by AJ Brooks
Have you ever played the game Mastermind? Do you like word games? Try playing the new game Wordle! Every day at midnight (no matter what time zone you happen to be in) you get a new 5x6 grid of gray squares. Starting by guessing any five-letter word, I usually use a word that has a lot of vowels, like adieu, aisle, or raise. After guessing your first word, the squares will turn yellow or green, or stay gray. If it turns green, the letter in that square is in the right spot. If it turns yellow, the letter in that square is in the word, but in the wrong spot. If it stays gray, that letter isn't in the word.
For example, on 1/30/22, I first guessed adieu. The U turned yellow, so it is in the word but in the wrong spot. I then guessed donut. I knew there wasn’t a D in the word already, but I wanted a word that had the U in a different spot, and I wanted to see if O was in the word. The N and U turned yellow, meaning the U is still in the wrong place, and there is an N somewhere in the word. Then, I played snugs. The N and G went yellow, so they’re in the word but not the right spot, and the U turned green! I then guessed wrung, and it was the right word! This game has been adapted into many languages, and people have made games like it with themes, like Taylordle, a Taylor Swift-themed version.
The game has actually been out since October when Josh Wardle made the game for his partner but went viral when he added the share feature so that you can share how you got it without giving away the letters. The advertisement-less, simple-seeming design of the game appeals to many people.
(This is what the share feature looks like)
Wordle 225 4/6
⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨
⬛⬛🟨🟨⬛
⬛🟨🟩🟨⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩