Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1747) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1747) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1747) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1747) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1747) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1747) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1747, are…

• CHARD
• THORN
• COVER
• OUTER

After my starter words picked up a lot of letters in incorrect positions this was largely a game of anagram solving.

In fact, only COVER required me to bring a new letter into the game.

Daily Sequence today (game #1747) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1747, are…

• STUNK
• BRASS
• SPICY
• HAVOC

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1746, Thursday, 5 November: SHINE, TAROT, VERGE, LANKY
• Quordle #1745, Wednesday, 4 November: JOIST, CROOK, DELAY, ICILY
• Quordle #1744, Tuesday, 3 November: TRIAL, STAID, LEVEL, BONUS
• Quordle #1743, Monday, 2 November: EXTRA, AMITY, LUPUS, EAGLE
• Quordle #1742, Sunday, 1 November: DROVE, PRIED, SHELL, BEGIN
• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1244) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BACKUP
• PICKUP
• MAKEUP
• HOT ROD
• FLATBED
• FABRIC
• EXTRA
• WOOLENS
• TRAFFIC CONE
• SEMI
• CONSTITUTION
• REPLACEMENT
• SPARE
• OSIRIS
• STRUCTURE
• TANKER

NYT Connections today (game #1244) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Put it together
• GREEN: A replica just in case
• BLUE: Vehicle types
• PURPLE: Optical elements

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1244) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: COMPOSITION
• GREEN: COPY
• BLUE: KINDS OF TRUCKS
• PURPLE: ENDING IN PARTS OF THE EYE

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1244) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1244, are…

• YELLOW: COMPOSITION: CONSTITUTION, FABRIC, MAKEUP, STRUCTURE
• GREEN: COPY: BACKUP, EXTRA, REPLACEMENT, SPARE
• BLUE: KINDS OF TRUCKS: FLATBED, PICKUP, SEMI, TANKER
• PURPLE: ENDING IN PARTS OF THE EYE: HOT ROD, OSIRIS, TRAFFIC CONE, WOOLENS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

At a push I might have seen iris in OSIRIS and lens in WOOLENS, but congratulations if your eye knowledge extends to knowing that HOT ROD and TRAFFIC CONE are both ENDING IN PARTS OF THE EYE.

Fortunately, getting the green group was pretty easy — although I did think the category was substitutes, rather than COPY.

My mistake came in assembling KINDS OF TRUCKS, as I included HOT ROD instead of TANKER before realizing my error. I can see clearly now, of course.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, November 5, 2026, game #1243)

• YELLOW: KINDS OF HEELS: KITTEN, PLATFORM, SPIKE, WEDGE
• GREEN: FLOWERS: ANEMONE, LOTUS, NARCISSUS, ROSE
• BLUE: TEARDROP-SHAPED THINGS: PEAR, RAINDROP, SPEEDBAG, UVULA
• PURPLE: LIQUORS WITH LAST LETTERS CHANGED: BRANDO, GIG, RUN, WHISKER

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #978) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #978) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SHORE
• GROSS
• SLAVE
• PENCE
• VALE
• CHART
• FLAT
• FATAL

NYT Strands today (game #978) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #978) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #978) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #978, are…

• HUSK
• LEAVES
• MOSS
• PINECONE
• ACORN
• TWIG
• BRANCH
• SPANGRAM: FORESTFLOOR

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

Once I got the spangram this game became quite easy, with ACORN and TWIG running alongside it, but it was far from a walk in the woods up to this point.

Fortunately, while I struggled to find some autumnal words I did find plenty of non-game words, so took a hint. HUSK wasn’t the easiest of starters, but from here the rest of the game made sense.

Autumn-ness has become quite the trend in recent years. After decades of being in the shadow of the other seasons it is almost as if Autumn hired itself a PR company to make us feel as if we can’t live without pumpkin spice lattes, cozy fires and oversized scarves.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, November 5, game #977)

• WIND
• BREAD
• FAITH
• GROUND
• DANCING
• CHARACTER
• SPANGRAM: GIVEMEABREAK

The over-the-top, action-heavy, ultra-stylish Stellar Blade has landed on Nintendo Switch 2, giving this ex-PS5 exclusive a chance to shine in front of a brand-new audience.

Porting this cinematic, explosive action-adventure title onto the Switch 2 has undoubtedly been a tough test for developer Shift Up, but just how well have they scored?

I’ve put around 15 hours into Stellar Blade on Nintendo’s hybrid console, during which time I’ve worked through most of the story, completed a number of side missions, and collected a whole lot of cans. So, here’s whether I think Stellar Blade on Nintendo Switch 2 is worth your time and money.

Save the world on Switch 2

While I’m more interested in discussing the quality of Stellar Blade on Switch 2 as a port, it only seems right for me to share some of my thoughts on the core game to begin with.

Stellar Blade’s premise is pretty simple. You play as the protagonist Eve as she battles through a post-apocalyptic future in order to save humanity from aliens known as the Naytibas. With assistance from survivors Adam and Lily (among others), you’ll aim to track down the dangerous Alpha Naytibas and Elder Naytiba and reclaim Earth once and for all.

In my view, the premise itself is totally sound, and the high-octane opening certainly makes a strong first impression.

However, I felt that the narrative failed to hold my attention in the long run. A combination of dry dialogue and bland characters really let Stellar Blade down in the storytelling department. While the stakes are undoubtedly high, it doesn't always feel that way, with emotive moments lacking heart, character interactions seeming awkward, and voice acting often coming across as stiff.

But luckily for Stellar Blade, its lacklustre narrative doesn’t actually hold it back all too much. And that’s simply because the core gameplay experience is a whole lot of fun.

The combat system has solid depth, with no end to combos and eccentric abilities available to the player. You can also expand Eve’s move set with unlockable skills, enhance your weapon and drone assistant, and discover new ways to vanquish your foes as the story unfolds.

Though the timing can feel a little unusual, you’ll need to learn how to ‘perfect parry’ and counter hard against your opponents, which feels satisfying to execute. I also enjoyed bettering my exospines and gear to dodge away from enemies more effectively, and deal huge damage with Beta attacks.

Without a doubt, though, the true highlight of Stellar Blade is its mesmerizing boss fights. Each battle feels phenomenally tense, unique, and genuinely memorable, and I loved figuring out the ideal combos and evasion patterns for each and every showdown. It’s in these moments when the game truly comes alive.

General exploration is pretty enjoyable too. Just roaming around and hacking away at enemies, discovering new areas, and completing some side missions kept me pretty entertained. Yes, platforming segments can feel a little janky at times, but swift movement speed and fun puzzles keep the overall gameplay experience feeling fresh.

All in all, Stellar Blade is a good, albeit flawed title. Boss fights see the game at its brilliant best, with edge-of-the-seat action sure to keep you hooked. Sure, the unremarkable cast and dialogue hold it back to some degree, but this game is all about the action — and it largely nails that.

A solid but not quite Stellar port

Right, now you must be wondering: how does Stellar Blade hold up on Switch 2? Well, the answer is somewhat nuanced.

First of all, I want to make it clear that this is a technical and demanding title, and cramming it onto the Switch 2 — which is considerably weaker than the PS5 — is no easy task. With that in mind, I’d say that the Switch 2 Stellar Blade is decent, but it’s certainly not without its flaws.

Let’s start on a positive note, though. I have to say that the sheer versatility of this Switch 2 edition is staggering. You can genuinely play in just about any way, using Joy-Cons or Pro Controller with a traditional configuration, with gyroscopic aiming, or even with mouse controls. I found that each method worked nicely when testing, yes, even mouse mode. And although I kept gyro aiming off for the most part and played with the Switch 2 Pro Controller, I’m glad that this port plays to the system’s strengths.

I’ll also say that the game runs decently in docked mode overall. During skirmishes and general exploration, frame drops never felt particularly egregious, and inputs felt pretty responsive.

But there are some issues that I have to discuss. It sometimes feels like the Switch 2 can’t keep up with the speed and fluidity that Stellar Blade demands. It targets 60fps in both handheld and docked modes with frame generation, which combines NVIDIA DLSS upscaling with AMD FSR 3.1 frame interpolation, and sometimes, this simply doesn’t cut it.

With frame generation active, gameplay feels fairly smooth in docked mode, although there are some drops during the most cinematic segments — especially with large explosions. Handheld mode, while certainly playable, feels a bit too sluggish in my opinion. The inconsistent frame rates mean that performing precise blocks and dodges felt more challenging, with some action-packed sequences seeming to be a touch choppy. I also noticed that the movement of distant enemies was pretty unstable — whether playing handheld or docked — something I’ve seen in other Switch 2 ports like Resident Evil 4.

You can turn frame generation off and play at 30fps instead, but it all comes back to that word ‘fluidity’ — it’s at the heart of this game’s agile, reaction-based combat, which just didn’t quite click for me at a lower frame rate.

Visually, the port is a bit of a mixed bag too. In docked, it looks OK, with Eve’s character model appearing fairly detailed. But environments tend to look a bit flushed out, and intricacies of certain textures seem slightly subdued. Even when playing docked, though, I noticed quite a lot of texture loading issues and pop-in, and elements such as Eve’s hair lacked definition. It was a similar story in handheld, with character models looking a little rough around the edges and wide-open areas short on detail and definition.

Ultimately, the game runs just fine in docked, despite a few visual gremlins and frame drops. But in my view, the handheld experience doesn’t quite deliver the speed or responsiveness that this title requires — at least as things stand.

Back to the positives, though, I was really impressed with the quality of haptic feedback on the Switch 2, which has been specifically tuned for HD Rumble 2. This made every movement and attack feel so satisfying, and helped to truly immerse me in the action. I was also satisfied with the inclusion of DLC and unique costumes (this is the Complete Edition, after all), fantastic accessibility options, and the fact that this game is fully on cart if you purchase it physically — you’re not getting no code in a box ‘round these parts.

But let’s answer that all-important question: is Stellar Blade worth buying on Nintendo Switch 2? If you have a PS5 or PS5 Pro, then my answer is probably no. Sure, the Switch 2 lets you play on the go, but you’ll get more consistent frame rates, better graphical fidelity, and smoother all-round performance from Sony’s systems. Haven’t got a PS5? Well, if this sort of game is your jam, then I think Stellar Blade’s worth a shot. It has its imperfections in docked mode, but it still performs well overall, and you’ll find plenty to love about the core experience.

Should you play Stellar Blade on Nintendo Switch 2?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility features

I’m happy to report that Stellar Blade has an extensive set of accessibility options on Nintendo Switch 2. You can adjust a number of settings to account for motion sickness, mobility, vision, and hearing needs, and there’s also a colorblind preset. In addition, you can toggle subtitles on and off, alter camera controls, and select one of multiple difficulty modes.

How I reviewed Stellar Blade on Nintendo Switch 2

I spent about 15 hours with Stellar Blade Complete Edition, during which time I worked my way through most of the story and a number of side missions.

For the most part, I played with my Nintendo Switch 2 console docked, hooked up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. I mainly used my Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller when playing, but I also made sure to try out mouse mode with a pair of Joy-Con 2. However, I did indulge in some handheld gameplay from time to time, and used the JBL Live Beam 4 to experience in-game audio.

More generally, I've spent years testing gadgets and games here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I've reviewed a number of titles, be that major first-party exclusives like Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave or Switch 2 ports, such as Yakuza Kiwami 2.

First reviewed November 2026

• Hitman World of Assassination senior level designer Marin Ansdal explains how IO Interactive designs the best Elusive Target elimination methods
• Ansdal says the elimination has to serve "the target poetic justice for their central character flaw"
• He adds that it also requires "intriguing toybox mechanics to set up the kill and a nice juicy payoff presentation"

IO Interactive has shared its recipe for constructing the most creative Elusive Target eliminations in Hitman World of Assassination.

The ongoing Hitman game just received another major update in the form of a new Elusive Target mission called The Host, which tasks Agent 47 with taking down YouTuber JackSepticEye’s in-game character, Finn Colton.

As with every new Elusive Target mission, players will be able to use their imagination to eliminate Colton with the many possibilities on offer, which is what the game is best known for, and according to senior level designer Marin Ansdal, IOI has a very specific way of designing these murder methods.

"For each mission we brainstorm a bunch of elimination ideas and choose the ones that hit the most of our success criteria," Ansdal told TechRadar Gaming following the mission's release.

Ansdal explained that the Elusive Target's characterisation and mission story factor into what makes a good elimination as much as the mechanics, despite the player being given free rein to get creative.

"A great signature elimination is a combination of serving the target poetic justice for their central character flaw, intriguing toybox mechanics to set up the kill, and a nice juicy payoff presentation," he said.

"For example, JackSepticEye’s character Finn Colton is obsessed with generating online content and has no concern for safety or ethics. So we designed a kill where you overheat and burn down his generative AI server farm with him inside. Then his employees film him on their phones as he dies."

Hitman World of Assassination's new The Host Elusive Target mission is free-to-play now until November 25.

Ansdal also shared IOI's process for selecting the game's targets, confirming that the level designer and writer take over once a celebrity or public figure is on board, and "We try to find a location which thematically suits the talent and craft a story that synergizes with the talent in tone and genre."

Razer Basilisk V4 Pro two-minute review

One of the first gaming mice I ever used was a Razer Basilisk, and I enjoyed it so much I wore the grippy rubber sides down until they were completely smooth. I’ve moved over to much more lightweight pointers in the years since, but with Razer launching the Basilisk V4 Pro, has the company done enough to tempt me back and resurrect that fond old love affair?

Spoiler alert: not completely. Because while the Basilisk V4 Pro is an excellent upgrade over its predecessor, it also comes with a few drawbacks that prevent it from being a total must-buy. It’s a great gaming mouse and might be ideal in the right (large) hands, but don’t go into this expecting perfection.

Let’s start with the positives. Razer has kept the Basilisk’s familiar ergonomic form factor, which is best suited to palm grip users, and its comfortable sculpted shape fits snugly into your hand. The build quality is also good, with solid plastics throughout and grippy textured finishes on the sides. And while it’s still a fairly hefty 100g, that’s still 10% lighter than the 112g Basilisk V3 Pro.

Battery life has increased to 200 hours in 2.4GHz mode at a 1,000Hz polling rate, or 275 hours on Bluetooth LE — up from 140 hours and 210 hours on the Basilisk V3 Pro. Note that that’s with the RGB lighting disabled. My review unit arrived with 66% battery, and in my testing (using it in 2.4GHz mode with a 1,000Hz polling rate and the RGB switched on), that dropped to 0% after 45 hours, so you can probably expect just under 70 hours on a full charge when using these settings. That’s a sizeable drop on 200 hours, but you’ll get much more juice if you dim the RGB lights.

Compared to the Basilisk V4 Pro’s predecessor, Razer has outfitted the latest version with a couple of extra buttons: one on the top-left corner of the left click and another next to the side buttons. That means you’ve now got 14 customizable controls on this device, making it a sort of halfway solution between a regular mouse and the button-crazy Razer Naga V3 Pro.

One of those buttons — the additional on one the side — could be assigned to Razer’s “Perfect 180” feature, the company suggested. This instantly spins your in-game character around 180 degrees, and if you think that sounds like cheating, you might have a point — even Razer admitted to us that they thought it could get banned in competitive games. Still, until that happens…

Razer also told us it had made the left and right click buttons sound less “ticky,” and they do have a satisfyingly soft and quiet actuation, one that’s a little less piercing to the ears than those on the Viper V4 Pro. They’re not silent, but they’re pleasing in use.

Sandwiched between those buttons is Razer’s HyperSpeed scroll wheel that, while not strictly a gaming feature, might be one of the Basilisk V4 Pro’s best aspects. You can set it to spin freely or ratchet (with two strength options) in Razer’s Synapse app, but its real party trick is its Smart-Reel feature. If you’ve set it to ratchet, a quick spin of the wheel automatically flips it into free-spin mode; put the brakes on and it moves back to ratcheting. It’s a great way to rapidly move through documents and spreadsheets without having to manually change modes.

But while I liked the HyperScroll wheel, I didn’t love it. Every time it switches modes (from free spinning to ratcheting, say), there’s a loud and slightly disconcerting crunching sound that starts to grate after a while.

Pushing it in to click the scroll wheel also feels very soft and mushy — it’s imprecise compared with Razer’s own alternatives like the Viper V4 Pro, which is much crisper to click. It’s a welcome feature on the mouse, but it’s clearly inferior to the MagSpeed wheel you’ll find on the Logitech MX Master 4.

This was something I found time and again with the Basilisk V4 Pro: I’d often be pleased with one feature, only to observe a downside to it after I’d used it a little more. I was happy to see an extra side button that I could program to my needs, for instance, but then started to notice it getting in the way and messing up my two-side-button muscle memory.

Or take the RGB lighting as another example: it looks lovely (especially on the Spectrum Cycling setting), but considering you never look at the mouse when using it, and your hand covers it up anyway, it felt a little pointless. Perhaps Razer could have done away with it and eked more battery life out of the Basilisk.

Ultimately, the Basilisk V4 Pro hasn’t converted me back to its temptingly sculpted form factor. It offers a capable combination of features, buttons and comfort, and for many gamers — especially those with larger hands — it’ll be an attractive option. It’s still one of the best gaming mice around, despite its drawbacks.

But for every two steps forward, there’s one step back that tempers its progress, whether that’s the imperfect HyperScroll wheel, the hard-to-reach buttons for all but palm grip users or the questionable, battery-draining RGB. I went into this looking to rekindle my love for an old flame, but in the end, I found myself stuck in the Basilisk’s friend zone.

Razer Basilisk V4 Pro: Price & release date

• Available to buy now
• Priced at $169.99 / £169.99 / $289.95 AUD

The Razer Basilisk V4 Pro is priced at $169.99 / £169.99 / $289.95 AUD and is available now from Razer’s website and third-party retailers. Its price has crept up by $10 / £10 / $10 AUD versus the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K.

Razer Basilisk V4 Pro review: Specs

Should I buy the Razer Basilisk V4 Pro?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the Razer Basilisk V4 Pro

• I spent a week testing the Razer Basilisk V4 Pro in various games to see how it managed in different genres
• I also explored its customization options in the Razer Synapse app to see how well it could be adapted to different needs

I tested the Razer Basilisk V4 Pro over the course of a week. I used it for everyday tasks like browsing the web and writing this review, and tried it in a range of different games, including Call of Duty, Football Manager 27 and Stardew Valley. Additionally, I explored its customization options in the Razer Synapse app to see how easy it was to adjust its settings.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: November 2026

• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen suggests a console version could be achieved on a "technical level"
• Theysen says bringing RTS games to console "is always a big challenge" because of the many key prompts on PC
• He adds that King Art would ideally make adjustments so that it "actually works well on controller"

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen has suggested the upcoming real-time strategy (RTS) game could eventually come to consoles, as King Art plans for its future.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, where the creative director confirmed that the studio borrowed hero mechanics and UI features from Dawn of War 2 and 3 for inspiration, Theysen said that while nothing has been announced at the moment, he believes a console edition of Dawn of War 4 isn't out of the realm of possibility.

"I mean, I think we could do it on a technical level," Theysen said. "We are also looking, of course, into what else might come in the future."

The King Art co-founder explained that since RTS games generally have a wide selection of keyboard and mouse prompts, it can be difficult to cohesively translate the controls to a gamepad. However, King Art has achieved this in the past with games like Iron Harvest and Battle Worlds: Kronos.

"RTS on consoles is always a big challenge when it comes to the controls, right?" he said. "And so if we did it, I think our goal would not be to try to get the exact same controls mapped on a gamepad because that's not really working. I think we literally have something like 40 keys on the keyboard for different things."

He added that King Art would ideally look at how it could change the gameplay in places and make adjustments so that it "actually works well on controller."

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 launches on PC on December 3. In the same discussion, Theysen also described how the game manifests the classic RTS experience of the 2004 game and how the game's advanced animation system, Combat Director, initially sounded like an impossible challenge.

• A gamer took the GTA 6 'extended look' trailer and fudged it to work with DLSS 5 and Frame Generation
• The results posted on YouTube look impressive, albeit with some notable glitches
• It'll actually be possible to run the game on console, piped through a PC with an Nvidia GPU to add DLSS 5 and other visual trickery, at the cost of some input lag
• …and some believe that trade-off might be worth it

Will the best way to play GTA 6 at launch be to pipe it from your PS5 to your PC with an Nvidia GPU and then back out to your TV?

No, it absolutely won't, but a convoluted setup along these lines could be the optimal way to experience the game visually (with some major caveats) — before the PC version arrives — given that you can fudge the addition of DLSS 5 this way.

How does this work? Wccftech picked up the story of the Redditor who proposed this experiment, and actually applied DLSS 5 to the GTA 6 'extended look' trailer that Rockstar brought out a couple of months ago.

To be specific, this gamer gave the trailer a DLSS 5 makeover with 3x Frame Generation tripling the frame rate from 30 fps to 90 fps, via an app called Veyra, which is a GPU video enhancement tool for Windows on GitHub.

The Redditor explains: "I used Veyra 2.1.1, a tool that can take a video source (video files, capture cards, Remote Play) and apply Neural Rendering [DLSS 5], upscaling, and Frame Generation in real time. I also integrated MFG Unlocker into it so I can unlock Multi Frame Generation on my RTX 4080 and experiment with 3x/4x FG on 40-series cards."

MFG Unlocker is an experimental tool (again on GitHub) which the Redditor is using for getting Multi Frame Generation on their RTX 4080, in case you were wondering. (As ever, download any third-party software entirely at your own risk).

As you can see in the YouTube clip below, the results of this polishing of the official trailer are very impressive in some ways. That said, there are clear issues with artifacts and glitching in terms of the characters and lighting, with the best results seen in the background environment details.

It's pretty remarkable given that this is a fairly aggressive implementation of DLSS 5 by all accounts, fudged on top of a video with no relevant game data (the likes of vector and geometry data) to guide the neural rendering.

The Redditor's plan is to use a console-to-PC pipeline to play GTA 6 on the PS5, with the PC effectively sitting between the console and final output on the TV, adding DLSS 5 and jazzing up the visuals.

This means taking the PS5 and hooking it up to a 4K HDR capture card in the PC, running it through Veyra with the RTX 4080, then outputting to the 4K TV. It's a roundabout way of using the Nvidia GPU as an external graphics card for the console, except all the GeForce GPU is doing is applying DLSS and/or MFG to the image the PS5 has rendered — although there is a price to pay in terms of input lag, of course.

Analysis: capture capers

The Redditor doesn't actually have their PS5 yet (although they've ordered it) to try out this setup fully, but others on Reddit have run such a setup, and in fact it's not that uncommon (albeit still far from a mainstream concept).

One gamer says that they've played GTA 5 using an Elgato capture card with NitLink software, and "the gameplay was 100 times better", and while "there is a noticeable input lag" they claim that "it's completely acceptable — around 1-2 milliseconds."

That little input lag seems a stretch (to say the least), and overall, there's some dispute on whether this way of gaming is viable. Some gamers say that such a setup is just too laggy, while others claim it provides a decently playable experience. Of course, it will depend on what type of game you're playing — a fast-reaction shooter, for example, isn't going to do well with any extra lag being introduced, and you're certainly going to get some.

Really, the success of this kind of console to PC capture card to TV setup is going to heavily depend on a number of factors. The quality of the capture card (a PCIe board would be best, rather than one connected via USB) and the related software are the primary factors, and by all accounts, a higher-end Elgato with NitLink gives you a good chance of enjoying your PS5 games with an Nvidia GPU souping them up using DLSS 5 and Frame Generation.

I'm betting there will also be an element of subjectivity here, too, with some people likely to feel any latency more keenly than others.

Some gamers use this setup to play PS5 games on their PC monitor (in other words, without piping the image back out of the PC to the living room TV, which would cut down on some of the input lag), and there are guides to running this kind of setup on YouTube, like this one. Others recommend Zanit's tutorials on YouTube, but those videos are in Portuguese, so you'll need to translate them if you're not a native speaker. It's pretty cool stuff, if rather convoluted — and a good capture card doesn't come cheap (neither does a high-end RTX 5000 GPU).

Meanwhile, as far as GTA 6 on the PC goes, we may see this happen a lot sooner than expected, due to the way the emulation scene is going right now (in turbo mode thanks to AI). In other words, Rockstar may want to get the PC port on sale before PC gamers start playing it via emulation.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves shares his stance on AI being used as a creative tool for video games
• Graves says, "Nothing will ever replace the emotional depth and creative inspiration of human beings as artists and creators"
• He says music creation is based on "personal experiences" and "creative instincts

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves has spoken out against AI taking over human creativity in video games and believes technology should only help artists work more efficiently.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, where Graves also discussed what it was like to create a full score for a Modern Warfare multiplayer mode for the first time, the composer shared his stance on the rise of AI in music creation, especially in entertainment and video games.

"Nothing will ever replace the emotional depth and creative inspiration of human beings as artists and creators," Graves said. "Music is not just a bunch of notes strung together."

He added that human music creation is based on "personal experiences" and "creative instincts forged by emotion and all the little decisions that give a piece of art its own unique personality."

While against AI as a creative tool, Graves said he's "all for technology that supports artists and helps them work more efficiently." However, he added, "There's a big difference between supporting human creativity and replacing that creative process completely with digital ones and zeros."

In the same interview, the composer shared his process for designing the game's multiplayer music, which he described as wholly different from the campaign and explained what inspired him most when writing the score.

"Fortunately, I have no lack of inspiration from the amazing gameplay itself," Graves said. "The incredible team at Infinity Ward, led by audio director Stephen Miller, was also such a huge creative influence."

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves says Modern Warfare multiplayer music is usually "an afterthought"
• He says it's typically "cobbled together" from "existing campaign music," and he did the same thing for Modern Warfare 2
• Graves adds that "the best soundtrack of any game is one that inspires and elevates the core ideas of the gameplay"

According to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves, this is the first time a Modern Warfare multiplayer mode has received a full score, as they are typically "an afterthought."

"As far as I know, this is the first time we've specifically composed a score of this scale for multiplayer for Modern Warfare," Graves revealed in an interview with TechRadar Gaming. "It's the first time the multiplayer gameplay itself has received so much love and attention. Normally, it's usually a bit of an afterthought, cobbled together from existing music from the campaign, maybe getting some original lobby music."

Graves, who has worked on numerous video game projects, including Dead Space, said that was what he did for Modern Warfare 2 in 2022, but for Modern Warfare 4, "we have discrete tracks for lobbies, countdowns, streaks, and after-action reports amongst other things."

The composer mentioned how multiplayer has a "completely different vibe from the campaign," and made sure to capture the "forward momentum and pure adrenaline," but believes first-person shooter (FPS) games don't have a "specific list of characteristics" versus a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) in terms of music.

"A lot of my job is simply motivation and excitement, either before, during, or after a multiplayer match," he said. "So I'm here to get you pumped up and ready for action, motivate you towards the finish line, and slap you on the back with a big swaggering beat when you complete your objective."

When discussing his intentions for composing a soundtrack and what defines Modern Warfare in particular, Graves explained that music should always enhance the gameplay.

"There's definitely an incredible history that lives in the Modern Warfare soundtracks," Graves said, "And I'm honored to have contributed my small part to two of them. I think the best soundtrack of any game is one that inspires and elevates the core ideas of the gameplay.

He added, "For Modern Warfare specifically, it should turn everything in the game that the player is experiencing up to eleven."

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1746) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1746) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1746) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1746) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1746) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1746) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1746, are…

• SHINE
• TAROT
• VERGE
• LANKY

Quordle is a glorious game when the “first thought best thought” method pays off.

I experienced this today, with only VERGE giving me hesitation over whether to go with “merge” instead. First thought best thought won.

Daily Sequence today (game #1746) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1746, are…

• DRAWN
• BULGE
• ATTIC
• MELON

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1745, Wednesday, 4 November: JOIST, CROOK, DELAY, ICILY
• Quordle #1744, Tuesday, 3 November: TRIAL, STAID, LEVEL, BONUS
• Quordle #1743, Monday, 2 November: EXTRA, AMITY, LUPUS, EAGLE
• Quordle #1742, Sunday, 1 November: DROVE, PRIED, SHELL, BEGIN
• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1243) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• RAINDROP
• ROSE
• WHISKER
• KITTEN
• GIG
• PEAR
• SPIKE
• NARCISSUS
• WEDGE
• RUN
• LOTUS
• UVULA
• BRANDO
• ANEMONE
• SPEEDBAG
• PLATFORM

NYT Connections today (game #1243) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Boot types
• GREEN: Pretty in bloom
• BLUE: A shape in common
• PURPLE: Altered alcohol

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1243) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: KINDS OF HEELS
• GREEN: FLOWERS
• BLUE: TEARDROP-SHAPED THINGS
• PURPLE: LIQUORS WITH LAST LETTERS CHANGED

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1243) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1243, are…

• YELLOW: KINDS OF HEELS: KITTEN, PLATFORM, SPIKE, WEDGE
• GREEN: FLOWERS: ANEMONE, LOTUS, NARCISSUS, ROSE
• BLUE: TEARDROP-SHAPED THINGS: PEAR, RAINDROP, SPEEDBAG, UVULA
• PURPLE: LIQUORS WITH LAST LETTERS CHANGED: BRANDO, GIG, RUN, WHISKER

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

After getting KINDS OF HEELS fairly quickly, I really suffered over the rest of the game.

Getting FLOWERS took me three guesses, as I included RAINDROP and then PEAR instead of NARCISSUS, while LIQUORS WITH LAST LETTERS CHANGED was sheer luck after I'd initially thought that WHISKER and RUN were something to do with skiing, rather than alcohol.

I’m glad I managed to fluke myself home, as TEARDROP-SHAPED THINGS completely eluded me; I had no idea what a UVULA was and thought SPEEDBAG was just a smaller version of a punchball. And as for PEAR — surely that’s pear-shaped, rather than teardrop-shaped?

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, November 4, 2026, game #1242)

• YELLOW: TRIANGULAR PRISMS WITH A SHARP EDGE: DOORSTOP, FLATIRON BUILDING, PIE SLICE, WEDGE
• GREEN: WORDS AFTER "DO NOT" ON A CARE LABEL: BLEACH, IRON, TUMBLE DRY, WRING
• BLUE: MOVE IDLY, WITH "AROUND": LOLL, POKE, PUTTER, SHUFFLE
• PURPLE: FIRE____: CRACKER, FLY, WOOD, WORKS

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #977) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #977) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• MERGE
• DIME
• BRINK
• ROUND
• CAGE
• DIVE
• CHAIR

NYT Strands today (game #977) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #977) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #977) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #977, are…

• WIND
• BREAD
• FAITH
• GROUND
• DANCING
• CHARACTER
• SPANGRAM: GIVEMEABREAK

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 3 hints

I don’t think I have ever made it so far into a game of Strands without understanding the theme, a detail which may well be reflected in the fact that I needed several hints today.

Embarrassingly, it was only after I completed the puzzle that the penny finally dropped and I realized that the word “break” was the connector.

Hopefully I'm not the only player who was slightly baffled by this collection.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, November 4, game #976)

• LABOR
• STAFF
• WORKFORCE
• PEOPLE
• PERSONNEL
• SPANGRAM: HUMANRESOURCES

• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen says the game's advanced animation system, Combat Director, initially "sounded pretty much impossible"
• The team figured out a solution by creating individual animation snippets that were stitched together for more complex battle animations
• Theysen says there were concerns that the system wasn't "responsive enough," so King Art had to be "flexible"

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen has revealed that the game's advanced animation system, Combat Director, initially sounded like an impossible challenge until King Art found a solution.

Combat Director is Dawn of War 4's improved animation system that makes sync kills—special animations that occur when units stop fighting using generic animations and square up in a one-on-one fight to the death—more immersive across all melee combat.

This means that instead of syncing the last few attacks, King Art has chosen to sync everything in order to offer a more immersive experience. As the studio explained in a blog post, "In every combat scenario, our Combat Director continually assesses the situation. Who is around you right now? Who is the enemy? Who is supposed to damage whom, and in what manner?" This results in "millions and millions of potential animation combos playing out across different combat scenarios."

However, according to Theysen in an interview with TechRadar Gaming, the team didn't think it could pull it off at the beginning.

"Combat Director for us is the evolution of the singles. At some point, our head of animation said, 'I think we might be able to do this not only for kills, but basically for all melee combat,' which sounded pretty much impossible," Theysen said.

Despite the big undertaking, a core group of in-house animators found the solution; instead of creating whole animations, they just created like little animation snippets, then "what the system does is dynamically, depending on the situation in the game, it puts these snippets together to build animations out of it."

Theysen said "the big advantage" was the multitude of animation possibilities, but "our big concern was: is this not responsive enough?"

He explained, "If you watch someone fighting with sword versus sword, or someone is on your shoulder, and then there is an explosion, what happens, right? They need to react to the explosion, or if someone is fighting against someone else, and then a second character comes in and also wants to fight, how does that work?"

Essentially, King Art needed to make sure that it was "flexible" and make sure the units could leave animations at any point, adding that "the system figures out who is around me, who wants to fight me, who do I want to fight, and what kind of animations can I use to fight these two enemies?"

For example, if one unit is smaller and not as heavy and another is making a swing from the right, and the player has a chainsaw, Combat Director will run through all the possibilities that result in a procedural animation.

"The system basically says, okay, here are the options for what you could do, and then the system says, okay, I play these snippets to block the chainsaw and to actually hit the small guy," Theysen continued, "but then the system says, ah, nope, there was an explosion. So now, instead of hitting the small guy, you fly through the air, and that is basically how it works."

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 arrives on PC on December 3.

• Hitman World of Assassination senior level designer Marin Ansdal says Elusive Target celebrities are chosen before the level design and writing phase
• Ansdal says it's IO Interactive's "goal" to "bring talent that will bring more eyes to Hitman World of Assassination"
• Ansdal adds that the Elusive Target mission location always needs to "thematically" suit the main talent

IO Interactive has revealed the behind-the-scenes process for selecting Hitman World of Assassination's Elusive Targets and how it designs their special missions.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming following the release of the game's new 'The Host feat. JackSepticEye' - Elusive Target mission, senior level designer Marin Ansdal explained that IOI's marketing department is in charge of the talent selection and outreach process, and the level isn't designed until after they're signed.

"Their goal is to bring talent that will bring more eyes to Hitman World of Assassination as well as serve the core audience to create special missions that will make use of the talent’s persona, and adapt it to the setting of Hitman World of Assassination," Ansdal said.

Ansdal continued, explaining that the level designer and writer take over once a celebrity or public figure is on board, and "We try to find a location which thematically suits the talent and craft a story that synergizes with the talent in tone and genre."

World of Assassination has featured a variety of guests over the years, including Snoop Dogg, Sean Bean, Eminem, Milla Jovovich, and more, and IOI considers how Agent 47 can slip into these uniquely designed missions.

"47's preference for disguises allows him to jump into a wide range of genres," Ansdal said. "For example, when we worked with Jean-Claude Van Damme, we built a kitchy science fiction narrative about a super-soldier cloning facility which would fit straight into the direct to video bin in the 90s.

"And when we worked with Mads Mikkelsen, we essentially brought 47 into the iconic plot of a Bond storyline."

With the latest Elusive Target starring YouTuber and streamer JackSepticEye, the developer explained that "we crafted a psychological thriller about the darkness of internet celebrity," which "is much more contemporary in comparison to the other two examples."

Hitman World of Assassination's new The Host Elusive Target mission is free-to-play now until November 25.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves says to capture the tone of multiplayer maps, "you have to play a lot of multiplayer"
• Graves says the mode's vibe is "completely different" from the campaign, and he tried to capture "forward momentum and pure adrenaline"
• He adds that he has to be flexible when composing tracks, "especially considering updates and expansions in the future"

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves has shared his process for designing the game's multiplayer music, which he described as wholly different from the campaign.

When asked in an interview with TechRadar Gaming how he captured the multiplayer mode's specific tone, Graves said, "Number one, you play a lot of multiplayer!" and explained that it has a very different atmosphere from the steady-paced campaign.

"It's a completely different vibe from the campaign, and the music needs to make you feel like anything could happen at any point in time," Graves said. "A lot of what I was trying to capture was forward momentum and pure adrenaline."

The composer joked that "I always thought of myself as the musical equivalent of Master Sergeant Apone in Aliens, pumping up all the troops beforehand, keeping them in line and focused in combat and rewarding them when they come back home. 'Every meal's a banquet! Every paycheck's a fortune! Every formation a parade!'"

As for how each multiplayer map differentiates within the score, Graves said there's plenty of ground to cover considering the number of maps the mode offers "especially considering updates and expansions in the future."

"Instead of being too granular and assigning music to a specific map, we planned things out in terms of emotional intensity and timing," he explained. "Things are a lot more flexible that way."

There isn't one strict way to compose these maps either, as Graves explained, "it's more about the overall combination of sounds" he uses that showcase the fast-paced vibe by using a combination of real-world and electronic sound effects.

"There's definitely a lot of aggressive percussion, distorted electronics, and organic textures that help give the music its identity," Graves added. "I love combining real-world sounds with electronic processing, especially when you end up with something that's difficult to identify.

"It creates a sense of energy and unpredictability that fits perfectly with multiplayer."

Nintendo’s decision to remake The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 in celebration of the franchise's 40th anniversary was hotly anticipated, if not a little anxiety-inducing. Like legions of fans, I share fond memories of inventive puzzles that turned hardware limitations into creative opportunities, revolutionary mechanics that defined 3D action-adventure for years to come, and, of course, one of the most beautiful and well-written storylines in the video game hall of fame.

28 years on from the release of the original Ocarina of Time, a lot has changed in the world of gaming. Hardware limitations, even on the Switch 2, are far fewer than ever before, and there’s a game for everyone.

So in a world that now includes everything from niche interests in PowerWash Simulator to AAA giants like GTA 6 to Fortnite’s bizarre multiverse of pop stars and anime icons, can a remake of a decades-old game that now feels relatively simplistic find its footing, or even be one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games going?

Do you see that man with the evil eyes?

It’s natural that the phrase ‘don’t mess with perfection’ springs to mind when thinking about Metacritic’s best-ever-scoring video game, but a remake without meaningful changes is always going to feel like a nostalgia-baiting cash grab.

Flying in the face of that narrative, Ocarina of Time’s remake proves classic Zelda still has a place in current gaming, bringing meaningful additions and alterations across the board from level design to voice acting and even some juicy new lore while still staying faithful to the source material.

All areas of Hyrule have been revisited and retouched, with few drastic changes but plenty of improvements. A rich tapestry of flora and fauna, thick fog swirling at Link’s feet, organic terrain, and detailed furnishings bring every location to life.

The storybook visual direction of the remake comes together beautifully with this new detailed world, making its own mark on the Zelda franchise. Its vivid style might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s certainly immersive, as is the rich, re-orchestrated soundtrack.

It runs beautifully too, with its buttery-smooth locked 60fps and no visible lag in my experience. While loading screens are still in place these barely create any friction, controls are snappy and it’s bug-free barring one occasion where I noticed a texture glitch in a waterfall.

The world is more alive in more ways than one. I do miss the mad panic of racing to Hyrule Castle gates before night falls in the original, but thanks to the constant day-night cycles within towns, you now see a lot more of the lives of non-player characters (NPCs).

While still fairly two-dimensional, the supporting cast are full of character, especially so thanks to a new feature of the Mask of Truth you earn through the Happy Mask Salesman quest line. Now, when wearing the mask, you can find the hidden truths behind folks around Hyrule; the Dancing Couple dropped a bombshell I won’t spoil for you, but it adds whole new dimensions to some of the people Link encounters on his quest.

You’re encouraged to explore the world and its secrets with new mechanics like Fairy Messages (which replace some of Navi’s hints and reward you with Rupees, Mana, or Hearts, generally) as well as old favorites like Golden Skulltulas and Fairy Fountains, but most of all I found myself frequently looking for viewpoints from which to take in the world just for the sake of it. Quite a lot of the collectibles, grottos, and boulders are in the same or very similar places, but if you don’t have a photographic memory from the original, there’s plenty of fun to be had in rediscovering Hyrule.

As I expected from my preview, some of the vocal performances did win me over by the end of the game, and Matt Mercer reprising his role as Ganondorf absolutely nailed it (of course). Others, unfortunately, missed the mark; Navi’s original sound bites were so iconic and plucky, but it’s a fairly flat performance here, by comparison.

Even then, every cutscene was a delight. I loved some of the extended dialogue and how it adds depth and personality to the world, with more beautiful cinematography than ever. I laughed, I cried, I paused and googled if some small line was a reference to a deep lore video I watched the other weekend; the narrative is richer than ever, and it celebrates the original game in all the right ways.

Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?!

Especially if you’ve played the original any time recently, there’s an immediate sense of liberation when you load into Kokiri Forest for the first time; even having played the same area at a preview event several weeks before receiving my review code, I couldn’t resist the urge to jump, dash, and swing around the camera like a lunatic in celebration of unhindered freedom to move.

Combat also feels more fluid and fun. While there’s still a fair amount of waiting around for an opening, gone are Link’s sluggish movements, painstaking in-menu item swapping, and cumbersome crowd control. I love small details like how the camera focus shifts to blur the background when you target enemies, which also means other baddies politely waiting their turn to attack you don’t stick out as much.

Overall, it’s great; jumping and dodging around, quickly switching between weapons with the right trigger, and aiming projectiles with the gyroscope improve pacing massively.

That pacing improvement carries over to Temple design too, none more so than the dreaded Water Temple now that you can quick-equip Iron Boots with the D-pad. Some temples see more significant overhauls than others, but overall rooms and puzzles have been shrewdly redesigned, with a few new additions or expanded segments like in Hyrule Castle’s garden maze, which now also leads Link through the castle kitchens.

It’s often in the smallest adjustments that Ocarina of Time’s remake is at its best; for instance, changes to the environment around you in combat that make more narrative or gameplay sense. Some are subtle; I noticed one room in the Fire Temple especially with more dynamic platform design for Lizalfos to hop around, and in locations like the Forest Temple where new obstacles like acid pits replace empty pits in the floor.

I didn’t clock any fundamental changes to enemies, but the scale and range have been adapted for enemies like Iron Knuckles as well as some bosses like Volvagia. This, paired with tweaks to the attack strings, a few new moves, and some with higher stakes, ensures Link’s lighter feet are still challenged in combat.

When you fight the real me, it won't be so easy!

That being said, I wouldn’t say difficulty is the Ocarina of Time remake’s strength. I’ll caveat heavily with the reminder that this game is as much for kids as it is for us aging nostalgia-chasers, but given I only ran out of health a handful of times, mostly by making silly mistakes or getting distracted, it does feel like Ocarina of Time has moved one step closer to being nerfed.

It’s a similar story with items — I didn’t have to refill any supplies more than three, maybe four times in my entire save. A new item in the game, the Business Deku Seed, summons a shopkeeper with his stock of supplies, including potions. It’s one of the only new features I find to be a bit of a headscratcher, making the game easier still.

Add to that the golden webs that hint at the location of overworld Golden Skulltulas, more obvious traps and visual cues for important locations, doors, and boulders, and there were few times I was particularly mentally challenged, either.

Having rolled credits, I was therefore doubly disappointed to learn Master Quest isn’t offered to up the ante a little. I’m hoping this comes at a later date, and I’m really hoping it’s not DLC, because with a little more challenge, my only real complaint about the game would be quickly remedied.

It’s not enough to score the game down; it’s ticking all of the obligatory boxes for a good remake, and I loved every second of it. Still, I can’t help but feel just a tinge of disappointment that most changes to the game are limited to optimisations and err on the side of “safe”. The original Ocarina of Time was great, in part, for how it took the limitations of contemporary game design and created some of its best mechanics to work around them in a creative way; without that challenge, the remake at times feels just a little unremarkable.

Still, this one niggle didn’t impact my personal enjoyment of the game nor negate the many, many strengths it brings to the table, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake feels like exactly the game that the developers would have made in the late 90s were it possible on contemporary hardware.

From the first time I played the game at my dad’s knee, I fell in love with the world of Hyrule, and it was just as impactful for me in its third iteration as it was in its first. Whether you’re an adult or a child, when you boot up the remake, it’s not a game you’ll forget in a hurry.

Should you play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Within the game’s settings, you can change the camera controls, speed, toggle motion-control aiming, and choose between one-click or press-and-hold targeting.

You can swap the jump controls, use one-handed ocarina-playing controls, toggle subtitles, and add speaker-name display. Accessibility is, as I’ve come to expect from Nintendo, a weak point, but there are a few more customization options here than I’ve seen in other titles.

How I reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake

I’ve completed the main storyline in my 25-hour save, as well as a vast majority of side quests and secret content. I played mostly docked to enjoy the sprawling scenery, but I did try handheld too, comparing my overall experience with the original as well as more modern action-adventure games, including Zelda titles like the original Ocarina of Time and modern entries like Tears of the Kingdom, as well as titles like Outer Wilds, Tunic, and more.

I played on the standard Nintendo Switch 2, listening to the gorgeously re-orchestrated soundtrack through my Corsair Void Max Wireless v2 headset and through the Switch 2’s speakers.

More generally, I’ve covered a huge array of games here at TechRadar, where I serve as Head of Video and previously as Managing Editor. I’ve reviewed a number of action-adventure and Switch 2 titles.

First reviewed November 2026

• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen says it was "a huge challenge" making a new entry in a series filled with so much lore
• Warhammer 40K experts at Games Workshop helped King Art Games figure out what lore to include in the game
• Theysen added that the team made judgment calls on gameplay mechanics even if they don't necessarily fit the lore

King Art Games co-founder and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen has explained the difficult task the studio faced in building a new Dawn of War entry in a series filled with so much intricate lore.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Theysen said working through the lore was "a huge challenge" because when the studio discussed the opportunity for a Dawn of War successor, it knew there was "so much stuff" to figure out that was both official and unofficial. That's when it contacted Games Workshop for its expert knowledge on all things Warhammer.

"That is really where Games Workshop helps a lot because they know their stuff, right?" Theysen said, explaining, "Say we need an ability that does roughly this: Is there some sort of gimmick or some sort of tool or anything established that a Necron Chronomancer could use?"

The creative director said Games Workshop will go away with King Art's requests and come back with answers and solutions.

"You really need Games Workshop for that," Theysen added. "But also, it's obviously a great problem to have, right? Because there are too many cool things in the universe and too many factions and too many units, and so it's more or less like, okay, which of the cool things do we pick?"

Dawn of War 4 will feature on-field reinforcements, which Theysen mentioned was one of the "weirder" things the team decided to include despite it being an old system that not many modern real-time strategy (RTS) games have.

When asked how King Art balanced unfamiliar gameplay systems in a lore-heavy game, Theysen said the team "operates on two different levels," and sometimes made judgment calls based on what works best.

"It's either it has to be really accurate, and it's really like, okay, this is exactly how you know this unit looks, and how they should behave, and we spend a lot of time to get it right, or we say, well, it's a game, forget about it," he explained.

"We don't try to justify gameplay mechanics or something like that in the lore, if it doesn't make sense, right? We basically say, okay, there is the one part that is the lore, that is the official thing, that's just ground truth, and then there is also XP, and you can build units on the battlefield, and you can do all that RTS stuff that isn't, of course, really part of the world."

He added that the game also has the fan-favorite Last Stand mode, and there are Space Marines, Orcs, and Necrons fighting together, which isn't exactly lore-accurate.

"Again, do not try to explain that or to justify that any other way than just it's a game," Theysen said.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 launches on PC on December 3.

Universes Beyond has finally leapt from Magic: The Gathering and into Wizards of the Coast’s other hugely popular game, Dungeons & Dragons, with the release of its World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion — a 256-page book detailing precisely how the planet of Azeroth should be adapted into the most popular tabletop RPG.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks devouring this new book, and while I’ll admit to already being a fan of Universes Beyond — I think it has done an amazing job of introducing my favorite trading card game to complete newcomers, and I have hopes it’ll do the same for D&D — whether you’re in my camp, or you’re someone who would rather keep your game worlds isolated, I think you’ll struggle to find complaints with this module.

Of course the book heavily focuses on the WoW-ness of the additions it makes to the TTRPG, yet so many of the new races, subclasses, monsters, and other rules could easily slot into any campaign setting. And if you need a little extra nudge, this book includes the long-awaited refresh of some fan-favorite subclasses which had yet to receive their post-2024 update (like the Swashbuckler Rogue and Way of the Drunken Master Monk, renamed to Warrior of Mystic Brews).

Though perhaps best of all, none of this excellent new content will destroy your bank balance. The Gameplay Expansion costs $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$84.99, which, while at the higher end of what D&D books sell for, feels like a reasonable price considering the amount here for players and Dungeon Masters. Plus, third-party retailers are sure to sell you this expansion for less than MSRP, especially during sales periods when D&D books are known to get a price cut.

My only disappointment is that I feel it’s not the most newcomer-friendly if you’re looking to be the Dungeon Master — the person who has to run the games. Just a quick one-shot adventure would do the trick to get the ball rolling, but as is, I’d suggest the DM is someone with D&D experience. Which is a shame considering Universes Beyond’s new-player appeal.

That said, I think this expansion is excellent no matter your affinity for WoW, but if you’re still unsure whether you should grab the World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion for Dungeons & Dragons, let me explain a little more why I love it.

A feast of flavour, and heroes

Let’s begin where this book does: Chapter 1: Character Classes. Every class in Dungeons & Dragons features in this World of Warcraft expansion to give players a guide for how the TTRPG can be adapted to fit the champions Azeroth locals will be familiar with. Admittedly, some get more attention than others, but what I loved to read was that every class gets at least something new — rather than some being ignored entirely like with other recent expansions.

For those on the shorter end of the stick — Druids, Wizards, Fighters, Warlocks, and Rangers (though they’re a special case I’ll get back to later) — this means just some new spells, Battle Master maneuvers, or Eldritch Invocations. Though I’m not complaining after reading through their new tools.

Conjuration-focused Warlocks will love the Expendable Minions invocation, which turns downed minions into healing for you or an ally, while the new version of Mass Polymorph feels like a hilariously perfect way for a more chaotic Wizard to dispatch a surrounding army — transforming any number of terrifying foes into harmless goats.

You’ll also notice these classes, and all others, have simple guides to follow for what spells and feature choices to make so that the D&D class feels most like the World of Warcraft specializations. Some class names have changed too. Wizard is Mage, Fighter is Warrior, and Rangers are Hunters (I’ll highlight other class name variations as we go).

One step above are Monks, Paladins, Clerics (Priests), Rogues, and Barbarians (Shamans), who all get a new subclass or two, or at least a revised version of a subclass, yet to be updated since the 2024 rules update.

In that latter camp are the Swashbuckler Rogue and Drunken Master Monk, which has been renamed Warrior of Mystic Brews. As with other post-2024 rules update refreshes, these subclasses feel very familiar, though there are some mechanical tweaks here and there to better balance the player option against the other choices you could make — or, in the case of Warrior of Mystic Brews, make the subclass feel like a more distinct option in your repertoire.

The brand-new subclasses steal the show to some extent because of their freshness, and I’m desperate to play an Oath of the Holy Paladin in my next campaign. This version of the knight is far more focused on healing than fighting — fulfilling a more supportive tank role; however, I still wouldn’t want to get struck by its Divine Smite.

Finally, circling back on the Ranger’s ‘special case,’ you’ll find three so-called Hero Classes — the Death Knight, Demon Hunter, and Evoker. This never-before-seen flavor of character option is a sort of subclass, but rather than building on the existing class’s base, they tear down and rebuild some core aspects (something subclasses don’t tend to do).

For example, the Oath of the Ebon Blade Death Knight takes away the Paladin’s healing Lay on Hands and turns it into a damaging Death Coil, and transforms the heavenly Divine Smite into a demonic Runic Smite.

Calling them ‘Hero Classes’ does perhaps suggest a level of superiority; however, I haven’t necessarily felt that from the options present. These don’t feel like the new best way to play a class, merely an alternative way. The Hero Class designation just denotes that there’s a layer of complexity because the core class is altered — though I found the World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion’s guide very easy to follow, and I expect newcomers won’t struggle to build one of these three options if they follow it.

Azeroth professionals

Characters are more than their class, however.

Unfortunately, the World of Warcraft expansion doesn’t provide us with any new Backgrounds — pre-adventure origins which determine the starting skills of the player’s character — but there is a wide selection of fantastical races to select from, and various WoW factions for their party members to develop an affiliation with.

Much like classes, if there is an existing Dungeons & Dragons native — such as Dwarves or Elves — you’re asked to lift the rules from the Player’s Handbook, but races or variants of races that exist only in WoW are given bespoke traits. The monastic Pandaren can use their Inner Peace to recover more health when resting, and leave foes quaking after an attack, while Dracthyr can use their wings to glide — taking no falling damage if the drop is under 100ft, and being able to travel horizontally as they plummet.

Of course, there are also a few pages spared for mounts and creature companions — iconic World of Warcraft pets that you can ride into battle, or which offer some small buff if your friendship with them is high enough.

Factions are lifted wholesale. The Alliance and the Horde (and their respective subfactions) take center stage, but there are other groups a party may prefer to build a relationship with. There are some mechanical advantages to building renown with various factions, but they’re generally a narrative device — Dungeon Masters have a reliable quest giver in the form of friendly faction leaders; they could lock greater quest progression behind first gaining the trust of a new faction, or force players into a strained truce with rival factions to work together to achieve some greater goal (requiring careful role-playing scenarios to ensure the two sides don’t resume their hostilities).

I’ll get back to the toys and tools this Gameplay Expansion affords DMs, but finishing things off on the players' side, we need to talk about Professions.

Professions expand the basic crafting rules from the 2024 Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide by providing players specific guidance on how to develop their character’s foraging and item-making skills — and how to take advantage of these abilities.

For parties who spend a lot of time among civilisation, these skills aren’t going to change their games very much, I expect, but if you’re planning a campaign which ventures deep into the wilderness (which I now am after being inspired by these rules), they’ll provide a vital way for the group to replenish and upgrade their gear.

The basic idea is that crafted items and foraged resources are given specific values based on their rarity and where they were found. Collect enough resources, and you can create an item that’s worth as much as the combined value of the resources you’re using — provided they’re of the appropriate type, i.e., foraged plants and animal viscera are perfect for potions, while mined ores and animal skins are used for weapons and armour.

The rulebook stays away from generating specific recipes outside one or two examples, but it encourages DMs to bring the crafting system to life within their game world. This could involve requiring specific quantities of specific resources rather than merely generic value — i.e., a potion of waterbreathing needing five pieces of common stranglekelp, and two vials of oil extracted from the rare blackmouth fish rather than merely 100GP of parts — or turning getting a specific rare resource into a side quest — such as a Staff of Fire requiring a ruby plundered from an adult dragon’s horde, or tracking down an expert blacksmith if crafting a magic sword for the first time.

Though the rulebook encourages DMs and players to not turn their D&D adventure into a grinding slog. Repetitive actions are boring, and constantly diverting attention away from the main quest might derail the campaign into one about crafting gear with no real purpose behind the item making. Even if collecting enough of a resource might take a character a week to do in-game, this could be handled with just a couple of die rolls and only take a few minutes of real-world time — with that week either using up the character’s downtime allotment or impacting the ongoing quest if there are time-sensitive elements.

The world of Warcraft

The second half of the book is dedicated to describing the world of Azeroth. It takes you through the planet’s mythology, a brief history, and its geography — providing a quick description of key locations — before delving into a selection of iconic dungeons you could explore on your adventures, and a bestiary of foes you could face off against.

It’s very much a section dedicated to the Dungeon Master, the ‘player’ who runs the whole game for the party. Providing them with many of the tools they’ll need to manage an engaging campaign, or one-shot for the group.

Much like the rest of the book, it strikes a balance between in-depth information and leaving room for the DM’s creativity. And while it’s not the most relevant to players, I think it’s a smart idea that it’s included in this singular expansion rather than being a standalone product — making this WoW 5e release feel very approachable because you don’t need to decipher which selection of books you need; it’s just this one and the three core rulebooks (Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual).

As a more experienced DM, I love the more light-touch approach — it provides more freedom for me to adapt the Azeroth elements for my own campaigns on or off its world — however, I do think newer Dungeon Masters will struggle with the resources here.

I understand that Dungeons & Dragons modules tend to lay things out alphabetically, but I think it would have been smarter to order the pre-made dungeons in challenge rating order so that it’s easier to find the noob-friendly expeditions. I also wish there was a more fleshed-out starter adventure that takes pre-made characters from level one to levels three or four, with guidance on how to manage running puzzles, combat encounters, and social interactions.

Coming from Magic: The Gathering, I’ve seen how Universes Beyond excels as an onboarding tool for newer players, and for the most part this World of Warcraft expansion hits the mark. However, on the actual adventure-running side, without a proper, even just a quick one-shot to guide newer Dungeon Masters through the motions of running a game, I can see it being a struggle for complete newcomers to jump into their first TTRPG game.

This one-shot would also simplify the resources you need out of the gate, because the premade character sheets and adventure could include any relevant details you’d find in the core rulebooks, like race traits and stat blocks. This reduces the barrier to entry to just this one World of Warcraft book to get into your first adventure, without removing the need to pick up the core rulebooks if you’re keen to play a full-on campaign.

As it stands, I think the World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion for Dungeons & Dragons is mostly excellent. As someone with little affinity for this Universes Beyond IP, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I have been inspired by its contents, and how excited I am to use its new player options and rules in future games.

For D&D newcomers, this expansion is superb for players — the guides under each class for how to best build its WoW counterpart are a superb detail that should help remove the initial decision paralysis that can afflict newer players who aren’t 100% sure what they should choose — but I wish it offered more support to new DMs. Folks with some experience will adore the light-touch approach, but budding Dungeon Masters (especially any drawn to the game because of this Universes Beyond tie-in) would have been well served by a dedicated one-shot guide that eases them into running a game before setting them loose.

If you’re looking for an excellent gift for the D&D fan in your life as we head into the holiday season, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better expansion pick than this. This holds true for the World of Warcraft enjoyer in your life, but consider also offering to run their first game in Azeroth for them.

SteelSeries Rival Pro review

The SteelSeries Rival Pro feels as if it's really pushing the boundaries of what a gaming mouse can do. Even when I glanced at the specs sheet, I was mightily impressed with the features on offer: interference-free ‘true’ 8K polling, hot-swappable batteries for endless play, and 42,000 DPI sensitivity.

But it’s one thing having a good set of specs, and another performing well in practice. So just how good is the SteelSeries Rival Pro? And is it worth its asking price of $179.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250)? Here’s my verdict after hours of testing.

First of all, this mouse feels incredibly comfortable to use — in fact, it's up there with some of the best mice as far as ergonomics are concerned.

It strikes a happy medium in terms of size, and it fits perfectly in my hand — though it's worth noting that this model is for right-handers only, whereas the ambidextrous form of the SteelSeries Sensei Pro is suited to lefties and righties alike. I use a palm grip style, but the model is also designed to suit those who prefer claw or fingertip as well. I also love how lightweight the Rival Pro is. At 1.9oz / 53g, making sharp movements and adjustments feels supremely swift.

The mouse has a lightly textured matte finish that feels, and indeed looks, pretty nice too. Sure, the matte black finish makes it a little prone to picking up fingerprints, but this is more of a nitpick, and this is likely to be less of an issue if you opt for the alternate white colorway.

And when it comes to performance, the SteelSeries Rival Pro is equally dazzling. I used it to play Cyberpunk 2077 with the LG UltraGear 25G590B 1000Hz gaming monitor, and was astonished by the sheer responsiveness and precision on offer. Aiming felt incredibly stable and accurate, turning the camera felt super-sharp and reactive, and the high-quality optical switches enabled me to let shots fly snappily and reliably. The mechanical scroll wheel also felt very tactile, with ridges offering great grip.

Said optical switches feel great to use for gaming or general productivity, and their mechanical, satisfying sound never felt grating or overzealous to me. Yes, they’re not the quietest switches, so if you prefer a more subdued sound then maybe look elsewhere, but their quality is undeniable — SteelSeries even claims that it tested them for 100 million clicks, so you’ll get plenty of mileage out of this mouse.

Feature-wise, this mouse has just about everything you could want. The GG app and web app open up all sorts of customization for binds, sensitivity, polling rate, and power management. I mainly used the web app, and found it incredibly easy to use and make small tweaks here and there.

Perhaps the real standout feature, though, is the ‘infinite power system’. You get two batteries with the Rival Pro: one that pops into the mouse itself, and another that you place onto the Ultra Wideband base station. The batteries are hot-swappable, and when your mouse runs flat, you can swiftly substitute in the battery from the base station (which charges while plugged in). As a result, you’ll quite literally never run out of battery — ideal for competitive gamers.

While the Rival Pro mouse lacks a USB port for wired play, this infinite power system means you’ll honestly never need it — totally removing any additional weight or awkwardness that comes with a cable connection.

With an 8K polling rate, SuperSync — which enables you to independently control tracking and clicking polling rates, and aim tools to boot, it truly feels like the perfect gaming mouse. But are there any real downsides?

Well, one thing could prove to put some gamers off: the Rival Pro’s price. At $179.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250), this model is certainly a premium product. Is it worth it? If you want peak performance and essentially endless battery life, then yes. But there are plenty of strong options for less than $100 / £100 out there.

All in all, though, the SteelSeries Rival Pro is an innovative, ergonomic gaming mouse with exceptional performance. If you’re looking to take your game up a notch, look no further than this model.

SteelSeries Rival Pro review: price & release date

• Priced at $179.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250)
• Released in October 2026

The SteelSeries Rival Pro was released in October 2026, alongside three other models: the SteelSeries Rival Pro Mini, as well as the SteelSeries Sensei Pro and Sensei Pro Mini. The Rival Pro is priced at $179.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250). That lands it firmly in the premium category, with rivals including the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike and the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro.

SteelSeries Rival Pro review: specs

Should I buy the SteelSeries Rival Pro?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

SteelSeries Rival Pro review: also consider

How I tested the SteelSeries Rival Pro

• Tested intensively for hours
• Used for gaming and general productivity
• Made use of all features in the GG web app

I spent many hours testing the SteelSeries Rival Pro, during which time I used it for gaming and general productivity.

When gaming, I paired the mouse with the LG UltraGear 25G590B 1000Hz gaming monitor to get the best performance possible. I made sure to play a range of games, but mainly tested the mouse with the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077. On top of this, I made sure to try out all of the mouse’s features and customization options via the GG web app.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing gadgets here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from premium Dolby Atmos soundbars to gaming software, and have tested a number of mice, including the recently released Logitech Mobi Fold.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: October 2026

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #976) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #976) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• RUST
• FORK
• ROPES
• SPEAR
• SOUR
• SLEEP

NYT Strands today (game #976) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #976) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #976) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #976, are…

• LABOR
• STAFF
• WORKFORCE
• PEOPLE
• PERSONNEL
• SPANGRAM: HUMANRESOURCES

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

There’s a joke about Human Resources departments that they exist to protect the company from the people who make the company work.

This is unfair. They also send emails about the lifts not working.

Anyway, I digress. Personal prejudices about HUMANRESOURCES aside this was an easy game made slightly more interesting by some game words that could be connected in a variety of different ways.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, November 3, game #975)

• SINGER
• CROONER
• CHORISTER
• VOCALIST
• BALLADEER
• SPANGRAM: BELTITOUT

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1242) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• FLY
• POKE
• IRON
• WORKS
• WOOD
• WRING
• WEDGE
• BLEACH
• PUTTER
• CRACKER
• DOORSTOP
• LOLL
• FLATIRON BUILDING
• SHUFFLE
• TUMBLE DRY
• PIE SLICE

NYT Connections today (game #1242) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Popular polyhedrons
• GREEN: Laundry advice
• BLUE: Casual movement
• PURPLE: Begin with a hot 4-letter word

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1242) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: TRIANGULAR PRISMS WITH A SHARP EDGE
• GREEN: WORDS AFTER "DO NOT" ON A CARE LABEL
• BLUE: MOVE IDLY, WITH "AROUND"
• PURPLE: FIRE____

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1242) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1242, are…

• YELLOW: TRIANGULAR PRISMS WITH A SHARP EDGE: DOORSTOP, FLATIRON BUILDING, PIE SLICE, WEDGE
• GREEN: WORDS AFTER "DO NOT" ON A CARE LABEL: BLEACH, IRON, TUMBLE DRY, WRING
• BLUE: MOVE IDLY, WITH "AROUND": LOLL, POKE, PUTTER, SHUFFLE
• PURPLE: FIRE____: CRACKER, FLY, WOOD, WORKS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

It was more out of luck than design, but somehow I managed to complete this game in difficulty order for the third day in a row.

As great as it is to perform the triple rainbow, this was a far-from-perfect game, and one with began with the most obvious of mistakes: namely, the linking of the four golf clubs, IRON, WEDGE, WOOD and PUTTER. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person to fall into this particular bunker.

Thankfully, I recovered and decided that the icon shape of the FLATIRON BUILDING was the key linking it to WEDGE, PIE SLICE and DOORSTOP. From here, though, I muddled through with vague notions of something to do with laundry and laziness.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, November 3, 2026, game #1241)

• YELLOW: KEEP GOING: CARRY ON, CONTINUE, PROCEED, RESUME
• GREEN: THINGS WITH WHEELS: OFFICE CHAIR, ROLLER BAG, SHOPPING CART, STROLLER
• BLUE: THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT: CHECK, FOOD, MENU, TAP WATER
• PURPLE: ENDING IN MENU BAR HEADINGS: CREDIT, INTERVIEW, PROFILE, WHELP

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1745) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1745) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1745, are…

• JOIST
• CROOK
• DELAY
• ICILY

If you experienced a strong sense of deja-vu playing this game you are not alone.

This is the third time JOIST has made an appearance in the past three months, while DELAY appeared in a Sequence game last week.

Is there a shortage of five-letter words?

Daily Sequence today (game #1745) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1745, are…

• MOSSY
• SNOOP
• SLEEK
• NICER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1744, Tuesday, 3 November: TRIAL, STAID, LEVEL, BONUS
• Quordle #1743, Monday, 2 November: EXTRA, AMITY, LUPUS, EAGLE
• Quordle #1742, Sunday, 1 November: DROVE, PRIED, SHELL, BEGIN
• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves has revealed some inspirations behind the game's soundtrack
• He attributes much of it to the gameplay and Infinity Ward's sound team
• He confirmed that he didn't reference previous Modern Warfare soundtracks, but there is "a little bit of vibe inspiration from the OG Modern Warfare 2"

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 composer Jason Graves has attributed the gameplay and the Infinity Ward sound team for helping to inspire the game's multiplayer score.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Graves said, "Fortunately, I have no lack of inspiration from the amazing gameplay itself," when asked where he begins when composing a soundtrack for such an iconic franchise.

"The incredible team at Infinity Ward, led by audio director Stephen Miller, was also such a huge creative influence," he continued. "And the music team, led by Jonathan Mayer, were integral in shaping the overall vibe and giving me everything I needed to be as creative as possible."

Graves, who has also composed for Warzone, Dead Space, Dead Space 2, 2013's Tomb Raider, and a host of other projects spanning video games and movies, added that it was important that the work was a collaborative effort, as scores can be years in the making.

"I can't stress how important cooperation with other creative human beings makes a difference when it comes to working on a project as big as this," Graves said. "This is the kind of thing that slowly comes together over years of work."

As for finding the basis for a Modern Warfare score, Graves explained that he doesn't listen to previous works, but admitted that "there was a little bit of vibe inspiration from the OG Modern Warfare 2."

"But nothing too granular or specific," he added, "I'm very intentional about not listening to music from previous projects in a franchise unless specifically directed by the developer. I think that's especially important here because Infinity Ward has been so supportive of trying new things and creating a soundtrack that's every bit as epic and bespoke as the gameplay itself."

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is one of the best games of 2026, with "the best campaign in years and an incredible multiplayer offering," and you can play it now.

• The next game in the Elder Scrolls series is officially titled: The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel
• Bethesda Game Studios has also shared a teaser trailer hinting at the game's location, which appears to be Hammerfell
• The studio says, "It’ll be some time before we’re ready to share more" about Sentinel

Bethesda Game Studios has finally announced the name of the next game in its long-running Elder Scrolls series: The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel.

The news comes from a video celebrating the studio's 40th anniversary, which highlighted its many achievements and ended with Bethesda creative director Todd Howard offering a new look at the game.

"Everybody’s always asking about Elder Scrolls 6," said Howard. "And we thought, hey, given the moment, what a perfect time to tell you what The Elder Scrolls 6 is actually called."

The teaser trailer is short and doesn't showcase gameplay, but the camera pans over sand before a magic-looking scroll emerges. Then the game's title, as fans theorized, "The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel," was revealed.

The trailer description also provides an additional hint to the game, which reads, "The scroll offered only a shimmer, a veil thinly lifted to my eyes. A future lost. A victory undone. Sands of time scattered by fate," which is written in game lore by "Yazar, Moth Priest to High Queen Iradne of Hammerfell (4E 206)."

The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel has been in development for a very long time. Announced all the way back in 2018, today's teaser trailer and name drop are the first new pieces of information we've received about the game since.

In a follow-up post on X, Bethesda seemingly confirmed the game's location is set in Hammerfell, but it will be "some time" before more details

about the role-playing game (RPG) can be shared.

"Thank you for 40 years of shared memories," the studio said. "We can’t wait to make even more together with The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel. Development continues, and while it’ll be some time before we’re ready to share more, it feels great to finally reveal the name and location with you."

• Rockstar Games has confirmed players can pre-load the digital version of Grand Theft Auto 6 on November 10
• Code-in-box editions should be available in stores starting November 12
• The pre-load file will be "up to 212GB depending on your device"

Rockstar Games has announced the file size for Grand Theft Auto 6 and the dates for when players can pre-load the game depending on their edition.

In a new blog post, the studio confirmed that digital pre-loading on PlayStation 5 will begin nine days before the game's November 19 launch, on Tuesday, November 10 at midnight local time "in your respective time zone."

For Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, pre-loading begins globally on Tuesday, November 10 at 12AM GMT / 7PM EST / 6PM CST.

Meanwhile, code-in-box versions for both consoles should be available from retailers beginning November 12.

GTA 6 was speculated to be a massive game already due to its ambitious scale and impressive features, but Rockstar has officially confirmed that the pre-load file will be "up to 212 GB depending on your device."

"So make sure you've got ample space to begin pre-loading as soon as possible," the studio cautioned. Say goodbye to a fair few of your games if you want to install GTA 6.

In addition to the new details, Rockstar said it will be adding an official printable Grand Theft Auto 6 cover art poster and map of Leonida as a free digital download to the official site on November 19 for fans.

"A double-sided physical version of this poster will also be made available shortly after launch from the Rockstar Store — for $0.99 on its own or as a free gift with any purchase from the Rockstar Store," it added.

Rockstar recently released the cinematic GTA 6 launch trailer, which offers a deeper look into the game's story. Elsewhere, a new report claims the PC version could launch in early 2027.

• The Razer Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition launches November 10 for $349.99 / €368.99
• The licensed PS5 controller features a magnesium alloy exoskeleton and an open polygonal top and back plate design with chamfered edges
• The controller is also optimized for PC and boasts "reliable precision, exceptional control, and blazing-fast speed"

Razer has announced the Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition, a new version of its officially licensed PlayStation 5 controller built on a decade of experience for "the highest level of performance and craftsmanship."

Launching exclusively at Razer on November 10 for $349.99 / €368.99 in an initial limited release supply of 1,337 serialized units, the Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition is Razer's "most ambitious" PS5 controller to date and combines materials chosen for "strength, durability, and finish."

The jet-black controller features a strong magnesium alloy exoskeleton, and the handles are wrapped in matte black textured TPU grip that resists oils and abrasion for a pristine finish for extended play sessions.

Layered over the touchpad, the Razer logo is laser-etched on a semi-transparent, tinted glass panel, which offers a subtle view of the open-air polygonal design underneath.

The Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition also has an open polygonal top and back plate design with chamfered edges, and its nano coating leaves the internal elements exposed beneath the shell, keeping them safe from debris.

On top of that, the Razer controller boasts "reliable precision, exceptional control, and blazing-fast speed," which is achieved through its symmetrical thumbstick layout and contactless TMR thumbstick sensors for high-precision aim.

Built for PS5 consoles and optimized for PC with a 2,000Hz polling rate thanks to Razer HyperPolling Wireless for sharper movement and tracking, the controller also offers six mappable multi-function buttons, two claw-grip bumpers, and four mouse-click back buttons.

"With the Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition, we set out to illustrate what happens when Razer’s engineering and design capabilities are pushed to their absolute limits," said Charlie Bolton, Razer's global head of design. "It draws on years of experience in high-performance controllers, delivering tournament-grade responsiveness in a design that feels like a statement piece in hand."

Each Razer Raiju V3 Pro Signature Edition offers a suite of premium accessories for customization, including a premium leather carrying case, alternative thumbstick caps, four swappable back button covers, an anodized aluminium back button replacement tool, a Razer HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle, and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable.

• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen says the RTS game draws inspiration from Dawn of War 2 and 3's mechanics
• Theysen says, "There are definitely elements" in there from the first game, such as hero mechanics and UI features
• While core inspiration comes from the first Dawn of War, King Art felt it needed to find the right balance between old and more recent mechanics

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 creative director Jan Theysen has confirmed that while the upcoming game took core inspiration from the first Dawn of War, King Art also borrowed elements from Dawn of War 2 and 3.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Theysen described how the game manifests the classic real-time strategy (RTS) experience of the 2004 game and that, when the studio was looking for a starting point, Dawn of War "was more this classic RTS with base building, with big battles" and its "north star" for inspiration.

The King Art co-founder also revealed that while Dawn of War was the basis for Dawn of War 4, the studio also took features from the second and third games and "there are definitely elements" in there such as hero mechanics and UI features.

"A lot of the hero stuff comes from Dawn of War 2, of course," Theysen said. "I mean, the heroes are not as powerful or not as important as they were in Dawn of War 2 or 3, but a lot of the upgrade mechanics and the different paths you can send your heroes down; you can optimize them in different ways and so on, like meteor range or stuff like that.

"There is definitely a lot of Dawn of War 2. I also think the look and feel is kind of maybe more Dawn of War 2 than it's Dawn of War 1. Dawn of War 3, we liked aspects of the UI, for example. So there are some elements like the unit cards at the bottom of the screen and so on. That is something that we, even for Iron Harvest or previous RTS [games], already took from Dawn of War 3."

Theysen's reasoning for borrowing from the sequels comes down to Dawn of War being over 20 years old, and King Art felt it needed to find the right balance between old and new.

"Dawn of War 1 is a great game, and I love it, but it's also over 20 years old," he added. "So stuff happened in between [game releases] and wherever it's possible, we want to get the best version. But what we also said was, when in doubt, if there's not a really strong argument to do something differently, then let's just do it."

Similar to what Relic Entertainment did with its Dawn of War sequels, Theysen said, "Just because there's no reason to change stuff, don't fix it when it's not broken."

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 launches on PC on December 3.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1744) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1744) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1744, are…

• TRIAL
• STAID
• LEVEL
• BONUS

A tricky five-vowel game that I had an incorrect hunch would also include a rare letter.

Instead of a J for “jewel”, my old friend the letter V took a starring role for the far more everyday LEVEL.

Daily Sequence today (game #1744) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1744, are…

• BLAND
• CLOSE
• MAMBO
• TODAY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1743, Monday, 2 November: EXTRA, AMITY, LUPUS, EAGLE
• Quordle #1742, Sunday, 1 November: DROVE, PRIED, SHELL, BEGIN
• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1241) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CARRY ON
• CHECK
• ROLLER BAG
• INTERVIEW
• RESUME
• PROFILE
• OFFICE CHAIR
• FOOD
• MENU
• SHOPPING CART
• CREDIT
• CONTINUE
• WHELP
• TAP WATER
• PROCEED
• STROLLER

NYT Connections today (game #1241) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Move on
• GREEN: Movable items
• BLUE: What a waiter or waitress deliver to you
• PURPLE: Hidden computer words

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1241) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: KEEP GOING
• GREEN: THINGS WITH WHEELS
• BLUE: THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT
• PURPLE: ENDING IN MENU BAR HEADINGS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1241) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1241, are…

• YELLOW: KEEP GOING: CARRY ON, CONTINUE, PROCEED, RESUME
• GREEN: THINGS WITH WHEELS: OFFICE CHAIR, ROLLER BAG, SHOPPING CART, STROLLER
• BLUE: THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT: CHECK, FOOD, MENU, TAP WATER
• PURPLE: ENDING IN MENU BAR HEADINGS: CREDIT, INTERVIEW, PROFILE, WHELP

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I didn’t get the purple group and it took me a couple of reads before I understood that we were supposed to have seen edit, view, file and help at the end of CREDIT, INTERVIEW, PROFILE and WHELP — but congratulations if you spotted it.

Instead, I completed the categories in difficulty order for the second day in a row. I can only remember doing this once before and failing to complete a hat-trick, but I’ll give it a go tomorrow.

Meanwhile, THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT was pleasing, because it confirmed my feeling that TAP WATER should always arrive at your table without you having to ask for it.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, November 2, 2026, game #1240)

• YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK: BACKPACK, COMPASS, HIKING BOOTS, WATER BOTTLE
• GREEN: ANGER: INCENSE, NETTLE, PIQUE, WIND UP
• BLUE: MIST MAKERS: DRY ICE, FOG MACHINE, HUMIDIFIER, WATERFALL
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS: DISCO BALL, DRESSING ROOM, KALEIDOSCOPE, MEDICINE CABINET

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• CLAD
• CLOT
• TAILOR
• VITAL
• STOUT
• BEST

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #975) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #975, are…

• SINGER
• CROONER
• CHORISTER
• VOCALIST
• BALLADEER
• SPANGRAM: BELTITOUT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

SINGER seems the most obvious word to feature in the theme “I’ve got a song in my heart”, but embarrassingly I needed a hint to find it.

From here on in, I managed without help — although it did take me several attempts to tap out CHORISTER after finding the next most obvious word, CROONER.

Meanwhile, I have issues with the spangram BELTITOUT, as it’s terrible advice to those who can sing and encourages those who can’t that all that is required is the conviction that you can. My uncle Roger was one of these people and possibly the only person who has been banned from a pub for singing too loudly, something you’d think a pub would be used to.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, November 2, game #974)

• CLIFF
• SNOW
• GLACIER
• PEAK
• RIDGE
• SADDLE
• SUMMIT
• SPANGRAM: MOUNTAINTOP

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1743) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1743) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1743, are…

• EXTRA
• AMITY
• LUPUS
• EAGLE

It didn’t take me very long to work out that my final word contained two letter Us, but I really struggled to stop thinking about humus and finally get to LUPUS.

This was also a game that featured the rare letter X, although deciding on EXTRA was fairly easy once the start and ending letters had been revealed.

Daily Sequence today (game #1743) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1743, are…

• THIRD
• GOING
• SNAIL
• SOOTH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1742, Sunday, 1 November: DROVE, PRIED, SHELL, BEGIN
• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY
• Quordle #1723, Tuesday, 13 October: FLUFF, DEBUT, TEETH, STEIN

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MEDICINE CABINET
• COMPASS
• FOG MACHINE
• INCENSE
• WATERFALL
• DISCO BALL
• NETTLE
• HIKING BOOTS
• DRESSING ROOM
• DRY ICE
• WATER BOTTLE
• WIND UP
• PIQUE
• KALEIDOSCOPE
• HUMIDIFIER
• BACKPACK

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Equipment for a long walk
• GREEN: Raging
• BLUE: Wet not wet
• PURPLE: Watch your reflection

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK
• GREEN: ANGER
• BLUE: MIST MAKERS
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1240, are…

• YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK: BACKPACK, COMPASS, HIKING BOOTS, WATER BOTTLE
• GREEN: ANGER: INCENSE, NETTLE, PIQUE, WIND UP
• BLUE: MIST MAKERS: DRY ICE, FOG MACHINE, HUMIDIFIER, WATERFALL
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS: DISCO BALL, DRESSING ROOM, KALEIDOSCOPE, MEDICINE CABINET

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A straightforward Connections puzzle to begin the week, without any word games, traps, trickery or cultural gaps.

As is often the case with these types of Connections games I got each group in difficulty order and was able to experience that little tingle of perfection, but also disappointment that I wasn’t smart enough to spot a fairly easy purple group.

Games this easy also make me suspicious that the NYT puzzle setters are merely giving our brains a day off in order to soften us up before a difficult run. Bring it on!

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, November 1, 2026, game #1239)

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TEETH: BICUSPID, CANINE, INCISOR, MOLAR
• GREEN: KINDS OF LOVE: BROTHERLY, PUPPY, SELF, UNREQUITED
• BLUE: ENTHUSIAST: FIEND, HEAD, HOUND, LOVER
• PURPLE: SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DOGGY, MATURATED, TRENCHED, TRIPPING

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• MULE
• FILE
• SNARE
• RACE
• TIME
• DATE

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #974) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #974, are…

• CLIFF
• SNOW
• GLACIER
• PEAK
• RIDGE
• SADDLE
• SUMMIT
• SPANGRAM: MOUNTAINTOP

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I love how today’s spangram jaggedly rises from one corner to the other.

However, despite my enjoyment of some top-level Strands craft I still managed to miss out on spotting it. Instead, I began with the game’s two most obvious words in CLIFF and PEAK.

The closest I’ve got to a MOUNTAINTOP is snowmobiling on a GLACIER in Iceland — an experience that was both exciting and terrifying, not least the moment when our guide pointed out a 120ft-deep crevasse we were inches away from falling into. I’m still having the nightmares.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, November 1, game #973)

• SNOOZE
• SLEEP
• CATNAP
• DOZE
• SLUMBER
• DROWSE
• SPANGRAM: ZZZZZZZZ

Back in 2000, Bandai Namco published the third game in the beloved Tales series, Tales of Eternia. It was received very well at launch, being praised for its high-octane action combat, charming cast, and humorous script — though the Western versions on the original PlayStation and PSP were held back by their omission of skits (character-driven dialogue scenes) and slightly subpar voice acting. But now, Tales of Eternia Remastered — developed by TOSE Co. — is here, aiming to remedy these issues and refine the game for a modern audience.

I’ve spent just north of 30 hours with Tales of Eternia Remastered, playing through the main story, completing side quests, and exploring the realms of Inferia and Celestia.

So, how effectively does this remaster bring a JRPG classic into the modern era? And is it truly worth playing? Here’s my verdict.

Gimme a Boost!

I’ll speak about the core Tales of Eternia experience in good time, but it only seems right to discuss the new stuff that this remaster brings to the table first.

Arguably the main thing is the inclusion of Boost Function. This enables you to tailor your experience to your specific wants and needs, with highlights including a random encounter toggle, difficulty options, an increased item capacity setting, and an EXP gain adjuster.

My personal favorite feature was the option to restore TP (which you consume when using skills) when camping, which made grinding feel a lot more fluid and easier to manage.

The Boost Function suite is filled to the brim, and really helps to make the title more approachable for newcomers. My only real complaint here is that I would’ve loved the option to map a function — such as disabling enemy encounters — to one of the buttons on my Nintendo Switch 2. Having to open the main menu, go into the Customize Section, and then the Boost Function felt a touch clunky.

There’s a lot more to uncover, though. For instance, you can switch between remastered and original graphics and sound effects, which is sure to satisfy newcomers and long-time fans.

The visual enhancements are relatively light overall. This isn’t a transformative overhaul, and some environments still look a little rough around the edges. But still, the remaster does illuminate some previously obscured details. As you can see in the images below, detailing on the statues is far more intricate, and foliage looks sharper in the remastered graphics mode. And while some may prefer the original pixel sprites, I think the remaster does a good job of cleaning them up a bit while keeping them faithful to the original artwork.

While we’re on the topic of visuals, I unfortunately have a complaint to make: the cutscenes look pretty poor. They’ve been placed into widescreen, and it looks as if a filter has been applied; the results are underwhelming — characters and backgrounds lack clarity and definition, laying bare the limitations of the original material.

That’s a nitpick, of course, and most elements of this remaster still hit the spot. For example, the newly recorded English voice acting is great, and each character’s personality shines through perfectly. Skits are finally here in the West, too, providing plenty of humorous and emotional moments when camping or resting.

Objective icons are also introduced, which point you in the direction of the main story objective or side quests. I really appreciated this, especially as I didn’t want to miss out on side content, but if you want to figure everything out for yourself, you can swiftly switch it off in the Customize menu.

An underrated classic, reborn

So, while it’s not flawless, the remaster of this title is solid overall and successfully makes this classic more palatable for modern audiences. But just how fun is the core game in the big 2026?

I’ll lay my cards on the table: I had a spectacular time with Tales of Eternia Remastered. This was actually my first time playing the game — after all, I wasn’t even born when it was initially released. In spite of that, there was something so nostalgic about it, the warm, charming world and excellent cast totally captured my attention, and I found myself pouring countless hours into the game every single day.

Something that stood out for me was the writing. Yes, the main narrative is nothing special — the world is in danger, and a group of young heroes needs to defy the odds to save everybody. But it’s the characters that make this experience so special.

For the most part, you'll spend your time with four key heroes. Reid is a reluctant protagonist who seems to be dragged into the chaos at every turn, Farah is a contemplative, complex young woman learning herself as the story unfolds, Keele is a stuck-up academic type who delivers some hilarious moments, and Meredy is a caring and curious foreign stranger who the crew slowly begins to understand in their quest to prevent disaster.

The cast isn’t weighed down by the tired tropes and lazy writing that a lot of JRPGs faced at the time, and each party member is highly memorable.

But how about the actual gameplay? Well, the combat is pretty unique. It manifests in the form of a fighter-RPG hybrid, with a large focus on reactive action-based commands. While the combat certainly takes some getting used to and the movement can feel a little janky at times, battling your foes feels incredibly addictive. Chaining Artes together to deliver devastating combos and tinkering with formations or skills to get past tough boss battles is highly rewarding, and even random encounters gave me huge satisfaction.

The game is undoubtedly challenging, but delivering a finishing blow makes your struggle feel worth it. And if you do fall to your foes, a retry battle option is at hand to dive right back into the action.

There’s not too much grinding required, either. I kept random encounters on for the vast majority of my playthrough, and that gave me plenty of experience for big boss fights. If you do want to grab some extra experience, though, you can switch Auto mode on and have your team fight for you, helping you avoid same-y skirmishes.

Outside of battle, things are decent too. You can explore the world for items and treasure to bolster your stats, venture into shops to grab stronger gear, and even take on a few minigames. Exploration is highly gratifying as well, and you’ll often find weapons that come in handy for specific areas or recipes that restore your HP or TP when you’re running low.

A small complaint I have, though, is that movement feels clunky in the overworld. You need to be very precise if you want to move diagonally, and dragging items like statues could feel a bit awkward at times. This is still a relatively minor issue overall, but in tighter areas, the old-school movement did cause me some minor frustration.

I also have to say that the minigames, in general, are pretty bad. They typically control fine, but don’t feel very fun to play at all. Luckily, you can skip these if you’d prefer, which I often did. It was cool to see mouse mode integration for minigames on Nintendo Switch 2, though, which worked a treat in my experience.

Speaking of my experience on Switch 2, let’s take a moment to talk about performance. Tales of Eternia Remastered runs in 4K when playing docked and 1080p in handheld, with smooth 60fps across both modes — perhaps to be expected for a less demanding title like this. I didn’t notice any technical hiccups or frame drops during my whole playthrough, so Switch 2 is certainly a top-tier destination for this remaster.

So let’s address those questions I posed in the intro. Is Tales of Eternia Remastered a worthy modern take on this classic entry? For me, the answer is yes.

Some things could’ve been better: the visual enhancements are relatively light, cutscenes look a bit underwhelming, and I would’ve liked a shortcut button for disabling enemy encounters. But the Boost Function provides so much flexibility, the new English dub is great, and the ability to retry battles in an instant keeps the game's pace feeling fast and fluid.

And at a core level, this is a great game with a lot to offer, in spite of a few dated elements. The combat, while very much of its time, remains fun and surprisingly strategic; the cast is highly memorable, with skits adding some welcome depth, and exploration is rewarding too.

All in all, I had a blast with Tales of Eternia Remastered, and JRPG fanatics are sure to find a lot to love here.

Should you play Tales of Eternia Remastered?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

There are a number of ways to customize your experience in Tales of Eternia Remastered. You can turn subtitles on or off, choose to auto-advance text, remap buttons to suit your preferences, and alter difficulty. While there’s no colorblind mode, in-game elements that previously required color-based identification have been redesigned around visual elements unrelated to color.

How I reviewed Tales of Eternia Remastered

I spent just over 30 hours with Tales of Eternia Remastered, during which time I played through the main story, completed a handful of side quests, and tried out all of the various Boost Function features.

For the most part, I played the game in docked mode, with my Nintendo Switch 2 hooked up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. However, I did dip into handheld mode from time to time, and used the Sennheiser CX 80U wired earbuds to enjoy in-game audio.

More generally, I’ve covered a huge array of games here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed a number of JRPGs, including Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, as well as Switch 2 exclusives such as Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort.

First reviewed October 2026

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1742) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1742) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1742, are…

• DROVE
• PRIED
• SHELL
• BEGIN

I’m glad I didn’t have many letters left after my wrong guess of “fried”.

Fortunately PRIED was the only option left — ironic considering that I almost entered the homophone pride, before realizing we had already ruled out a word ending in E after DROVE.

Daily Sequence today (game #1742) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1742, are…

• SHARD
• GECKO
• DRESS
• TWEED

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY
• Quordle #1723, Tuesday, 13 October: FLUFF, DEBUT, TEETH, STEIN
• Quordle #1722, Monday, 12 October: HELLO, BELOW, RIGHT, SLANT

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1239) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• HEAD
• TRIPPING
• CANINE
• LOVER
• DOGGY
• SELF
• MATURATED
• PUPPY
• HOUND
• INCISOR
• BROTHERLY
• BICUSPID
• UNREQUITED
• TRENCHED
• MOLAR
• FIEND

NYT Connections today (game #1239) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Dental
• GREEN: Romance
• BLUE: Keen on things
• PURPLE: Sodden with something missing

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1239) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TEETH
• GREEN: KINDS OF LOVE
• BLUE: ENTHUSIAST
• PURPLE: SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1239) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1239, are…

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TEETH: BICUSPID, CANINE, INCISOR, MOLAR
• GREEN: KINDS OF LOVE: BROTHERLY, PUPPY, SELF, UNREQUITED
• BLUE: ENTHUSIAST: FIEND, HEAD, HOUND, LOVER
• PURPLE: SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DOGGY, MATURATED, TRENCHED, TRIPPING

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

Congratulations if you saw SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED and scored yourself a Purple First. Of all the different types of wordplay deployed in this game I find letters changing the hardest to spot.

Having said that, I struggle with basic groups too. Today I included HOUND in the collection of KINDS OF TEETH — I was thinking of the houndstooth checked pattern, obviously.

Thankfully, I redeemed myself after this minor slip up and collected the four synonyms for ENTHUSIST, of which HEAD is my favorite because you can stick it after anything to turn them into a hippy obsessive: "Yeah man, he was a real Connections head."

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, October 31, 2026, game #1238)

• YELLOW: WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD: GNARLY, KILLER, SICK, WICKED
• GREEN: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS: DIRTY, DRY, SHAKEN, UP
• BLUE: THINGS WITH STRINGS: GUITAR, MARIONETTE, TASSEL, TENNIS RACKET
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS: DOWNFALL, SHAKESPEARE, SITCOM, STAYCATION

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• PEEL
• CASE
• RESET
• PAINT
• BRED
• SWORD

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #973) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #973, are…

• SNOOZE
• SLEEP
• CATNAP
• DOZE
• SLUMBER
• DROWSE
• SPANGRAM: ZZZZZZZZ

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Has there ever been a spangram made up of the same letter before?

I am annoyed because I didn’t immediately spot it and score a Spangram First, although I did have the fleeting thought “there are a lot of Zs in today’s game” without realizing why.

The words of this puzzle remind me of Morrissey’s under-appreciated 2017 song Spent The Day In Bed, a jaunty anthem in celebration of skiving while others are striving that includes the typical Morrissey line “I'm not my type, but I love my bed”.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, October 31, game #972)

• TOOTHBRUSH
• FANGS
• RING
• CANDY
• APPLE
• STICKER
• SPANGRAM: TRICKORTREAT

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #972) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #972) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• STEAK
• FISH
• CITY
• SANDY
• PLAICE
• TRICK
• RICE

NYT Strands today (game #972) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #972) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #972) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #972, are…

• TOOTHBRUSH
• FANGS
• RING
• CANDY
• APPLE
• STICKER
• SPANGRAM: TRICKORTREAT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Without meaning to I collected the top three treats and then the bottom three treats — all neatly divided by the spangram.

The first word I spotted was TOOTHBRUSH, so I momentarily thought we could be looking for items that might make their way into a wash bag; my second word, FANGS, soon stopped that theory (as did today’s date!)

Here’s hoping you have a spooktacular Halloween.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, October 30, game #971)

• JUICE
• ELECTRICITY
• POWER
• ENERGY
• SPARK
• CURRENT
• SPANGRAM: PLUGGEDIN