Quick Answer
Clue: “Reason for success in games like Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders”
Answer: LUCK
Length: 4 letters
Position: 8-Across
The New York Times crossword clue “Reason for success in games like Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders” is answered with LUCK.
Why “LUCK” Is the Right NYT Answer
Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders are pure chance games: players move based on random draws or spins, with no strategy to influence outcomes. The clue asks why someone wins those games, and the honest answer is simply luck.
Because the grid wants a short, everyday noun, LUCK fits better than longer phrases like “GOOD FORTUNE” or “PURE CHANCE,” and it matches the clue’s singular “Reason.”
What “LUCK” Means in Plain English
In plain English, luck is success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than one’s own actions. If you win a game where you can’t control the moves, you were lucky.
Here the crossword taps into that everyday sense, contrasting luck-based kids’ games with strategy-heavy board games where skill matters.
Crossword-Specific Help: Pattern, Crossings, and Variants
At 8-Across, the entry appears as L‑U‑C‑K, filling four squares. With crossings, you might see patterns like L_UK or _UCK, which quickly narrow the possibilities to LUCK. The final K is especially distinctive.
LUCK is a common crossword answer and can show up under clues such as “Reason for a surprising win,” “What a four-leaf clover brings,” or “It’s good, if you have it.”
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
When a clue name‑checks games that are mostly random Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, War, roulette think of answer words like LUCK or CHANCE.
Look for “reason for success” or “cause of a win” phrasing; when paired with luck‑based activities, that almost always points to LUCK if the grid length is four.
Linking specific examples (kids’ games, gambling, lotteries) to the abstract idea of luck is a recurring NYT clue pattern.
