Today's NYT Strands Tips, Answers and Help for September 24, No. 205

Looking for the most up to date Strands answer? Click here to get our daily Strands tips as well as our daily answers and tips for the New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Connections puzzles.

Strands doesn't get as much attention as its New York Times siblings Wordle and Connections, but it can be just as challenging and fun. Strands just came out of beta and is now on the official New York Times game app, which may bring it more fans. In this story, I go into detail about the rules for Strands.

If you're looking for the answers to today's Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword puzzles, you can visit CNET's NYT Puzzle Clues page.

Read more: NYT Connections turns 1: These are the 5 most difficult puzzles so far

How to play NYT Strands

1. Based on today's topic, look for words that relate to that topic. See one? Drag or click the letters one by one. Click twice on the last letter to make your guess. When you find a topic word, it will glow blue and stay that way.

2. Other words you find are considered clue words, which give you hints about the theme words. Find three clue words (each must have at least four letters) and the game rewards you by showing you a theme word. However, if you can't unscramble it, find three more clue words and the game highlights the letters of the theme word in order.

3. Hunt for the Spangrama special theme word that runs across the entire puzzle, although it could run across or from top to bottom. It sums up the puzzle theme.

4. When you're finished, you'll have used every letter on the board in either a theme word or a spangram. Theme words fill the entire board and don't overlap.

Note on today's Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Keep your distance

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a hint: To go boldly

Clue words to unlock clues in the game

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the theme of the puzzle. If you get stuck, search for all the words you can. Each time you find three words with four or more letters, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get these clues, but any word with four or more letters that you find will work:

• RAMS, TINE, BRIE, MITE, BORE, TAINT, SMART, MART, BORN, ROBE, MUTT, REND, RENT, DRONE, ROAN, NERD, BRINE, BINED

Answers to today's Strands puzzle

These are the answers that fit the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that goes from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have them all (I originally thought it was always eight, but then learned the number can vary), every letter on the board is used. Here are the non-spangram answers:

• ALIEN, DROID, ROBOT, CYBORG, MUTANT, MARTIAN

Today's Strands Spangram

Today’s Strands Spangram is SCIENCE FICTION. To find it, start with the S, which is in the top row four letters from the left, and work your way down.