Have you seen a series of colored squares filling your Twitter timeline? If not, well done on avoiding the latest internet sensation: Wordle. It's a simple browser-based word game that asks you to guess a five-letter word within six attempts.
Creator Josh Wardle originally designed the game for his partner, but now hundreds of thousands of people hop on to the Wordle website each day to complete the latest puzzle.
Let's dive further into Wordle to discover what it is, how to play it, and its history.
How to Play Wordle
Wordle is only available as a browser-based game through creator Josh Wardle's personal website. Though plenty of imitations have cropped up, that's where you need to go for the original and authentic experience.
The aim of the game is to guess that day's five-letter word. You have six attempts to get it right. The word is the same for everyone that day—you need to wait for the clock to strike midnight before the next one is available. This isn't a game you grind, but rather a quick game to play when you're bored.
After each of your six guesses (all of which must be real words), the tiles change color to show how close you are to the right word. A green tile indicates the letter is in the word and in the right spot. A gold tile indicates the letter is in the word, but in the wrong spot. A gray tile indicates the letter isn't in the word.
Wordle is deceptively simple; the rules are straightforward, and you'll quickly get to grips with it, but don't be surprised if you find it harder to complete than you first think. Then again, doesn't that describe the best games?
If you like, you can make Wordle more challenging. Select the cog icon in the top-right and enable Hard Mode. Here you can also enable Dark Theme and Color Blind Mode.
Sharing Your Wordle Results
The reason that Wordle has spread so quickly—aside from being a great game—is the mysterious method of sharing your results. Once you've completed a Wordle, press the Share button to copy your results to your clipboard. The results display as colored emoji squares to represent the Wordle grid.
You can then paste these anywhere you like, but many opt for Twitter. If you've never played Wordle before, seeing the results is confusing and alluring. It simply states "Wordle", the puzzle number, how many attempts you solved it in, and then shows the emoji grid.
There's no link to the game. No further context. People started asking what this Wordle thing was that kept appearing on their timeline. It didn't take long for people to start parodying it, either. From there, Wordle grew.
The History of Wordle
Josh Wardle is the developer behind Wordle (you can see where the game's name comes from). By day, he's a software engineer for Reddit. He created a prototype for the game in 2013, but his friends weren't keen.
In 2020, Mr. Wardle and his partner found joy from completing crosswords and word games as part of their morning routine. He wanted to create a game that would fit nicely in that, so returned to his prototype.
As reported by The New York Times, Mr. Wardle then shared it in his family's WhatsApp group and they all became obsessed. In October 2020, he released it publicly. In November, there were 90 players. Now, two months later, there's over 300,000.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr. Wardle has no plans for an app or monetization:
I am a bit suspicious of mobile apps that demand your attention and send you push notifications to get more of your attention. . . . There are also no ads and I am not doing anything with your data, and that is also quite deliberate. . . . I don't understand why something can't just be fun. I don't have to charge people money for this and ideally would like to keep it that way.
It's a refreshing approach. Wordle's interface is clean and simple—no endless ads, newsletter prompts, sign-up requests. It harks back to a simpler internet era.
Exercise Your Mind With Word Games
Playing Wordle is a nice way to tickle your brain when you've got a few minutes to spare. It might not increase your intelligence, but it's certainly a fun and free distraction. Who knows, perhaps you'll be sharing your results on Twitter soon?