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The New York Times’s latest word game, Strands, has quickly become a favourite among puzzle enthusiasts since its beta release in March 2024. Combining elements of word searches and anagrams, Strands offers a fresh and engaging challenge that appeals to both casual players and word game aficionados.
NYT Strands gives the player a 6x8 grid containing 48 seemingly random letters. The basic objective is uncovering all the hidden words regarding a particular theme given at the start. However, each one of these puzzles provides the total number of theme-related words to find. Unlike traditional word searches, words in Strands may be formed by connecting letters in any of any direction (horizontally, vertically, diagonally) as long as each letter is adjacent to the next. There are no words over, and every letter in the grid is used exactly once.
Players can click on the first letter and drag through the following letters in sequence, or they can click individually on each letter. If words are less than four letters, they will be rejected. The goal is primarily to find the theme-related words and a strategic role in discovering non-themed words. After every three non-theme words, players get one hint for each. A hint activates but will highlight the letters in the grid for a theme word, yet it remains unscrambled to figure out the actual word.
This word is referred to as the ‘spangram’, which is a special word that is a part of each puzzle. This is a word or phrase that describes the theme of the puzzle and runs across the top of the grid from one edge to the other, or across the right side of the grid from one edge to the other. The spangram is usually the hardest word to peg out of the range and is sometimes unveiled last.
1. Seeding: Seeds from the grid’s corners can be advantageous given that these areas generally have words that are easier to find due to lack of the letter connections.
2. Use Non Theme words: Using non theme words also gives us hints and it also reduces the usage of the letters, which increases the possibility of spotting remaining theme words.
3. Hints are Worth Using: Once you have enough non-theme words to take a hint, use it as soon as possible. With this you will get to see clear signs of the letters of a theme word, to be able to spot those letters.
4. Learn the Theme: Always keep the provided theme in your mind. It helps you in word search and guess the possible words that have a relation to the given theme.
Strands are also daily puzzle, taking as long as you would like. If you get mentally stuck, feel free to walk away, and return later with a new perspective.
Today’s theme focuses on different ways to prepare a popular breakfast food. The words in the puzzle reflect various methods of cooking a breakfast protein.
The puzzle’s theme highlights familiar cooking techniques like scrambling, poaching, and coddling—essentially how one might order their eggs in the morning.
Spangram Clue:
The spangram for today’s puzzle stretches horizontally across the grid.
Spangram Answer:
The spangram is “MakingEggs”, perfectly fitting the theme of breakfast preparation.
BAKE
BOIL
SCRAMBLE
PICKLE
CODDLE
POACH
BASTE
Each of these words represents a different cooking method for preparing eggs, aligning perfectly with the day’s theme.
Strands summarise the number of hints that were used and the order in which words were found when the puzzle was completed. A sharing option lets players test their results against their friends or the wider Strands community, infusing some social element to the game.
Strands is a brilliant change of approach to the usual word puzzle, demanding players to think in new and strategic ways. The unique mechanics and the daily themes make each puzzle a new adventure and keep the players hooked on everyday puzzle. Strands offer the reader a fun and stimulating word game experience regardless if it is your first-word game played or if you are an expert at word games.
