Uncover Words.
Finding Theme Words Puzzle.

Drag through the grid to find hidden theme words. Every puzzle has a Spangram — one special word that spans the board and ties it all together.

Strands NY is a daily word puzzle game where you trace connected letter paths through a 6×8 grid to discover words that share a hidden theme — the best NYT-style Strands experience on iOS.

Daily Challenge Infinite Map Free to Play No Sign-in
Download on the App Store
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Theme: Sign language
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🎉 All found!

How to Play

Easy to learn, satisfying to master.

🔍

Read the Theme Clue

Each puzzle reveals a theme clue at the top of the screen. Every hidden word in the grid relates to that theme — use it to guide where you start looking.

✍️

Drag to Connect Letters

Touch and drag through adjacent letters to spell a word. Paths can move in any of eight directions — up, down, sideways, or diagonally. Slide back over your last letter to undo a step.

✨

Find the Spangram

Every puzzle contains exactly one Spangram — a special theme word whose path spans the entire grid, touching two opposite sides. It glows gold when found and confirms the puzzle's core idea.

🏆

Uncover All Theme Words

Fill the board by finding every hidden theme word. In Strands mode, completing the puzzle is your goal. In Special mode, each solved word expands the map and adds to your score.

Reading the Grid

Color tells you exactly what you've found.

✓

Blue — Theme Word

You traced a valid theme word. The path lights up blue and stays locked in place.

✦

Gold — Spangram

The Spangram spans the full grid and glows gold. Finding it hints at the puzzle's overall theme.

💡

Hint Highlight

Use a hint to reveal the cells of one unfound word. The path glows so you know exactly where to trace.

Two Ways to Play

One map that grows. One puzzle library to conquer.

Special Mode

Infinite Daily Map

Start with today's puzzle board and explore outward. Every word you solve reveals more of the grid, and new boards attach seamlessly to the edges of the map as you clear each area.

Map grows in all four directions as you solve
Theme words, Spangrams, and Bridge words all earn points
Unlocking a new area adds a +50 point bonus
A fresh area is added to the map every day
Strands Mode

Classic Puzzle

A focused 6×8 grid, one theme, and a clean finish. Work through the full curated puzzle library at your own pace — each puzzle with its own theme clue, hidden words, and Spangram.

Connect letters to find all theme words on the board
Every puzzle has one Spangram that spans the full grid
Progress is tracked across the full puzzle library
Play at your own pace, any time

How the Map Grows

Every word you find shapes the world around you.

🔵

Theme Word

A word that matches the board's theme. Lights up blue and reveals more surrounding letters.

+10 pts
✦

Spangram

The signature word spanning the full grid. Glows gold and anchors the board's theme.

+20 pts
🌉

Bridge Word

A word whose letter path crosses from one board into an adjacent board, stitching the map together.

+25 pts
🗺️

New Area

When an edge is explored, a new puzzle board attaches and the map expands in that direction.

+50 pts

Your Journey

Every puzzle you play becomes part of your story.

🔥

Current Streak

Consecutive days you've played Special mode

🏆

Longest Streak

Your all-time best daily run

⭐

Best Score

Highest Special mode score in a single session

📚

Word Collection

Every theme word you've ever found, saved to your personal library

🔤

Alphabet Progress

Track which starting letters you've collected across all puzzles

✅

Puzzles Completed

Your progress through the full Strands puzzle library

Everything You Need

Designed for daily play, built to last.

🗺️ Infinite Growing Map

Special mode's world never ends. New puzzle boards attach to the live map daily, so there is always fresh territory to explore when you open the app each morning.

🌉 Bridge Words

Where two boards meet at an edge, certain words span both grids. Finding a Bridge Word connects the adjacent puzzles and earns a bonus score, rewarding thorough exploration.

📚 Word Collection

Every theme word and Spangram you find is added to your personal Word Collection. Browse the full library anytime and track your Alphabet Progress across all sessions.

💡 Smart Hints

Stuck on a word? Use a hint to illuminate the exact path of one unfound word on the grid. Need more hints? Watch a short rewarded video at any time to earn one — no pressure, no interruption.

📢 Ads That Don't Get in Your Way

A quiet banner sits at the bottom of the screen while you play — it never interrupts a puzzle or blocks the grid. The only other ads in the game are optional rewarded videos you choose to watch when you want a free hint. No pop-ups. No forced breaks.

📳 Haptic & Sound

Satisfying haptic pulses accompany every letter selection and word discovery. Toggle sound and vibration independently in Settings to match your preference.

🔒 No Account Needed

No sign-in, no cloud sync required. All progress, streaks, and your Word Collection live locally on your device. Just open the app and start playing.

Ready to Explore?

Download Strands and start connecting today.

Download on the App Store

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Spangram?

A Spangram is the special theme word in every Strands puzzle whose connected letter path spans the entire 6×8 grid, touching two opposite sides. It glows gold when found and often reveals the big idea behind the puzzle's theme.

How is Strands different from a word search?

In a word search you hunt for pre-listed words in straight lines. In Strands, you only know the theme — you must figure out which words fit and trace their freely connected paths through the grid in any direction, including diagonally.

What are Bridge Words in Special mode?

Bridge Words appear when two puzzle boards share an edge on the growing map. A Bridge Word's letter path crosses from one board into the other, connecting the two puzzles and earning bonus points for the discovery.

How do I get more hints?

Watch a short rewarded video to earn a hint whenever you need one. You are never required to watch an ad to continue playing — it is always your choice.

Is Strands NY the same as NYT Strands?

Strands NY is an independent word puzzle app for iOS inspired by the NYT Strands format. It features the same core mechanics — drag to connect letters, find theme words, and discover the Spangram — plus exclusive modes like an infinite growing map and a full curated puzzle library not found in the original.

Where can I play Strands NY on mobile?

Strands NY is available on iOS. Download it free from the App Store to play the daily challenge, explore the infinite Special mode map, and work through the full Strands puzzle library on your iPhone or iPad.