Wordle, a word-guessing web game, started to boom in November last year, and it has now taken a life of its own. Millions of people across the globe seem to be enjoying this fun, simple, yet frustrating daily word game that a Brooklyn-based software engineer created as a way to help people pass their time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is Wordle, and how exactly do you play it?
Wordle is an online word game puzzle that resembles color-coded games like Mastermind, but it’s a lot simpler in its design. The game puts forth a new, mystery five-letter word for people to guess every day. Players can enter their guesses by keying in five-letter words on the 30-tile grid.
After your first attempt, any tiles that contain the correct letter in the correct spot will turn green. Tiles with correct letters in incorrect spots will turn yellow. Tiles with incorrect letters will turn gray. Users can make further guesses based on these clues until they’ve correctly guessed the ‘wordle’ of the day. The only exasperating catch is that you only have six guesses to figure out what the word is, and all your guesses can only have five letters.
Launched in October last year, the player count quickly increased from a few dozen players to millions by the beginning of 2022!
How can you play Wordle?
Unlike many other games, Wordle is not available in an app form. However, you can access the Wordle platform online through any device with a web browser, like a desktop computer, smartphone, or tablet.
While the game seems pretty straightforward and the rules are fairly simple, many have found that Wordle is more difficult than they may have believed it to be. What’s, perhaps, most frustrating is that Wordle can only be played once every day. So once you’ve correctly guessed the word of the day (or keyed in six incorrect guesses), you’ll have to wait patiently until the following day for a new word.
Despite being nothing like the graphics-heavy games we’re so used to playing, Wordle seems to have made a place for itself in our daily lives. And the primary appeal of Wordle is its simplicity!
Pro tip
Try using different words each day you play, but be sure to use rare or unusual words that you might not otherwise encounter in your daily life. Also, take a moment to observe the room you’re in, and choose a word that describes something that can be seen there (e.g., TOAST) for an easy start.