Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, October 2 (game #943).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 #944) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… A figment of your imaginationNYT Strands today (game #944) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.SNOTMONTHHIRESPREETHRILLOTHERNYT Strands today (game #944) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 12 lettersNYT Strands today (game #944) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?• First side: bottom, 1st column• Last side: top, 6th columnRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Strands today (game #944) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #944, are…MIRAGEILLUSIONCHIMERASPECTERPHANTASMSPANGRAM:WILLOTHEWISPMy rating: HardMy score: 1 hintWILLOTHEWISP was a spangram I didn’t see until the end of what was quite a long game featuring plenty of interesting and well hidden words.After getting MIRAGE right away I was expecting an easy game, but far from it. Instead, I labored onwards and needed a mid-game hint, which delivered the enigmatic word CHIMERA.Will-o-the-wisp is a ghostly flickering light seen over bogs, swamps, and marshes at night — a trick of the light that spooks and entrances, not to be confused with a 1970s British children's cartoon series called Willo The Wisp, about a blue ghost voiced by Kenneth Williams and a snooty cat based on Noel Coward. Yes, really.Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, October 2, game #943)SHIFTYCOVERTDEVIOUSSTEALTHYFURTIVESPANGRAM: SNEAKINGAROUNDWhat is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.