What Is Strands? New York Times' Newest Venture After Connections, Sudoku And Wordle

The New York Times has added a new word game, Strands, to its collection of games after a successful four-month testing phase. The attracted millions of players despite being relatively hidden during the testing period, according to CNN reports.

Strands will soon be added to the Times' Games app, joining 10 other games including Crossword, Spelling Bee, and Sudoku. The addition of Strands is part of the Times' strategy to diversify its revenue sources beyond advertising and grow its subscription business.

Image Courtesy: NYTimes

On Thursday, New York Times announced on X: "We're beta-testing Strands, a new game that is currently web only. It is a word search with a unique twist."

Strands: A Word Search Game with a Twist

Developed at a "Game Jam" event, Strands was created to fill the need for a word search-type game in the Times' app. The game features a 6-by-8 grid of letters with a category hint at the top. Players must find words related to the theme and also discover the "spanagram," which describes what all the words have in common.

According to Jonathan Knight, head of Games at the Times, Strands has an 81% solve rate due to hints provided when players guess three unrelated words with at least four letters each.

How to play Strands

The game revolves around identifying theme words and hint words. To begin, search for words related to the day's theme and select the letters in sequence.

Today's (June 27) Strands theme is: Better together.

Double-click the last letter to submit your guess. If you've correctly identified a theme word, it will be highlighted in blue and remain so.

Finding Hint Words and Theme Words

In addition to theme words, there are hint words that provide clues to the theme words. Discover three hint words with at least four letters each, and the game will reveal a theme word for you. However, if you're unable to decipher it, find three more hint words, and the game will display the theme word's letters in order.

Locating the Spangram

A spangram is a unique theme word that spans the entire puzzle, either horizontally or vertically, encapsulating the overall theme. Your objective is to find this spangram along with other theme words.

Once you've completed the game, every letter on the board will have been used in either a theme word or spangram. Note that theme words occupy the entire board without overlapping.