The first major internet sensation of 2022 has come in the form of a word guessing game.

By Jasper Harvey – 11th grade.

Over the past few weeks, a simple word game dubbed Wordle has risen to internet stardom with millions of players worldwide. The game gives you six attempts to guess a 5 letter word, clueing you in as to the answer by letting you know which letters are included or in the right place. Wordle’s popularity has resulted in an abundance of different strategies for maximizing chances of success. Statistically speaking, the best possible words to start wordle with are SOARE, IRATE and and AROSE. These words include the most common vowels and consonants. A more ironic starter word is ADIEU, given that it isn’t even a real English word. Wordle’s success has been supported by accounts over various social media platforms, specifically TikTok, posting tips and tricks to improve one’s Wordle prowesses. 

The Wordle Love Story

Josh Wardle, the mastermind behind the internet sensation, created Wordle as a romantic gesture for his partner Palak Shah. The name Wordle is itself a play on Josh’s last name Wardle. Josh had actually come up with the idea for Wordle back in 2013, but scrapped it when none of his friends found it appealing. Palak became a big fan of popular internet word games like the New York Times’ Mini Crossword, and Spelling Bee over the Covid-19 pandemic, so Josh decided to revive his idea for her. Josh Wardle also created a second game just for his wife where she sorts through words deciding if they are common enough for Wordle. In an interview with the New York Times Palak said that: “It’s really sweet, this is definitely how Josh shows his love”. 

Selling Out

Wordle’s rapid rise to fame attracted the attention of the very company whose famous word games Palak plays everyday: The New York Times. They bought Wordle for an undisclosed amount in the low 7 figures. This purchase has left Wordle fans anxious about the future of their beloved game. Josh Wardle has stated that the game would remain free, while The New York Times have told fans that “the game would initially remain free to new and existing players”. This leads one to assume that it will shortly become pay to play like other New York Times word games. Their Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee are free to play once a day without an account, but you have to pay in order to see your stats and play past versions. Will the New York Times’ purchase of Wordle push it to new heights or send it to an early grave, cementing it as yet another “one-hit wonder” internet craze? Only time will tell…