Strands, a word puzzle game, is a lesser-known sibling of the popular New York Times games Wordle and Connections. Recently moving out of beta, Strands can now be found in the New York Times’ official Games app, potentially attracting more players. The rules of Strands are detailed in this article, with hints and clues provided to assist players in solving the puzzles. The goal of Strands is to find hidden words related to the puzzle’s theme, with each word of four letters or more unlocking hints to reveal the theme words. The answers for the daily Strands puzzles are also included, along with the spangram, a special theme word that spans the entire puzzle.
To play NYT Strands, players must use the daily theme to search for words related to that topic. By dragging or clicking the letters in order and submitting guesses, players can uncover theme words that light up in blue. Hint words, which are words with at least four letters, provide clues to the theme words when three are found. The game rewards players by highlighting the theme word when three hint words are discovered. Additionally, players must search for the spangram, a special theme word that spans the entire puzzle and summarizes the puzzle theme. To complete the puzzle, every letter on the board must be used in either a theme word or the spangram, with theme words filling the entire board without overlapping.
For each day’s Strands puzzle, a theme is provided to guide players in finding words that fit the topic. If players struggle to solve the puzzle, hint words can be used to unlock clues and reveal the theme words. The answers for the daily Strands puzzle are also shared, including the spangram which contributes to completing the puzzle. Players are encouraged to search for words related to the theme and use the clues provided to uncover the hidden words. With the recent move of Strands to the New York Times Games app, more players may discover and enjoy the challenging and entertaining word puzzle game, along with its unique gameplay mechanics and puzzle-solving strategies.
