Strands, a game created by the New York Times, has recently moved out of beta and into the official Games app, potentially drawing more attention from fans of Wordle and Connections. The rules of Strands involve finding hidden words that fit a specific theme. Players must uncover three words of four letters or more to reveal one of the theme words and progress through the puzzle. The game also includes a special theme word called a spangram that spans the entire puzzle, summarizing the theme. Once all theme words and the spangram have been discovered, every letter on the board will be used.
To play Strands, users must search for words related to the daily theme provided. Finding a theme word will result in it lighting up in blue and remaining visible. Additional hint words can be found to provide clues to the theme words. Collecting three hint words, each with a minimum of four letters, will prompt the game to reveal a theme word. If players struggle to unscramble the word, finding three more hint words will highlight the letters of the theme word in order. The ultimate goal is to uncover all theme words and the spangram, utilizing each letter on the board without any overlap.
Today’s Strands puzzle theme showcases the phrase “I think we’re covered,” with clue words such as RICE, HELL, SALE, STAG, and others providing hints to the hidden words. The answers for the puzzle include words like HOOD, PONCHO, GAITERS, and UMBRELLA, all tying into the overarching theme. The spangram for the day is RAIN GEAR, representing the full breadth of the puzzle’s topic. Players must strategically identify words on the board to progress through the game and unlock all elements of the theme.
While Wordle and Connections may receive more recognition, Strands offers a challenging and entertaining gameplay experience for word puzzle enthusiasts. The official inclusion of Strands in the New York Times Games app post-beta could attract a wider audience to the game. With specific rules and strategies, players must carefully select words related to the daily theme to unravel the puzzle. By uncovering hint words and theme words, users can progress through the game and ultimately complete the puzzle by utilizing all letters on the board in a structured manner.
