What’s Up With Wordle?

Wordle is a web-based puzzle where players try to guess a five-letter word in 6 or fewer tries. Although it seems impossible at first glance, the game is programmed to give clues after each guess. As you hit enter, the letters turn around and change colors. If the block does not change, that means the correct word does not contain that letter. If it turns yellow, that means the word contains that letter, but it is in the wrong spot. If the letter turns green, then that letter is in the correct spot in the word. With each guess, the selection of words becomes smaller, allowing players to reach closer to the correct answer. 

When I first heard of Wordle, I was hesitant and almost in disbelief over its hype.  How could a simple word game get so many people interested and playing every day? After multiple occurrences of my friends telling me to play, I finally caved and gave it a try. Under the advice of my friends, I first typed in the word ‘raise’, which happened to show one yellow letter and one green letter. It was a simple achievement, but I was pleasantly surprised at how happy it made me. I guess luck was finally on my side after having a few dissatisfying experiences in the days prior. I continued and was able to guess the correct word on my third try. 

The Wordle refreshes every 24 hours and you’re able to send your results to others. This relatively simple mind game can transform into a competition with friends, making it more addicting than you would think. Especially while being far from friends and not seeing each other as often due to the pandemic, Wordle is a good way to actively socialize and engage with others. When you send your results, Wordle produces the colored boxes without the letters to show your friends the pathway to success.

Each game of Wordle is like an arc of decision-making. Maybe you can see that your friend struggled in similar areas with each guess or maybe you’ll see that they miraculously guessed correctly out of nowhere. Whatever the case, Wordle is always an exciting event to look forward to every day.