Wordle – why people love the game and how to play it
Online video game Wordle is taking the world by storm, but its looks may not be apparent. Nowadays, you can find similar games flooding mobile app stores, but the original is a web browser game! Without cutting-edge visuals or complicated gameplay, it has become a beloved pastime. Still, the most important question is, should you play it too?
Perhaps you should because we all need some way to spend time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wordle can help sharpen your vocabulary, so it isn’t just an idle time-waster. What’s more, it lets you and your friends have fun sharing progress with the word ch reluctant to try, this article could change your mind.
First, I will share more details about Wordle’s origins and game mechanics and share tips that will help you solve this puzzle game. After that, I will go through other games you might want to try. If you’re not into word games in general, I will also recommend other hobbies you could do instead.
What is Wordle?
Photo Credit: en.wikipedia.org
You can play this game by visiting https://www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/. Once you enter, it will greet you with a 6 x 4 grid of black squares and a virtual keyboard below.
The rules are simple. You get six chances to guess a five-letter word that changes every day. Depending on your guesses, it will turn into a grid of green, yellow, and gray squares:
- Gray – The word of the day doesn’t have your letter.
- Yellow – Your letter is in the daily word, but it’s in the wrong position.
- Green – A green square indicates correct letters in the right position.
The game ends once you figure out today’s word or when you’ve run out of attempts. Afterward, you may share your Wordle results on social media. Did I mention that it’s free to play?
These are the major reasons behind Wordle’s global popularity. You and your friends can compete to see how quickly you can solve the puzzle of the day.
After that, you and your friends can share your performance. You might even schedule it as a daily challenge that you can do together as a routine.
Unsurprisingly, this simple game started from humble origins. It began when New York-based software engineer Josh Wardle got bored during the coronavirus pandemic.
During that boredom, he decided to create a game that his partner Palak Shah would love. Thus, he made Wordle, and Wardle told The New York Times that they played it for months!
Eventually, he released Wordle to the public in October 2021. It only had 90 people playing it in November 2021, but it had 300,000 players by January 2, 2022.
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Tips on beating Wordle
If you haven't heard of #Wordle yet, it's the five-letter word game that's exploding in popularity (see screenshots)
In honor of Wordle's 6 tries, here are 6 opportunities for #Entrepreneur(s) early to this trend. pic.twitter.com/5yvxqnfJgM
— Jared Mckinney (@jaredmckinc) January 24, 2022
This game can be competitive, so you might want more ways to get an advantage. That’s why I listed the following tips to help you guess the Wordle words quicker:
- Pick your first word – You’re unlikely to guess the word of the day on your first try, but it could give you green squares immediately. That’s why you should place a word made up of five different letters with three vowels, such as “value” or “adieu.”
- Avoid reusing gray letters – Those are not in the word of the day, so they should help narrow your choices for letters.
- Letters may appear twice – Some five-letter words could use the same letter repeatedly. If you’re running out of words to guess, this could be the reason.
This other technique could make playing Wordle too easy, though. You can pull this off once you’ve figured out at least two green squares. Once you’ve done so, open a new browser tab.
Use that to look for a list of five-letter words. Then, look for words that match the position of your green letters. This may not be fair if you’re playing with friends, though.
Other online games besides Wordle
If you’re into casual web browser games, you might want to check out Geoguessr. It involves guessing destinations in various countries using Google Maps.
You get a few tries to guess what country or tourist spot matches the one on the map. Once you run out of tries, Geoguessr will rate you based on how far your guesses are to the actual location.
Similar to Wordle, you could play with friends. Geoguessr has a specific game mode for competitive gameplay called Battle Royale and other options like Country Streak and Explorer Mode.
Unlike the word-guessing game, you can only play it for free for up to 10 days. Afterward, you will have to pay a monthly or yearly subscription to keep playing Geoguessr.
If geography games aren’t your cup of tea, perhaps you prefer a blast from the past like Minesweeper Online. It was a built-in game from Windows 3.1 in the 1990s.
You could download it free from the Microsoft Store, but it doesn’t look like the original version if you want that classic look and gameplay.
It involves opening all the squares in a grid without clicking the ones with mine. Each time you open a square, it reveals numbers that indicate the number of mines nearby.
Other hobby ideas
Wordle 5/5#wordle
Working Smoke Alarms save lives. pic.twitter.com/2P5qD3XyVw
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) January 22, 2022
Maybe playing video games like Wordle isn’t for you. Perhaps you’ve played so many that you want something different. In that case, you might want to try indoor gardening.
Having plants around your home can have various benefits. For example, it could make your environment look more pleasant and improve the air around your home.
You could follow the recent trend of having succulent plants at home. On the other hand, you could try growing food at home so that you can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables indoors.
While you’re at it, perhaps you could try physical exercise at home. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need expensive equipment to start losing weight during quarantine!
The COVID pandemic has been stressful for many people, so they cope by meditating. Nowadays, you can download many meditation apps that can help you start.
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Final thoughts
Playing Wordle has been a great pastime for many people around the world. It can be a fun time for you and your friends, and it could improve your vocabulary too!
Of course, video games aren’t the only way you can spend time during the COVID lockdowns. For example, you could apply for a remote job to work from home.
This can be uncomfortable if you’re used to office work. Fortunately, Inquirer USA can provide the tips and tricks you need. What’s more, they can keep you up-to-date with the latest global trends!
