MASTERING STRANDS: A CLASSIC REINVENTED

How to get a grip on working your way from one number to another, from strand to crucial number, on one of the New York Times’ most popular puzzle games.

If you’re a fan of the classic word search – where you sift through a grid of letters to uncover words – then the New York Times' newest puzzle, Strands, might look familiar. Then again, it could also look like something entirely new. Famously addictive, Strands is a daily puzzle that represents a modern twist on an old pastime. In an online environment filled to the brim with addictive viral hits – think Wordle, Connections, Mini Crossword, etc – Strands has carved out a niche for itself, generating a new kind of puzzle that could pose a challenge even for savvy puzzle super-solvers. So what is Strands, exactly? And how can you beat it? Let's break it down.

UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF STRANDS

Each round in Strands presents players with a hypnotic matrix of letters that hold the promise of opening up theme words if only you could only discover them. Unlike a word search, dragging or tapping letters into reposition will not send you on a wild goose chase. Here, you drag or tap a letter to swap it in place with another, and you seal the deal with a double-tap on the final letter. When you discover the correct word, it will appear as blue text in your grid, and it will also advance you toward a goal related to the theme of the puzzle.

NAVIGATING THROUGH STRANDS: TIPS AND TRICKS

Each Strands puzzle involves searching out ‘theme words’ that are hidden in the grid. Despite having only this simple premise to go on, Strands can sometimes feel very difficult. When that happens, if you discover three non-theme words of four letters or longer, Strands will give a hint, revealing a letter of a theme word to you.

Furthermore, there is a feature of the puzzle called the ‘spangram’: a word or phrase that summarises the theme of the puzzle while running from one edge of the grid to the other. When you find it, you highlight it in yellow, and it shines like a lighthouse, pointing you through the fog of the theme.

TODAY'S STRANDS: A CLASSIC CHALLENGE

If the theme for the puzzle of the day is ‘By the dozen’, it’s a wink that encourages solvers to start considering an omelette ingredients that permeate the breakfast table. This nudge is less a fuel for theory than a fizz that accompanies the hard work of solving.

STRANDS' ANSWER KEY: A SNEAK PEEK

For those at a crossroads, here’s a gentle nudge in the hopefully right direction:

• Today's spanagram: DOZEN
• Today's Strands answers: CIDER, HOLE, FROSTED, JELLY, GLAZED, POWDERED, CAKE

A CLASSIC REINVENTED: EXPLORING THE APPEAL OF STRANDS

Strands represents much more than a mere novel puzzle, but the wordgame reinvented for the smartphone crowd – an enjoyable challenge not just to track down words but also to flex the grey matter: to broaden the vocabulary, to solve problems, and to spot patterns in the written word.

EDITORS' PICKS: MORE WORD WONDERS

The puzzle universe is a big one, and one for all tastes. For classic word puzzle-lovers, there’s the optimal experience still to be had in that Wayword Machine called today’s Wordle, or the NYT Mini Crossword, or the various other linguistic rides on which you can jump daily and demonstrate your aptitude – with each of them putting their own spin on the classic to keep the daily wordplay as thrilling as possible.

THE CLASSIC ESSENUS OF WORD PUZZLES

And at the heart of it – whether you’ve played it or not – Strands is a party for language, a homage to the old-school, an invitation to the thinkery. It is nothing but wordy play, yes, but it is worthy play. It is classic brought into the handheld future, a perfect blend of new and old, enigma and ease. The word sleaver can rest assured they’re doing it right. But, new or not, puzzle-literate or puzzle-naïve, Strands makes for a more than worthy wordy adventure.

In its playful mechanics, Strands is a dazzling reminder that the puzzle form is as durable as it is compelling, able to bridge the centuries and effortlessly entice us with its delightful blend of old intrigue and new guise. In playing Strands, therefore, bear in mind – and cherish – not just the puzzles, but the reward of discovery, the delight of learning, and the simple pleasure of solving a puzzle reinvented.