The New York Times’ latest puzzle game, Strands, has arrived with its “Monster Quest” theme. Players must find words hidden within a board that reflect the puzzle’s theme. The key to solving it lies in finding the spangram, a word that explicitly states the puzzle’s theme.
In today’s Spangram, CRYPTIDS is the answer. This term describes mythical or unverified species of animals often featured in scary stories and local legends. The other theme words include MOTHMAN, JACKALOPE, YETI, KRAKEN, and BIGFOOT.
To play Strands, start by finding a game board with letters and a clue that gives a hint at the board’s theme. Your goal is to find hidden words within the board that reflect the puzzle’s theme. The spangram will be highlighted in yellow, making it easier to complete the rest of the puzzle.
In this game, words can travel any direction and each letter can only be used once. If you’re struggling, submit non-theme words for credit towards a hint. When three or more are submitted, click “Hint” to highlight one of the theme words’ letters. However, if another hint is used before solving for that word, its correct order will be revealed.
Strands does not have failure options, but instead, you’ll either correctly identify an answer, receive credit towards a hint, or see a text shake back and forth indicating an invalid guess. You can win by using all the letters on the board, identifying the spangram, and solving the theme words.
Source: https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/strands-nyt-hint-today-monster-quest-june-4-2025