Wordle Has Us Whipped

Image via @Unsplash

Who would have thought that over 300,000 people would be starting their days off in 2022 with the modern-day equivalent of the daily crossword puzzle? Absolutely no one.

Wordle, the online web game designed by software engineer Josh Wardle (do you get the pun?), is the latest trend that is giving TikTok a run for consumers’ screen time. The New York Times owns and publishes it, which is why it is so damn hard, and like the paper’s daily crosswords in print, Wordle can only be played once a day. The goal is to guess a five-letter word within six tries, and each time a word is guessed, the letters will appear either gray for wrong, yellow for wrong placement of the letter, or green for correct. 

The rules are simple, and the game gets to be pretty addicting. With only six tries each day, the pressure to guess the word correctly is high, and even higher when you are competing against your friends. The game features a share option, one that allows you to compare your guesses and flaunt your triumphs with others. The game is a virtual space around the water cooler in which people can bond over agonizing mind games like so many generations have done before. And because people can play only once a day, the game is refreshing, giving people something to look forward to amidst a world that swims in constant available content and stimulation, thanks to social media, other online apps, digital spaces, and streaming platforms.

If you’re absolutely hooked, though, and find yourself craving more word games, consider Game Pigeon’s Word Hunt, Anagrams, and Word Bites. Also, if you are devoted to The New York Times, they’ve got an extensive collection of word games, including daily crossword puzzles, spelling bee, and many other games that will keep you busy until the clock hits 12 a.m.