Since its launch in October 2021, Wordle has become a popular daily word game amongst players. Created by New York-based software engineer Josh Wardle for his crossword enthusiast partner Palek Shah, Wordle has gained immense popularity and continues to attract a large number of players. Initially starting with just 90 users, Wordle quickly grew to 2 million players within four months, leading The New York Times to purchase the puzzle from Wardle for a seven-figure sum in January 2022. The game involves solving a mystery five-letter word using color-coded tiles to guide players on their progress.
The original list of 2,315 possible answers for Wordle was curated by Wardle and Shah, ensuring that the daily word choices were randomized to keep the couple on equal footing when solving the puzzles. However, after the Times acquired Wordle, six words were removed from the list due to being offensive, outdated, or not using U.S.-based spelling. Players are tasked with guessing the mystery word in six tries or fewer, with green tiles indicating correct letters, yellow tiles for correct letters in the wrong spot, and gray tiles for letters not in the word at all. Wordle’s simple yet challenging gameplay has contributed to its immense popularity and appeal among a wide range of players.
To assist players with solving Wordle puzzles, Newsweek offers daily hints and clues to help guide them towards the correct answer. For example, Saturday’s Wordle clue indicated that the answer was an adjective with no repeated letters, two different vowels, and ended with a consonant. The answer to the puzzle was “Proud,” a relatively common word with synonyms such as “appreciative” and “honored.” While some Wordle puzzles may be more challenging than others, players can reset and try again the next day when the puzzle resets at midnight in their local time zone.
In addition to Wordle, players looking for a different type of challenge can try Connections, the Times’ second most popular game. Connections tasks players with grouping words into categories by association, offering a unique and engaging gameplay experience. Newsweek provides handy hints and tips to assist players with Connections and other puzzles, promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By offering a variety of word games and puzzles, Newsweek aims to engage and challenge players to think creatively and expand their knowledge.
Overall, Wordle’s rapid rise to popularity and widespread appeal demonstrate the universal enjoyment of word games and puzzles. With its simple yet addictive gameplay, Wordle has captivated millions of players and continues to be a go-to daily brain teaser. Newsweek’s support in providing hints and clues for Wordle and other games further enhances the gaming experience and encourages players to test their skills and expand their vocabulary. As players worldwide continue to enjoy Wordle and similar puzzles, the joy of solving mysteries and unraveling words remains a timeless and engaging pastime for individuals of all ages.
