Wordle: Everything you need to know

Wordle, the new viral word puzzle game, is taking the internet by storm. It is nearly impossible to scroll through one's social media feed, especially Twitter, and not come across the gray, yellow and green boxes. Yes, that's the new trendy word game, Wordle. 

People have been obsessed with this game since its launch in November 2020. They love to share the pure joy of guessing the right word in the least amount of tries.

Moreover, Google also added fuel to the fire by joining the fold. When the word 'WORDLE' is searched on google, the result comes with an exclusive creative wordle-like animation at the top.

So, what is this all about? Let's do a deep dive.

What is Wordle?

Wordle is a simple daily word-puzzle game. It is fun and can be played only once a day. Unlike crosswords, where you need to solve many words, this game allows you to solve only one word per day. 

Every day there is a new word to be deduced. Though it is a simple premise, given that you can have only six guesses to identify the right word, it can become quite challenging.

How it started

Josh Wardle – a Brooklyn based software engineer working for Reddit – originally created Wardle as a pandemic present for his wife. His significant other is an aficionado of word games, and he made a simple word guessing game for just the two of them. Mr Wardle then shared the game with his family on WhatsApp before releasing it to the public.

How to play

The game is easy to play. You don't need to be a word-puzzle nerd to get into it. If you have an adequate vocabulary, some logical sense, and a little bit of luck; congratulations! You can now become a 'Wordler'.

You can head over to the Wordle website at powerlanguage.co.uk or simply google it.

Once there, you'll be given six rows of five little square boxes. In each box, you need to put a letter. There is no clue. You have to come up with any 5-letter word. 

When you guess the wrong letter in the wrong spot, the box turns gray. If you put the correct letter in but in the wrong box, it will turn yellow. However, when you get all the letters right at the right spot – the boxes turn green. 

Remember, you only get six guesses to win – or lose – and just one word a day.

It requires one to go through the process of elimination and make an educated guess until getting the word right or failing miserably. It's a great exercise in deductive reasoning.

A Wordle A Day

Unlike the other mobile games that try to hook you into the game all day, every day; Wordle only offers just one word every day. You have to wait for a new word the next day for more playtime. Regardless, the game is still addictive without the predatory practices exercised by the gaming industry in recent years. 

Furthermore, the game is not designed to make oodles of money. In fact, it is not even monetised. There are no ads, microtransactions, subscription fees, or anything of that sort. According to the developer, the game was created for Josh Wardle's partner, it carries a sentimental value. "It will never become laden with adverts," Josh Wardle said to the BBC in a recent interview. 

There is also no application available for the game on the App Store or Google Play. You have to use your browser to give it a spin. It is pretty old school, but is definitely cool. 

The included virtual keyboard for the game is also pretty unique. Every time you try a wrong letter, it becomes gray. If you guess the right letter, it turns green, and it turns yellow if it is correct but on the wrong box. So, after every guess, you automatically know which letters are left for you to continue with.

The game has surged in popularity after the inclusion of the share feature. The game is at its best when you see how your high score ranks with friends. Users can share their daily spoiler-free results for the world to see. You can instantly share the result on your social media.

Getting that Wordle fix

Even though the game was designed to play only once a day, there are ways around it. If you're not getting enough of a fix from just solving one word, you can play more if you know where to look.

There is an archive created by Devang Thakkar, A Duke University student, that allows you to try out all the previous Wordles from Thakkar's 'Remembrance of Wordles Past' archive. 

Thoughts

Wordle is a breath of fresh air! It's completely different from what we know about modern mobile games, or triple A titles for that matter. Josh Wardle leaves it for pure fun, which has justifiably amassed a massive following in just a few months.