Strategy guides
Written guides for getting better at The Chains, from finding par to squeezing out rarity bonuses. For the rules themselves, see How to Play. For day-by-day write-ups, browse the puzzle archive, where every past puzzle has a recap.
- How to Solve a Daily Chain Faster
A practical method for finding par in The Chains: work from both ends, use big-roster teams as hubs, and know when a college hop beats another team.
- How Rarity Scoring Works, and Why Obvious Picks Score Low
A plain-language explanation of rarity tiers in The Chains, from Common to Unicorn, and how naming a lesser-known connector raises your score.
- College Links Explained: The Secret Shortcut
Why shared colleges count as links in The Chains, how they change par, and how to use big football programs as bridges between teams.
- Hard Mode: Playing With True Teammates
How hard mode differs from the normal daily puzzle, why same-season overlap changes your strategy, and how to read season labels on each link.
- MLB Edition Strategy: Dense Rosters and Birth-Country Objectives
How the baseball version of The Chains differs from football: constant roster turnover, award and stat-milestone objectives, and birthplace waypoints.
- Building and Protecting a Daily Streak
Habits for keeping a streak alive in The Chains: when new puzzles drop, how the daily lock works, and how to use the archive and practice modes safely.