Two daily puzzles, one difficulty curve
Morning Crossword publishes two fresh puzzles each day: the 5x5 mini and the 7x7 Midi. The mini is designed to be quick — the site says most people finish it in one to three minutes — while the Midi is the larger option, with a 7x7 grid and more clues and longer answers.
The bigger difference is difficulty. The mini stays easy for now, but the Midi runs on a weekly schedule. If Friday’s Midi feels noticeably harder than Monday’s, that’s by design, not chance.
The Midi’s weekly difficulty schedule
The Midi’s difficulty is set by the day of the week. According to Morning Crossword’s own schedule:
| Days | Midi difficulty |
|---|---|
| Monday, Tuesday | Easy |
| Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday | Medium |
| Friday, Saturday | Hard |
The week builds from an easy start to a hard finish, with Sunday sitting at medium rather than joining Friday and Saturday at the top.
What to expect from each day
The difficulty labels are the best way to know what you’re getting into before you open the grid.
- Monday and Tuesday are the easiest Midi puzzles of the week. These are good days to try the 7x7 for the first time or to solve when you don’t want a heavy mental lift.
- Wednesday and Thursday are medium. They should feel like a step up from Monday and Tuesday, but not a dramatic jump.
- Friday and Saturday are the hard days. The site’s hardest Midi puzzles are saved for the end of the week, so these are the ones to tackle when you have more time and focus.
- Sunday is medium. It’s a weekend puzzle, but it doesn’t carry the hard rating that Friday and Saturday do.
How the Midi differs from the mini
The mini and Midi are separate daily puzzles with separate identities.
The mini is a 5x5 crossword made for speed. Most people solve it in one to three minutes, and for now it stays easy. The Midi is a 7x7 grid with more clues and longer answers, which naturally makes it a bigger commitment. The Midi also has the weekly difficulty ladder, so the same grid size can feel very different on Tuesday versus Saturday.
If you want a quick, predictable solve, the mini is your puzzle. If you want a daily challenge that ramps through the week, the Midi is where that progression lives.
How to choose your Midi day
Use the schedule to plan when you play:
- New to the Midi? Start on Monday or Tuesday, when the week’s easiest puzzle is available.
- Want a middle-ground challenge? Play Wednesday, Thursday, or Sunday for a medium-rated solve.
- Looking for the real test? Save Friday or Saturday for when you have enough time to work through a hard grid.
- Not sure what today is? Check the Midi’s rating before you start, since the difficulty is tied to the day, not to your own experience level.
FAQ
Does the mini get harder during the week too?
Not right now. The site says the mini stays easy for now. The weekly difficulty ladder is currently a Midi feature.
Is Sunday one of the hardest days?
No. Sunday’s Midi is rated medium. The hard slots are reserved for Friday and Saturday, which is why the Midi tends to peak at the end of the week.
