The New York Times has launched a new daily word puzzle called Strands, which involves finding six to eight words hidden in a themed 6x8 grid of letters. Curated by Tracy Bennett, the game challenges players to identify words linked by a common theme, with an additional feature called Spangram indicating a special word that spans the grid. For example, the theme for a recent edition was 'Can You Top That?' with the Spangram being 'CRACKERS', reflecting various types of food that can be topped. The game is designed to enhance vocabulary and strategic thinking, similar to other NYT games like Wordle and Connections. Players can access new puzzles daily via the NYT website or Games app, with hints and answers available through various online sources to assist those struggling with the challenges. Feedback on the game has been mixed, with some finding the puzzles particularly niche and challenging to solve.