Strands vs Connections: Which NYT Game Should You Play?
Strands and Connections are both daily NYT puzzles built on a hidden theme, but only one has a fail state. Here is how to choose between them.
By Amit Yadav · Published October 25, 2026
Play Connections if you want a short test of lateral thinking with a real fail state. Play Strands if you want a calmer search with no way to lose. Both are daily puzzles from The New York Times built around a hidden theme, but they ask different things of your brain.
Side by side
| Connections | Strands | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Sort 16 words into 4 groups of 4 | Find themed words in a letter grid |
| Board | 16 words | 6 by 8 grid of letters |
| Limit | 4 mistakes | None |
| What you do | Group visible words by a hidden link | Trace hidden words through connected letters |
| Built-in help | ”One Away” message | A hint for every 3 non-theme words found |
| Difficulty cue | Four colors, easiest to hardest | None; the theme clue is deliberately vague |
| Resets | Midnight, your local time | Midnight, your local time |
How they feel different
Connections is about categories
Every word is already visible. You are deciding which ones belong together, which means spotting that a word has two meanings and working out which one the puzzle wants. The board is built with decoys, so the first pattern you notice is often a trap.
The pressure comes from the mistake limit. Four wrong guesses ends the puzzle, so you play carefully. See our Connections strategy guide for how.
Strands is about searching
The words are hidden in the letters, so the first job is finding them. The clue is vague, and you often work out the theme from the words you find rather than before. Because every letter is used exactly once, the grid helps check your work.
With no mistake limit, the tension is about getting unstuck, not losing. Our Strands strategy guide covers that.
What each one rewards
Connections rewards flexible thinking about meaning. If you enjoy puns, double meanings and the moment a decoy falls apart, start here.
Strands rewards pattern recognition and patience. If you like word searches or watching a grid slowly fill in, it is the better fit.
When each one gets frustrating
Connections is frustrating when two groups share a word and you cannot tell which way it goes. Solve the group you are surest of, let the board shrink, and the overlap usually resolves. Guessing under pressure is how a good run ends.
Strands is frustrating when the clue is too vague to act on. Stop thinking about the clue and look for any real word. Each extra word brings a hint closer.
Getting help
Connections says “One Away” when three of your four words are correct. Strands gives you a hint after you find three non-theme words of four letters or more, and the hint highlights the letters of a theme word.
If you want more than that, our Connections hints and Strands hints are revealed one step at a time.
Which should you play?
- You want a clean result in a few minutes, with stakes: Connections.
- You enjoy wordplay and double meanings: Connections.
- You want a puzzle you cannot fail: Strands.
- You like word searches and spotting patterns: Strands.
Plenty of players do both. For more in the same vein, try our list of games like Strands, or games like Wordle if you play that too.
Word Game Clues is an independent hint site and is not affiliated with The New York Times or any of the game publishers mentioned here.
Keep playing
Same spoiler-safe format, for every daily puzzle we cover.