT Games subscription (~$6/month)
Where to play: Website · App Store · Google Play
The gold standard. Will Shortz has edited the NYT Crossword since 1993, and the daily difficulty curve from Monday (accessible) to Saturday (brutal) is one of the best design systems in puzzle gaming. The Mini crossword (5x5) is free and takes about a minute. Over 10 million subscribers as part of the NYT Games bundle.
2. LA Times Crossword
Developer: Los Angeles Times | Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy to hard | Price: Free
Where to play: Website
Widely considered the best free daily crossword. The difficulty curve mirrors the NYT's Monday-through-Saturday progression with consistently high puzzle quality. For players who want a daily crossword without a subscription, this is the answer. If the clues are new to you, start with how to solve a crossword.
Screenshot: LA Times Crossword, Los Angeles Times.
3. The Guardian Crossword
Developer: The Guardian | Platforms: Web (free, no account required)
Difficulty: Varies by type | Price: Free
Where to play: Website
Multiple crossword types daily: Quick (standard), Cryptic (British-style wordplay), Prize (weekend challenge), and Quiptic (accessible cryptic for beginners). Cryptic clues hide wordplay and double meanings. If you want to learn them, the Quiptic is the best starting point anywhere.
Screenshot: The Guardian Crossword, The Guardian.
4. Crossword Explorer
Developer: PlaySimple Games | Released: 2019
Platforms: iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy to medium | Price: Free (ads + IAP)
Where to play: App Store · Google Play
A mobile-first crossword with themed puzzles, daily challenges, and a world-travel progression system. Over 10 million downloads. It sits between traditional crosswords and casual mobile gaming: simpler clues, smaller grids.
Screenshot: Crossword Explorer, PlaySimple Games.
5. CodyCross
Developer: Fanatee | Released: 2017
Platforms: iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy to medium | Price: Free (ads + IAP)
Where to play: App Store · Google Play
Crossword puzzles wrapped in an adventure game: an alien explores themed worlds, and each level is a crossword built around that world's theme. Over 50 million downloads. Clues are trivia-based rather than wordplay-based, appealing to a different audience than traditional crosswords.
Screenshot: CodyCross, Fanatee.
6. Shortyz Crosswords
Developer: Robert Cooper (open source) | Released: 2011
Platforms: Android only
Difficulty: Varies | Price: Free (no ads)
Where to play: Website
An open-source app that pulls free crosswords from dozens of publishers (USA Today, The Atlantic, Newsday and more) into one clean interface. One app, dozens of daily puzzles, no fees.
7. Crossword Jam
Developer: PlaySimple Games | Released: 2018
Platforms: iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy | Price: Free (ads + IAP)
Where to play: App Store · Google Play
Swipe letter tiles to fill in a small crossword grid. No clues, just the grid and a set of letters. The format is very popular with casual players who find traditional crossword clues off-putting.
Screenshot: Crossword Jam, PlaySimple Games.
8. Puzzazz
Developer: Puzzazz Inc. | Released: 2012
Platforms: iOS, Web
Difficulty: Medium to hard | Price: Free app; puzzle books $2–$5 each
Where to play: Website · App Store
A platform selling puzzle books from top constructors. Clean interface, high-quality puzzles, and you pay per book with no ads or subscriptions. For serious solvers who want quality over quantity.
Screenshot: Puzzazz, Puzzazz Inc.
9. USA Today Crossword
Developer: USA Today / Andrews McMeel | Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy to medium | Price: Free
Where to play: Website · App Store · Google Play
Another excellent free daily crossword. USA Today's puzzles are generally easier than the NYT's, making them a good entry point for beginners. The web version needs no login and loads fast, which suits a quick puzzle break.
Screenshot: USA Today Crossword, USA Today.
10. Crossword Forge
Developer: Sol Robots | Platforms: PC, Mac, Web
Difficulty: N/A (construction tool) | Price: $20–$50
Not a game to play, but a tool to make your own crosswords. If solving puzzles has made you curious about building them, this is where constructors start. Making a crossword is surprisingly addictive, and it gives you a new appreciation for the puzzles you solve.
How to pick one
If you are new to crosswords, start with the LA Times or the USA Today puzzle. Both are free, both run easy early in the week, and neither will punish you for not knowing the house style. Once Monday and Tuesday feel routine, the NYT subscription earns its money: the difficulty climb across the week is the best training curve in the hobby, and the archive means you never run out. Cryptics are a separate skill. Treat the Guardian's Quiptic as a beginner course rather than a harder version of what you already do. And if you find yourself noticing how a grid was built rather than just solving it, Crossword Forge is the natural next step.
Quick Guide
| If you want... | Try... |
|---|---|
| The gold standard | NYT Crossword |
| Best free daily | LA Times |
| Learn cryptic crosswords | The Guardian (Quiptic) |
| Casual mobile | CodyCross or Crossword Explorer |
| Dozens of free puzzles | Shortyz (Android) |
| Make your own | Crossword Forge |
Enjoy word puzzles? Try Pairdle, a daily word game that tests logic instead of vocabulary.
By Tim Nye, Logic Loft Games
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