How to Play Strands Game with your friends?

Here’s how you can play Strands with your friends:

Word games have been a favorite pastime since ever. But somehow, solving an intricate puzzle along with dear ones has a charm of its own. Strands, the popular word puzzle game that came out from the New York Times, has taken the word puzzle world by storm – and playing it in collaboration with friends amplifies the fun many times over. Here is everything you need to know about playing Strands with your friends, whether you are next door or thousands of miles apart.

What Is Strands?

First, let us define what sets Strands apart from the regular word puzzle. While a crossword puzzle, for instance, is all about connecting the clues to find the right word, Strands asks you to find several words related to the theme, hidden in the grid of letters. Each puzzle contains a “spangram” that captures the puzzle’s theme, stretching across all nine rows and columns. Once you find all the words associated with the theme as well as the spangram, you have completed the puzzle.

And remember that Strands is released daily. It means that there is always a new puzzle waiting for you and your group to solve.

Why Play Strands with Friends?

While it is possible to complete the game individually, working in a team is a completely different ballgame. Various individuals have unique vocabularies and different ways of thinking; while one person may be able to think of the solution immediately, someone else might spot an obscure word or the theme of the puzzle. Collaborating will give you the richest experience you can get with the Strands game.

Moreover, puzzle games are often used as social ice-breakers. With their emphasis on thematic connections and a lot of “aha!” moments, Strands will provide the perfect opportunity for discussion and joyful collaboration.

How to Play Strands with Friends?

1. Gather Your Team

Firstly, determine which friends you want to invite to the puzzle session. You can do that face to face or through instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage, or a similar platform. Even better, use a video chat application like Zoom or FaceTime. Before the game, make sure everyone’s device has access to the puzzle website.

2. Decide Which Puzzle to Tackle

Strands offers daily puzzles and an archive of older ones. Decide whether you want to work on the current day’s puzzle or select one that has been released in the past. In case you are working with players of varying experience, discuss the preferable level of difficulty ahead of time. Usually, it is better to select the daily puzzle to prevent any potential spoilers from coming from external sources.

3. Share the Puzzle with the Team

Once you have agreed on which puzzle to play, distribute it to everyone in the group. You can simply send a link to the New York Times Games website or take a screenshot of the puzzle itself and upload to your group’s communication channel. Make sure everyone sees the puzzle grid and knows the clue or theme given at the top.

4. Start Working on the Solution

Now, you are ready to start the actual solving process. You may choose either one player to type in answers while others suggest ideas, or solve the puzzle individually in parallel and then compare the solutions afterwards. Be vocal as much as possible – your teammates will probably come up with some brilliant ideas.

Pay attention to any clusters of letters that seem promising. Also, if you think you know the theme or have figured out the idea behind the Spangram, share your theory with the group.

5. Keep in Touch Through the Process

It is important to keep the communication alive throughout the solving process. Keep updating your teammates about your progress, congratulate them on finding a word, and ask for help if you get stuck. Sometimes, a fresh perspective or discussing the problem out loud is all you need to find the way through the difficult part.

Encourage participation from all group members even if some of them have less confidence about their word abilities.

6. Celebrate the Completion

Once you have found the Spangram and completed the puzzle, take a moment and enjoy together. Send everyone a screenshot of the results and discuss how each of you approached this or that task. Small traditions like that are exactly what turn a regular puzzle into an exciting group experience.

Helpful Tips

• Divide and conquer: delegate certain regions of the puzzle to different team members.
• Make a decision regarding spoilers: if someone has already played this puzzle, they must either skip it or be restricted to giving hints.
• Discuss whether you want to use a hint – you can unlock the hint by guessing some of the unrelated words.
• Remember that Strands is about fun, not victory: appreciate various lateral thinking, interesting theories, and wrong guesses just as much as correct answers.

Conclusion

Playing Strands with friends turns out to be an exciting way of spending free time. The collaborative format of the game will bring out the best of you and your friends. This simple yet exciting game becomes infinitely more engaging once played with friends and colleagues. So grab some company and prepare to have some fun!