Wordle: Online Word Game Explained (2022)
Apart from explaining the Wordle game, its origins, and future, we have also added a method you can use to play the Wordle game without a daily limit. Having said that, let’s dive right in.
What is Wordle, Anyway?
For the uninitiated, Wordle is a simple yet addictive word guessing game. Wordle is a browser-based free game, and hence, you can get started without having to sign up or download an app.
The game involves guessing a word in 6 tries, and everyone across the world will have the same word to guess in a given day. You only get one word to guess each day. You can check the next section for detailed instructions on how to play the game.
How to Play Wordle Online
The developer of Wordle (more on this below) has added a handy introductory pop-up to the website to help new players understand how the game works. The goal is to guess the word in 6 attempts. Once you randomly guess a word, you will see either green, yellow, or gray blocks on the letters of the word. And here’s what each color in Wordle depicts:
The green block indicates that the letter is in the target word and is in the right position.Meanwhile, the yellow block hints that the letter belongs in the target word but is in the incorrect position.The gray block reveals that the letter is not in the target word.
You can play the game once a day, and you get a new word every day. This approach has built anticipation among users and helped in player retention.
Play Wordle in a web browser right now (Free)
Wordle: The Origins and Future
Wordle game is the creation of Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle. In an interview with the New York Times, Wardle revealed that the game was built for his partner who loves word games. Wardle subsequently released the game in October last year. Over the past few weeks, Wordle went viral and is played by thousands of people around the world every day.
As for what the future holds, the developer of Wordle has promised to keep the game free and ad-free. “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,” Wardle told BBC.
Why is the Wordle Game Popular?
The popularity of Wordle can be credited to three major factors — simplicity, scarcity, and the community experience. Getting started with Wordle is fairly straightforward, and almost anyone can play Wordle regardless of their age. That, combined with the fact that you can play it just once a day, makes users come back to guess the new word.
Inspired by Spelling Bee and NYT crossword, this is exactly what the creator was going for. Another crucial factor is the shareability aspect, where users can easily share their results with their peers on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. We have even seen popular TV celebrities like Jimmy Fallon jump on the hype train as well. Who else is playing #Wordle? Addicted. pic.twitter.com/HJ7pt7WLmn— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) January 4, 2022 Look, I don’t want to call myself a “hero” but…🟩🟨🟨⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩Wordle 193 2/6— Adam Liaw (@adamliaw) December 29, 2021
On a personal note, I first came across Wordle on Twitter last week. After ignoring it in the beginning, I’ve been playing it for the past three days and liking it so far. In a world where leading game publishers are desperately looking to cash in on the next big thing (and failing at it), Wordle is a breath of fresh air. It has emerged as a viral word game that users enjoy playing.
Wordle: 3 Easy Tips and Tricks
Now that you know how the game works and are looking to join the growing number of Wordle users, here are some cool tips and tricks that will help you figure out the word quickly.
- Choose your first word smartly: The most important thing in Wordle is the first word you choose as your guess to solve the puzzle. Now, you should remember two things – one, entering a word with distinct letters will be helpful, and second, entering two or three vowels in the first guess to get a good feel of the word.
For example, if you enter ARENA as your first guess, you are not fully utilizing your first guess by reusing A. Instead, we suggest you enter a world like RADIO, SPOIL, or MEDIA. - Same letter can appear twice: Yes, you read that right. If you are running out of letters and most of them have been grayed out, then there’s a good chance that letters repeat in your Wordle. You can get words like SPELL, SHEEP, or CARRY, which require you to input the same letter to guess the word correctly. We suggest you use this handy tip on your fourth or fifth try if you haven’t been able to find many green or yellow blocks until now.
- Avoid typing excluded gray letters: This is one of the hardest things to remember and follow while solving a Wordle. If a letter has been grayed out, avoid reusing it in your next guess. You are only wasting a turn doing so. I made this mistake while guessing today’s word, as you can see in the screenshot above.
Play Wordle Without Daily Limit
In case you want to bypass the daily limit of Wordle and play infinite Wordle games every day, you could consider taking a look at Word Master. Built by software engineer Katherine Peterson, Word Master is an open-source project that replicates Wordle without the daily limit. If that interests you, you can check out Word Master from the link below.
Play Word Master (Free)
Q: Is Wordle the same for everyone?
Yes, the target word in Wordle is the same for everyone on a given day.
Q: Is there only one Wordle a day?
To help retain a sense of scarcity, the developer has decided to restrict the Wordle game to one word a day. You can always come back the next day or try Word Master, which is essentially Wordle without daily limits.
Q: How to play past Wordles?
Since it is a daily word guessing game, you can’t play past Wordles, at least at the moment. We will have to wait to see if the creator of the game has plans to release an archive feature that will let anyone play previous Wordle games.
Q: Is Wordle an app?
No, the original Wordle game is not available as an app. You might find similar games on Google Play Store and App Store, but the actual game is free, browser-based, and has no ads.
Try Out the Viral Wordle Game
Will this be another viral game that no one will talk about in a few months? Probably, and that’s not really a bad thing. In fact, I remember writing about a word guessing game in January of 2020, and honestly, I haven’t played it since then. While Wordle’s popularity will undoubtedly fade away in a few months, it’s likely to stay relevant among word game lovers. Speaking of word games, you might find a few other word games in our linked roundup of the best multiplayer games.