The story behind the game
Wordle is a popular and fun word game created by a programmer from Brooklyn, USA, named Josh Wardle. Puzzle lovers know and enjoy Wordle, especially since there aren't that many similar browser-based games. It's one of the few games where the focus isn't on visual effects but on substance — words and logic. You can play Wordle without registration and without annoying ads.
Game history
Wardle came up with the game in 2021 for his partner Palak Shah (a prototype had been created back in 2013). The couple played Wordle together, then their relatives got hooked, and only after that did Josh decide to put the game online. On the launch day, November 1, 2021, Wordle had 90 users, but within two months that number grew to over 300,000, and a week later — 2 million.
The rise in popularity was so fast that even the developer was stunned. The game became extremely popular on Twitter. The creator of Wordle emphasizes that he has no intention of profiting from his creation, promises not to use your data, and not to damage your eyesight.
In an interview with the BBC, Wardle said he has no idea what the word will be each day, so he enjoys the game just like everyone else. At the end of 2021, a sharing feature was added to Wordle — now players can copy their results made up of colorful emojis. These square “mosaics” went viral and became a daily symbol for thousands of people.
Josh explains the game's incredible popularity by the fact that players get only one puzzle a day, which takes about three minutes to solve — so they eagerly anticipate the next challenge. This format prevents game addiction and allows players to enjoy the game without turning it into a routine.
Wordle’s overwhelming success inspired developers to create clones. Some of them were reimagined. For example, Absurdle is a competitive version of Wordle — the target word changes with each guess. Absurdle is probably the hardest version out there. It's a real challenge for lovers of extreme difficulty.
Some clones use only offensive or vulgar four-letter words. Others let players change the word length. There are also themed versions — for music, geography, movies, math, and even emojis. Wordle has become a genre of its own.
Fun facts
- Josh Wardle admitted in an interview that the idea of a daily puzzle with limited attempts was inspired by the spirit of TV game shows like Wheel of Fortune — simple but exciting.
- The original word list was curated by his partner Palak Shah — she manually selected about 2,500 “good” words that were neither too rare nor too obvious. These words became the foundation of the puzzle.
- In 2022, Wordle became more than just a game — it topped Google’s list of most searched terms both in the US and globally.
- From January 1 to 13, 2022, Twitter users posted over 1.2 million tweets with Wordle results, turning the colorful squares into a viral phenomenon. Each post with green, yellow, and gray blocks became part of a worldwide flash mob, connecting players across the globe.
- On January 31, 2022, Wordle was acquired by The New York Times Company. The price was not disclosed, but it was reportedly a seven-figure deal. As of February, the game is officially hosted on the company's website with player statistics preserved. Despite concerns from players, the game mechanics remained unchanged, and Wordle continues to be released daily.
- According to the quarterly earnings report, in the first three months, Wordle attracted tens of millions of new players to the website. Many of them later tried other games from the NYT ecosystem.
- Five years before Josh Wardle's Wordle, a game called Wordle! by Steven Cravotta was released. While the games are fundamentally different, the success of Wardle's version brought attention to Cravotta’s puzzle. In response, the creator promised to donate all profits from the game to charity.
Wordle is a real treat for puzzle lovers. Don’t miss the chance to show off your brainpower!