Green, yellow, and gray boxes are fillings students’ phone screens, as the captivating game Wordle has taken over as one of the most popular games of 2022. Josh Wardle, a Brooklyn-based software engineer, initially created the game for his word-puzzle loving wife, but sold it to the New York Times in early 2022 for over $1 million.  

Each morning, players are tasked with guessing one five-letter word with absolutely no clues or prior knowledge in fewer than six tries. 

With every word a player guesses, the game shares with players which letters are not correct, which appear in gray; letters that are correct but in the wrong spot pop up as yellow; and correct letters that are in the right spot light up green. With every letter correct or almost correct, players must think of another word that would fit the requirements and test a whole new word until they get right, with up to six guesses. This game is instantly more challenging, since the program does not tell users if there is a double letter or even provide a ‘hint’ option, so players must guess to the best of their abilities. 

Many people start with target words with plenty of vowels and common consonants like adieu, stare, steak, and story. Yet, others do not believe in this logic and choose to start with a random word of the day–I much prefer this method, as I believe that I have a greater chance of guessing the word, unlike reusing the same ones over again. 

I have always been a big proponent of puzzle-like games, especially word games, so when I found out about Wordle in late 2021, I couldn’t wait to indulge in a new mind game. As I’ve played for almost four months now, I have been able to pick up patterns: most of the correct words are common everyday words, with about two vowels per word and rarely double letters. While this isn’t always the case, like Jan. 24’s word ‘knoll’ and Feb. 11’s ‘ulcer.’ Days like these challenge me to think further about words that aren’t in my daily vocabulary or that I’ve never seen before 

Senior Max W. said, “Wordle is a simple game that enables people to connect through a common goal.” He said that his most challenging game played was on Feb. 14 because “the word cynic is not commonly used.”

Once you’ve guessed the right word or exhausted all six tries, players are prompted to share their daily score and winning streaks with their friends.  

If you want to try to play Wordle, check out the game here!