He’s published more than 20 word search books and more than 200 crossword puzzles, including two for The Sunday New York Times and he’s the co-writer of Mensa’s Page-A-Day Puzzle Calendar.

Wordle, a puzzle app requiring people to guess a five-letter word once per day, launched in October 2021 and then skyrocketed in popularity. In January, the New York Times purchased it from former ...