Strands

The original pitch for the game was created by Juliette Seive, and puzzles are edited by Tracy Bennett.

• Title — Strands • Italic Title — no • Writer — Tracy Bennett • Developer — The New York Times • Publisher — The New York Times Games • Released — March 4, 2024 (beta) • Genre — Word game • Platforms — Web browsers • Modes — Single-player

Strands is a word search of letters arranged in a six-by-eight grid. Unlike typical word searches, words in Strands can bend in any direction. A new puzzle is released for Strands every day, similar to other games offered by The New York Times. Each puzzle is themed; players are given a clue to the theme of the puzzle, and the total number of words (which must have at least four letters) to be found. If the player finds three words unrelated to the puzzle, they have the option to receive a hint, which highlights the letters in one of the theme words. Each puzzle also contains a "spangram," a word or short phrase that describes the theme itself and spans two opposite edges of the grid (it can begin and/or end elsewhere, though). The spangram is highlighted in yellow when found, while theme words turn blue. Words other than the spangram may also touch two opposing edges. Words do not overlap, and every letter is used in exactly one word.

The New York Times Games research director Juliette Seive developed the pitch for what would later become Strands. She proposed the idea at The New York Timess annual game jam, and prototype of Strands was approved by a concept committee several weeks later. Vanity Fair reported in December 2023 that The New York Times was developing a word search game to add to their online library of games. Strands puzzles are edited by Tracy Bennett, who also edits Wordle for The New York Times. Strands released into beta on March 4, 2024, playable on web browsers through the New York Times Games website.