Strands是纽约时报推出的一款新颖的文字游戏，它在经典寻词游戏的基础上进行了创新。玩家需要在字母网格中寻找与特定主题相关的单词，单词的构成方式包括上下左右及对角线连接，并且单词的走向可以改变方向，形成独特的形状。游戏强调网格中的每个字母都必须被利用。所有单词都围绕一个共同的主题，并且存在一个贯穿整个网格（水平或垂直）的“spangram”，它概括了当天的主题。Strands通过提供模糊的提示和隐藏单词列表，旨在提供更具挑战性的游戏体验，游戏时间通常比Wordle等其他游戏要长。

🎯 Strands游戏的核心玩法是寻找与特定主题相关的单词，单词的构成方式多样，可以连接相邻的字母，并且可以改变方向，这使得寻找单词的过程更具挑战性。

💡 游戏设定中，网格中的每一个字母都必须属于一个被找到的单词。同时，所有找到的单词都围绕一个共同的主题，还有一个特殊的“spangram”词语，它不仅概括了当天的游戏主题，还贯穿整个网格的水平或垂直方向。

🤔 与其他文字游戏不同，Strands不提供完整的单词列表，仅提供模糊的提示，这大大增加了游戏的难度和趣味性，让玩家需要花费更多时间来思考和探索，以找到所有隐藏的单词和主题。

🍰 游戏的主题和spangram是解开谜题的关键。例如，在提及的日期中，主题是“甜点”，而spangram是“Piece of Cake”（小菜一碟），这为玩家提供了寻找单词的方向和线索。

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferrined pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Half-baked

The words are food-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are types of desserts.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Piece of Cake.

NYT Strands word list for July 31

Fruit

Bundt

Piece of Cake

Lava

Sponge

Pound

Cheese

Funnel

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.