NYT Strands Hints and Answers: October 4, 2026 (Puzzle #945)

The New York Times Strands puzzle #945 brings a board all about classic video games. If you want to protect your perfect streak without using up the in-game hints, we have you covered.

Below, you’ll find today’s theme clue, targeted hints for the Spangram, and the complete solution at the bottom of the page.

Today’s Strands Strategy and Commentary

Finding the Spangram first can be tricky since it has 11 letters. Picking out shorter theme words first can clear space and help you earn hints to reveal the rest. Once you find all the theme words, the Spangram is easy to connect. Each word here is a legendary video game title from the golden age of arcades.

Today’s Strands Hints

To get you started without spoiling the specific words, use these structural clues to navigate the board:

• Today’s Official Theme Clue: “Grab your tokens”
• Spangram Hint: It describes the place and type of games found in public entertainment venues.
• Spangram Start/End Letters: Starts with A and ends with S, and there are 11 letters in total.

Here is my result for today’s puzzle: Strands #945
“Grab your tokens”
💡🔵💡🔵
💡🔵💡🔵
🔵🟡

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: The Spangram answer and full list of theme words are shown below. Don’t scroll down if you still want to solve it yourself and follow the hints and clue above.

Today’s Strands Answers

Here are all the theme words found on the board:

• PONG
• FROGGER
• SCRAMBLE
• ASTEROIDS
• CENTIPEDE

Yesterday’s Answer

Catch up on yesterday’s solution. This record shows the Spangram and theme words from the previous game, so you can compare results or double check the past grid.

Below is yesterday’s answer for NYT Strands hints & answers for puzzle #944.

• Spangram: WILLOTHEWISP
• Theme Words: CHIMERA, ILLUSION, MIRAGE, PHANTASM, SPECTER

For older solutions, see our Strands answers archive.

How did you do?

Did you spot the retro gaming theme right away or did the long Spangram take you longer to work out? Share your experience in the comments below.

A new puzzle becomes available every midnight based on your local time zone through official NYT Strands page or NYT Games app for Android and iOS. It appears at different times around the world including United States UTC-4 to UTC-8, Philippine Standard Time UTC+8, Australia UTC+8 to UTC+11, and New Zealand UTC+12 or UTC+13.

Check back tomorrow for more Strands hints, strategy tips, and the next answer.