The start of 2022 has seen an unexpected boom of popularity forWordle,an online game where players are given six guesses to correctly identify a five-letter word. With new puzzles available each day and a simple one-click option for sharing results with friends,Wordleappealed to an audience seeking distraction and connection amid the tightening of COVID-19 restrictions.
The viral popularity ofWordlehas caused anumber ofWordlevariantsto crop up around the Internet, most of which are free-to-play and created by independent programmers similar toWordlecreator Josh Wardle. While some replace the word puzzles with math, geography, or trivia, all feature the central conceit of using a (typically limited) number of guesses to reach a solution, with color-coded hints provided along the way.
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History of Wordle’s Success
When New York software engineer Josh Wardle first createdWordle, his goal was merely to design a fun word game he could play with his puzzle-loving partner. He made the game public in October 2021, and it initially gained traction only among his immediate family and friends. Its popularity took off in early 2022thanks to TikTokand other social media platforms. By the end of January,Wordleboasted over two million daily players.
Its success was partially attributed to its unique sharing system. Players' daily scores are displayed on social media such as Facebook and Twitter as an eye-catching series of green, yellow, and gray squares, representing correct, partially correct, and incorrectly guessed letters respectively. The noticeable pattern made it easy for prospective players to become aware ofWordleand try it out for themselves - although it has also led to conflict whensomeWordlefans accused others of faking their score.
As a result of its viral popularity, the New York Times took interest inWordle.In January 2022,the Times purchasedWordlefor a sum described as ‘somewhere in the low seven figures.’ The game was migrated from Wardle’s personal Website to the Times' site in mid-February. Currently, the game remains free-to-play. While a spokesperson for the Times says thatWordlewill stay free for the time being, it is possible that the word puzzle will eventually be added to the pay-to-pay ‘NYT Games’ bundle, which also includes Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, and the daily crossword.
Wordle’s variants began cropping up as early as the beginning of 2022, with more released each week as the original’s popularity continues to grow. Currently, none have been purchased by the New York Times asWordleitself has, and as a result most remain free-to-play.
Squirdle
Created by Sergio “Fireblend” Esquivel,Squirdlechallenges fans of thePokemonseries to guess the mystery monster out of 898 options (regional variants and Mega Evolutions excluded). Players are given eight guesses and are provided with hints regarding the Pokemon’s type, height, weight, and which of the eight generations of games it hails from. While a daily puzzle is available for those who want to share results with their friends,Squirdlefans can also choose to play as many rounds as they like. Those less confident in theirPokemonknowledge can also choose to play an easier version in which only the 151 Generation 1 Pokemon are included.
Squabble
Players with a competitive edge can try outSquabble,a battle royale-styleWordlevariant developed by a programmer with the screen name Ottomated. Although currently in its beta version,Squabbleoffers two different competitive modes based on guessing the correct five-letter word faster than a group of opponents. Blitz mode allows up to five players to compete against each other, while Squabble Royale is a tournament-style mode that supports up to 99 players at once. The design ofSquabblewas inspired byTetris 99, Super Mario 99,and other 99-player competitive games.
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Nerdle
LikeWordle, Nerdleoffers one daily puzzle to complete. UnlikeWordle, Nerdleuses numbers, and not just tocalculate the best starting word. Players must fill in the eight spaces of an equation that combines numbers with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division signs. Designed by data scientist Richard Mann and his two teenage children,Nerdle’sequations must be mathematically correct and must always include an equals sign. Fortunately, for those who may not be fans of math, a dailyMini Nerdlepuzzle featuring only six blanks to fill in is also available.
Dordle
The nameDordleis a portmanteau of ‘double’ and ‘Wordle,’ and players have to identify two distinct five-letter words at the same time with only eight guesses in total. Only when the first word has been correctly guessed can players move on to the second word, which sometimes means luck is required. Creator Guilherme “Zaratustra” Tows offers both a dailyDordlepuzzle and a free mode with an infinite number of randomly generated puzzles.
Globle
Globleis among the most visually distinct of theWordlevariants, presenting players witha globeand requiring them to click on countries in order to guess. Each guessed country then displays a country, indicating how close it is to the mystery country of the day. Creator Abe Train hopes that puzzle fans will learn a bit more about geography from playingGloble,as the countries are not labeled by name on the globe. Only one daily puzzle is currently available, but players are given an infinite number of guesses rather than being limited to six or eight.
These are only a few of theWordlevariants that have popped up in the wake of the word puzzle’s viral popularity. OtherWordle-like games require players to guess a word related to Taylor Swift, a word used in theLord of the Ringsseries, an airport identification code, a New York City subway route, and many others. It’s likely that moreWordlevariants will be created, especially if the original is eventually locked behind a paywall orfurther censored by the New York Times.
