About Encore

Encore is a free daily crossword from Mind Loft, and it is the long one. Nine squares by nine on weekdays, with around twenty-six numbered Across and Down answers, so it asks for a few minutes rather than a few seconds. If you want the sprint version, that is Emcee, our five by five mini.

Every grid is fully checked, which means every letter you write belongs to both an Across answer and a Down one, so a crossing always confirms you. The words are everyday words and the clues play fair. The grid checks itself when the last square lands: wrong squares flash red and each failed check counts against you on the leaderboard, where ties break on fewest checks and then fastest time.

A new grid drops every day at midnight Eastern, and the Sunday Edition steps up to eleven by eleven with around forty-four answers. No app, no signup, play free in your browser, keep a streak and race the daily leaderboard. More word puzzles: Crux, our clueless crossword, Links, our word-grouping puzzle, and Garble, our daily unscramble.