Strands is a word puzzle game that is not as well-known as its New York Times game siblings, Wordle and Connections, but it can be just as challenging and enjoyable. Recently moving out of beta, Strands can now be found in the New York Times’ official Games app, potentially gaining more fans. The game involves finding words related to a daily theme, with the goal of unlocking all the theme words and a special spangram that summarizes the puzzle theme.
To play Strands, players must use the daily theme to search for words relating to that topic. By dragging or clicking on the letters in order, players can submit their guesses. When a theme word is found, it will light up in blue and remain visible. Finding other words in the puzzle serves as hints to guide players towards the theme words. Once three hint words are uncovered, the game will reveal a theme word. If players are unable to unscramble the theme word, they can find three more hint words to have the letters of the theme word highlighted in order.
The spangram is a special theme word in Strands that spans the entire puzzle, either horizontally or vertically. It serves as a summary of the overall puzzle theme and must be found to complete the game. Players must use all the letters on the board in either a theme word or the spangram, with theme words covering the entire board and not overlapping. Each day, a new theme is presented to challenge players to think creatively and solve the puzzle.
In order to provide players with a hint for each day’s Strands puzzle, a clue related to the theme is given, along with suggestions for clue words to unlock in-game hints. By discovering words of four letters or more in the puzzle, players can reveal one of the theme words. These words serve as hints to help players progress through the puzzle and unlock hidden words related to the theme. After solving all the theme words and the spangram, players will have successfully completed the puzzle.
The answers for the daily Strands puzzle are essential for players to uncover and input to complete the game. These answers tie into the theme for the day and include words like APPLE, ONION, and PUMPKIN. The goal is to find all the theme words and the spangram, filling in every letter on the board to successfully finish the puzzle. Each day presents a new challenge for players to engage their minds and enjoy the satisfying feeling of completing the Strands puzzle.
