Following its public debut, Wordle exploded from 90 users on November 1, 2021, to 300,000 on January 2, 2022. The New York Times purchased it for an undisclosed seven-figure fee and, soon after, it became the publication's most popular game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns.