S² Make Play About

How to Play Strands

Almost all of the following has been stolen taken from www.nytimes.com/games/strands. I tried to make the game on this website function as close as I can to the New York Times'.

Find theme words to fill the board.

Theme words stay highlighted in blue when found.
Drag (computer only) or tap letters to create words. If tapping, double tap the last letter to submit.
Theme words fill the board entirely. No theme words overlap.

Gif showing two ways to create words. A cursor creates words on a 4-by-4 board of letters to fill the board with color. First, the cursor draws a line to create the word BANANA, which turns blue. Then the cursor taps each letter of APPLE, which turn blue once the final E of APPLE is tapped a second time. Finally, the cursor drags across the letters of FRUIT, which turn yellow.

Find the "Spangram".

The Spangram describes the puzzle's theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. It may be two words.
The Spangram highlights in yellow when found.
An example Spangram with corresponding theme words: PEAR, FRUIT, BANANA, APPLE, etc.

Static image of a 4-by-4 filled board. The theme words BANANA and APPLE are blue, and the spangram describing the puzzle's theme, FRUIT, is yellow.

Need a hint?

Find non-theme words to get hints.
For every 3 non-theme words you find, you earn a hint.
Hints show the letters of a theme word.

Gif illustrating earning and using a hint on a 4-by-4 board. APPLE is already highlighted in blue on the board. The player creates BAIT, which is not a theme word. The grey bubbles from BAIT float down to the hint button, and the hint button becomes active. The player taps the hint button, and each letter of BANANA gains a dashed blue border. The player connects those letters in order to complete the word BANANA.