Strands, a lesser-known game by the New York Times, has recently moved out of beta and is now available in the official Games app. Despite not receiving as much attention as Wordle and Connections, Strands can be just as challenging and entertaining for players. The rules for Strands involve finding words related to a specific theme and submitting them by dragging or clicking the letters in order. The game rewards players for finding hint words that give clues to the theme words, with the ultimate goal of uncovering a special theme word that spans the entire puzzle.
To play Strands, players must use the theme provided for the day to look for words relating to that topic. As they find words, they will be able to submit their guesses by clicking on the last letter twice. Theme words will light up in blue once they are correctly identified, while hint words provide clues to the theme words. Finding three hint words will reveal a theme word, and players can continue to uncover more words by finding additional hint words. The spangram, a special theme word that spans the entire puzzle, summarizes the puzzle theme and must be uncovered to complete the game.
Today’s Strands puzzle theme revolves around the phrase “Work out the bugs,” with a clue hinting towards “It’s a bug’s life.” Players can use any words of four letters or more to unlock in-game hints, with specific words like SEEM, BEET, and TRILL providing clues to the theme words. The answers for today’s Strands puzzle include words such as BEETLE, EARWIG, SPIDER, TERMITE, and MILLIPEDE, all related to different types of bugs. The final theme word, known as the spangram, for the day’s puzzle is revealed to be “CREEPY CRAWLIES,” with instructions on how to find it starting from a specific letter on the board.
Completing the Strands puzzle requires players to locate and submit all the theme words and the spangram, ensuring that every letter on the board is used. The game follows a systematic approach where finding hint words leads to the revelation of theme words, guiding players towards unraveling the overall puzzle theme. As users progress through the game, they are encouraged to think critically, solve word puzzles, and engage in a fun and challenging experience that is unique to Strands. With its recent inclusion in the New York Times’ official Games app, Strands is expected to attract more players and garner a wider audience for its intriguing gameplay.