Strands is a new, in-beta game from the word puzzle giants, the New York Times Games. If you like hidden word games, and you are also a fan of free word puzzle games like Wordle, you're probably wondering how you can play this brand-new title for yourself. It's easy to learn the rules, easy to play, and it's free even without a New York Times Games account. Here is everything you need to know about the NYT Games' Strands.
Where to Play the New York Times Games Strands
To get your word puzzle game on, head over to the New York Times Games website for Strands. Or you can search for "NYT Strands" in Google to get there. You can access it from just about any kind of device that has a browser and is connected to the internet. This includes PCs, tablets like iPads, and smart mobile devices like iPhones and Androids.
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How to Play the New York Times Games Strands
Now that you know where to play this innovative puzzle game, it's time to dive into how to play. The Strands board is a 6x8 of seemingly random letters. On the left side is a hint to the theme of the puzzle and the number of total words that need to be found in those letters. All letters must be used, and each letter can only be used once. Here's an example of board that has been completed:
The clue "Sounds Good to Me" refers to the yellow category inside the puzzle, which is Instruments. Yellow words are always the theme in this minimalist puzzle game, and they are called Spangrams. These Spangrams must touch opposite sides of the puzzle, and they can be one or two words. Examples of previous puzzle Spangrams are things like "Cardinal Sins" and "Fruit." Each of the other words inside the puzzle other than the Spangram is a single word.
If you are having trouble figuring out where to start, you can select non-puzzle words by clicking the first word, holding and dragging through the letters in order, and releasing the mouse on the last letter. For every three non-puzzle words found, you will gain one hint. At time of writing, you have unlimited guesses to get to the correct answer. Since Strands is still in beta, some of these gameplay rules might change in the coming weeks.
Hints for How to Succeed at Strands
Strands can be a really challenging puzzle game, especially if you don't know much about the category. To win, you might need a few nudges in the right direction to help you out. Here are some best practices to get the most out of your Strands attempts.
- Start in a corner: Since all the letters must be used, each corner will most likely have only one word in it. Starting in a corner can make it a little easier to start picking out words.
- Pay close attention to the clue: The clue is never going to be straightforward, so you need to try to think about it outside the box. Here are some older clues along with their categories to get an idea of what this means:
- Cardinal Sins: "Don't do it!"
- Hair Styles: "Do the Do."
- Euphemisms: "To put it mildly."
- Measurements: "Ruler's Decree."
Strands
- Platform(s)
- Web Browser
- Released
- March 4, 2024
- Developer(s)
- The New York Times Company
- Publisher(s)
- The New York Times Company
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
