Wordle: Everything you need to know about the biggest word game of 2022 (2023)

When all is said and done, 2022 could go down in history as the year of Wordle. It has become a daily staple for millions around the world.

At this point you probably know Wordle vaguely, but if you're looking for some insight into its origins and how it became such a hit, here's everything you need to know.

What is Wordle?

Wordle is a daily word game that you can find onlineHere. It's fun, easy and, like a crossword, can only be played once a day. There's a new Word of the Day every 24 hours, and it's up to you to find out what it is. The site itself does a fantastic job of explaining the rules:

Wordle gives players six chances to guess a randomly chosen five letter word. As shown above, the correct letter in the correct place is shown in green. A correct letter in the wrong place is shown in yellow. A letter that is not in the word inanySpot appears grey.

You can enter a total of six words, ie you can enter five branding words from which you can learn hints about the letters and their placement. Then you get an opportunity to use these hints. Or try your hand at guessing the word of the day in three, two, or even one run.

Simple things, but also incredibly convincing.

So a play on words? Big thing...

Yes, it's just a play on words. But it's super popular: as of January, over 300,000 people played it daily,according to the New York Times. This popularity may sound confusing, but there are a few tiny details that have made everyone go absolutely nuts about it.

There is only one puzzle per day:This creates a certain amount of betting. You only get one shot at the Wordle. If you screw it up, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to get a brand new puzzle.

Everyone plays the exact same puzzle:This is crucial as it makes it easier to ping your buddy and chat about the riddle of the day. "Today was hard!" "How did you get on?" "Do you understand it?" Which brings us to the next point...

It's easy to share your results:Once you have successfully or unsuccessfully solved the puzzle for the day, you are invited to share your Wordle journey for the day. If you tweet the picture, it looks like this...

Notice that the word and letters you selected are hidden. All that is shown is your journey to the word in a series of yellow, green and gray boxes.

It's compelling. If you get it easy, maybe on the second or third try, there's a gleeful element that you can usemustShow your followers how smart you are and share.

When it comes to the teeth on the sixth try, that's a cool story too. But most importantly, the puzzle itself is not spoiled.

So Wordle isn't just a play on words, it's a conversation starter and a chance to show off on social media. That's why it's going viral.

Tips and Tricks

If you're a pun purist, you might want to avoid the following tips and rely entirely on your own instincts. For everyone else who is fed up with seeing gray boxes, here are some helpful tips.

Choose your first word:The first word is probably the most important. To maximize the value of your opening gambit, choose a word with three vowels and five different letters. Some examples: speeches, media, radio. I always use "adieu" for some reason. It's a habit and I refuse to break it.

I just read a fascinating piece byTyler Glaiel, a programmer and game designertrying to figure out the best possible start word. Apparently we should all start Wordle with the word "roate". Honestly, read this whole article, it's great.

Avoid reuse grau:At the bottom of the Wordle board is a keyboard that shows which letters are green, yellow, and gray. Avoid reusing letters that have turned gray. Yes, that sounds obvious. But it can take time and effort to think of five-letter words that don't use letters you've already tried. This effort will pay off.

Letters can appear twice:This complicates things, especially when you run out of letters to try on word four or five. But letters often return, as words like chill, sissy, and ferry were the correct answers in the past.

Who Made Wordle?

Wordle is the work of software developer Josh Wardle, who originally developed the game for his partner, a word game fanaticsays the BBCit never gets overloaded with ads. Extremely online folks may remember Wardle as the creator of Place, an absolutely wild collaborative art project/social experiment that rocked the internet in April 2017.

Place was an online shared space that allowed literally anyone to compete over what was drawn there. This resulted in huge, sprawling communities battling for space on this gigantic online canvas.

In the end it looked like this:

Wordle was featured in the New York Times in November 2021 but really got traction when the share element was added.

In a Reddit post, Wardle said he wanted Wordle to feel like a croissant, a "delicious snack" enjoyed occasionally. For this reason, there is explicitly only one puzzle per day. "Enjoyed too often," he explained, "and they lose their charm," says Wardle.

Agreed.

Acquisition of the New York Times

Late January, creator Josh Wardlesold Wordle to the New York Timesfor a number "in the low seven-digit range".

Wardle remarked that his "game has gotten bigger than I ever imagined", adding that he was "just one person".
The game eventually becomes part of The New York Times' subscription puzzle service, but Wardle has ensured that Wordle remains free-to-play and that current streaks are preserved in the move.

"It's important to me that as Wordle continues to grow, everyone continues to have a great experience," said Wardle. "In light of this, I am incredibly pleased to announce that I have reached an agreement with The New York Times on your behalfTake over the running Wordlego forward."

Has the New York Times changed anything?

After the takeover of Wordle, the Internet cracker was that the game had become more demanding. Fact check: Wrong.
According to The New York Times, "The gameplay hasn't changed," Times communications director Jordan Cohen told CNET in an email, but things have changed a bit since then.

Now the New York Times has hired a full-time editor to run Wordle. That means the daily puzzle draws from a better curated list of words.

"The game will have oneMal-curated word list and will be programmed and tested like the Spelling Bee and Crossword," according to the New York Times in a statement.

Funnily enough, the statement even referenced this earlier, "more challenging" rumor.

"After nearly a year of speculation, if Wordle gets tougher, it will finally be our fault," the statement said.

Wordle-Klone ...

Clones have been around since the success of Wordle. Many clones. Some have been cynical cash grabs, but a large number of them are unique, interesting alternatives.

• worldlyinvites you to guess countries by their outlines.
• Streitis a multiplayer battle royale version of Wordle.
• Dordleforces you to solve two wordles at once.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Here is afairly comprehensive list of punsYou can check if you're tired of the original.