Solvers are presented with a 12x12 grid of images, each labeled with a number. The number for each image represents the enumeration of the word that the image represents. Each of the accompanying clues yields an answer that phonetically combines a number of words identified in the grid. The amount of words combined to form the answer is represented by the number at the end of each clue. These phonetically-combined answers can be found on the grid in wordsearch fashion: in a straight line, diagonals included.
When solvers discover that one of the clues, "What this grid also is (3)" yields the answer NURIKABE, they should note that the lines formed by the clues follow the rules of filling in a Nurikabe wall. That is, there are no 2x2 areas, and it creates one continuous area.
After finding all the correct answers to the clues, solvers will be left with 12 unused "areas". These areas each have a number of squares equal to the numbers found underneath the grid. The order of these numbers are determined by starting on the top-left corner and going left-to-right top-to-bottom, noting the first square encountered for each area.
The words identified in these unused areas can also be phonetically combined to make a phrase. These phrases have one thing in common: they all relate somehow to an "island", a reference to "Islands in the Stream", the alternate name of a Nurikabe. Taking the first letter of each island related to the identified phrases in order of the numbers below the grid yields CALL IN CHASER, an instruction to submit the answer to this puzzle: CHASER.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DIE | MAXI | YAWN | MARRY | OHM | BRAY | HER | WHO | YAW | MASS | STIR | EMIR |
| 2 | SHARP | JAWS | TEEN | END | TALK | BEE | HANG | CAULK | RUE | BRIE | KATE | OLD |
| 3 | WANNA ONE | PAY | TYPE | KALE | EBB | RA | MOON | NEIGH | ROB | BERT | COLA | ABE |
| 4 | MAI | HEAR | TARO | NOTE | TIG | Z | SEA | ROSE | BUD | DEN | RICK | WREN |
| 5 | RAMA | ROE | KIN | WHACK | FEE | ROAD | LEMON | SAUL | BUTT | NU | KNEE | HARL |
| 6 | ORE | CADDIE | MIA | TWO | LICK | AGREE | SNORE | TERI | ASS | MON | LYNN | SHAKE |
| 7 | PAN | HEROES | BECK | TIN | ILL | THIN | E | LAN | JOHN | AIR | EDGE | COOL |
| 8 | PIKE | SIT | STEIN | THYME | SEAR | EAST | DEW | WAKE | FIELD | MOLE | KONG | LEI |
| 9 | TURN | SERVE | KANT | KERR | ISIS | LEO | ANNE | TOME | TEAT | BALM | BURR | SHOOT |
| 10 | LASER | EYE | CRYPT | TON | AB | WOMB | FORT | ASK | KNIGHTLEY | MERMAN | JEN | BULLY |
| 11 | TONGUE | VERPA | NUM | MA | BAT | NASH | ON | ALF | FOUND | DAE | SHIN | STRUM |
| 12 | MILL | WALK | KEY | BUCKS | WAR | LIVER | AWL | NUN | SARI | EROS | NAS | RHINE |
| CLUE | ANSWER | LOCATION | WORDS COMBINED |
|---|---|---|---|
| A place to kill (3) | ABATTOIR | E10-E12 | AB, BAT, WAR |
| Sprayed substance (3) | AEROSOL | J7-H5 | AIR, ASS, SAUL |
| Sausage (3) | ANDOUILLE | G9-G7 | ANNE, DEW, E |
| Fictional Lion (2) | ASLAN | I6-I7 | ASS, LAN |
| Female superhero (3) | BATWOMAN | E11-G9 | BAT, WOMB, ANNE |
| Big fan of a particular male singer (2) | BELIEBER | L10-K9 | BULLY, BURR |
| Video Game (2) | BOMBERMAN | J9-J10 | BALM, MERMAN |
| Umbrella (3) | BUMBERSHOOT | J9-L9 | BALM, BURR, SHOOT |
| A place in Italy (3) | CALABRIA | K3-I1 | COLA, BRIE, YAW |
| A stringed instrument from the Renaissance era (2) | CITTERN | B9-A10 | SIT, TURN |
| Last name of an American President (2) | COOLIDGE | L7-K7 | COOL, EDGE |
| A writing system (3) | CYRILLIC | E8-E6 | SEAR, ILL, LICK |
| The final element of a play (3) | DENOUMENT | J4-J6 | DEN, NU, MON |
| Buckminster Fuller idea (3) | DYMAXION | A1-C1 | DIE, MAXI, YAWN |
| An architect (4) | EERO SAARINEN | J12-H12 | EROS, SARI, NUN |
| Japanese Golden Boy (2) | KINTARO | C5-C4 | KIN, TARO |
| Element of the Periodic Table (2) | KRYPTON | C10-D10 | CRYPT, TON |
| Work or toil (2) | LABOR | L8-K9 | LEI, BURR |
| A country (3) | LIECHTENSTEIN | E6-C8 | LICK, TIN, STEIN |
| Type of government (4) | MERITOCRACY | D1-G4 | MARRY, TALK, RA, SEA |
| American graphic designer (3) | MILTON GLASER | A12-A10 | MILL, TONGUE, LASER |
| An NBA team (4) | MILWAUKEE BUCKS | A12-D12 | MILL, WALK, KEY, BUCKS |
| A religious building (3) | MONASTERY | J6-H6 | MON, ASS, TERI |
| Do many things at once (3) | MULTITTASK | J8-H10 | MOLE, TEAT, ASK |
| A type of jacket (2) | NEHRU | H3-I2 | NEIGH, RUE |
| Questionable medicine? (2) | NOSTRUM | K12-L11 | NAS, STRUM |
| What this grid also is (3) | NURIKABE | J5-L3 | NU, RICK, ABE |
| A rich character from a musical (4) | OLIVER WARBUCKS | G12-D12 | AWL, LIVER, WAR, BUCKS |
| Male singer who was most popular in the 2000's (3) | OMARION | E1-C1 | OHM, MARRY, YAWN |
| Gradient (2) | OMBRE | E1-F1 | OHM, BRAY |
| Southeast Asian noodle dish (4) | PANCIT CANTON | A7-D10 | PAN, SIT, KANT, TON |
| IZ*ONE Song (3) | PANORAMA | A7-A5 | PAN, ORE, RAMA |
| An individual's observable characteristics (3) | PHENOTYPE | E5-C3 | FEE, NOTE, TYPE |
| A fizzy drink (3) | RAMUNE | F3-H3 | RA, MOON, NEIGH |
| An animal (3) | RHINOCEROS | L12-J12 | RHINE, NAS, EROS |
| A brand of cough drop (2) | RICOLA | K4-K3 | RICK, COLA |
| To add elaborate letters or decorations to a document (3) | RUBRICATE | I2-K2 | RUE, BRIE, KATE |
| Dog breed (2) | SHARPEI | A2-B3 | SHARP, PAY |
| RuPaul's Drag Race Queen (3) | SHEA COULEE | L6-L8 | SHAKE, COOL, LEI |
| A historical king (2) | SOLOMON | H5-G5 | SAUL, LEMON |
| Last name of a writer (2) | STEINBECK | C8-C7 | STEIN, BECK |
| A famous skyscraper (3) | TAIPEI 101 | C3-A3 | TYPE, PAY, WANNA ONE |
| American Comedian (3) | TIG NOTARO | E4-C4 | TIG, NOTE, TARO |
| An opera by Vivaldi about a Roman official (4) | TITO MANLIO | I9-F9 | TEAT, TOME, ANNE, LEO |
| A kind of road (2) | TURNPIKE | A9-A8 | TURN, PIKE |
| A website (2) | YAHOO | I1-H1 | YAW, WHO |
| SQUARES FOR EACH ISLAND | # SQUARES | CLUE FORMED | ISLAND | FIRST LETTER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HER, BEE, HANG, CAULK | 4 | Herbie Hancock | CANTELOUPE ISLAND | C |
| MASS, STIR, EMIR, OLD | 4 | Master Emerald | ANGEL ISLAND | A |
| JAWS, TEEN, END, KALE, EBB | 5 | Justine and Caleb | LOVE ISLAND | L |
| ROB, BERT, ROSE, BUD, BUTT | 5 | Robert "Rosebud" Butt | LONG ISLAND | L |
| MAI, HEAR, ROE, WHACK, CADDIE, MIA, TWO, HEROES | 8 | My Hero Academia: Two Heroes | I-ISLAND | I |
| Z, ROAD, AGREE, SNORE, THIN, EAST | 6 | Zero Degrees North and East | NULL ISLAND | N |
| WREN, KNEE, HARL, LYNN | 4 | Renny Harlin | CUTTHROAT ISLAND | C |
| JOHN, WAKE, FIELD | 3 | John Wakefield | HARPER'S ISLAND | H |
| THYME, KERR, ISIS | 3 | Time Crisis | ASTIGOS ISLAND | A |
| KONG | 1 | Kong | SKULL ISLAND | S |
| SERVE, EYE, VERPA, NUM, MA | 5 | Survivor: Panama | EXILE ISLAND | E |
| FORT, KNIGHTLEY, JEN, NASH, ON, ALF, FOUND, DAE, SHIN | 9 | Fortnite Legion National Foundation | REMEMBRANCE ISLAND | R |