# "Wordle," a strangely compelling word game (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [December 24, 2021, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604 "2021-12-24T21:12:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 103
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2041 "2022-03-11T14:52:21Z")
PATCH was eliminated by my first guess, and LATCH by my second. I didn’t think of HATCH so if WOMBS eliminated WATCH, MATCH, and BATCH, it would have been down to CATCH and HATCH. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2042 "2022-03-11T14:55:21Z")
Well, that just blew my 71 game streak. Time to go find some other game. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2043 "2022-03-11T14:58:51Z")
> **Wordle 265 5/6\* 3/11/2022** > > ⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜ > ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ > ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 > ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > L **A** PSE β†’ OK start, I guess > R **AT** IO β†’ Running low on vowel options… let’s assume one A only > H **ATCH** β†’ In the words of Air Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, β€œOh hell.” > C **ATCH** > **WATCH** > > Still had MATCH and BATCH, so in 25% of the multiverses out there, I lost today. As it turned out, the starting word I had so blithely dismissed as near-useless knocked out two endgame possibilities, without which I would have had coin-flip odds. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2044 "2022-03-11T15:00:20Z")
I did CLIMB, which eliminated CATCH, LATCH, MATCH and BATCH ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2045 "2022-03-11T16:23:31Z")
Wordle 265 4/6 β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STONE CLUMP HAIRY WATCH This was a good day to burn letters on the first few guesses, and not play in hard mode, or even start guessing answers too soon. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2046 "2022-03-11T17:09:15Z")
Nasty thing. Took way too long for my coffee to kick in this morning, too. Wordle 265 5/6\* β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE TALON DATUM PATCH WATCH ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2047 "2022-03-11T17:20:08Z")
Today’s Wordle was very risky for me and could have ended my streak. I started with this: AIERY πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬› LOTUS πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› MUNCH πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ© This means the answer was one of these: BATCH CATCH (GATCH) - I searched it; possibly a word(!) HATCH PATCH WATCH Only three guesses left. This gave me pause and I had to plan my strategy carefully. After 15 minutes I decided to play these next two words to eliminate (or isolate) BATCH, HATCH, PATCH, and WATCH: HABIT POWER, and fortunately the results were this πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› I had the answer! Wordle 265 6/6 πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ© πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 AIERY LOTUS MUNCH HABIT POWER WATCH Wow, that was close. I’ll read the thread now. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2048 "2022-03-11T17:42:25Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Just a killer. There will definitely be people to fail this one, though hopefully none of us here in the thread. Indeed. Unfortunately some of us did. @Fiendish_Astronaut @Zakalwe @Folly @Hampshire NOOOOOOOOO! > [@Ludovic](#): > > Wordle 265 4/6 > > ⬜⬜🟨🟩⬜ > ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 > 🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > This is one time I’m glad I don’t force myself to play hard mode. I admire those who play in hard mode. Early on I decided not to, but I don’t think I could articulate why. Now I can, and it’s because of words like this one. I may need to keep eliminating letters. > [@Gyrate](#): > > Oh FFS… Most definitely, FFS! ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2049 "2022-03-11T18:31:20Z")
Wordle 265 6/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¦β¬›πŸŸ¦ πŸŸ¦πŸŸ§πŸŸ¦β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ§πŸŸ§πŸŸ§πŸŸ§ β¬›πŸŸ§β¬›β¬›β¬› 🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧 DRONE PLAIT TACKY CATCH MAYBE WATCH Burned off the fifth word to ensure a 6. HATCH still would have sunk me, though (wipes sweat from brow). Only my third 6, but I’m still undefeated. Screw hard mode 😁. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2050 "2022-03-11T19:53:01Z")
Wordle 265 5/6\* β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 This one kicked my butt a bit. STALE TRAIN DATUM PATTY WATCH ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2051 "2022-03-11T20:43:09Z")
I play on hard mode. This one killed my streak. Which is annoying. But for me anything other than hard mode turns the game into the sort of β€œfollow the algorithm” exercise that made me get of the sudoku train after a few months of enjoying it. I’m still following an algorithm of course, but it involves much more thinking of a sort I enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2052 "2022-03-11T21:07:06Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > This one kicked my butt a bit. Mine, too. I think it’s funny we both came up with DATUM as our third try, despite vastly different approaches! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2053 "2022-03-11T21:35:33Z")
Tomorrow’s is… Wordle 266 3/6 🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟨⬜🟨⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2054 "2022-03-11T21:44:35Z")
I noticed that too. At the time, it was literally the only word I could think of that would put the letters I had where I wanted them. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2055 "2022-03-11T22:04:51Z")
Wordle 265 3/6\* 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 TEMPO SATIN WATCH ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2056 "2022-03-12T00:14:37Z")
Wordle 265 6/6 ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Skin of my teeth; I made a couple of dumb mistakes. Luckily I don’t play in hard mode (and agree with those who say that word’s like today’s are the reason to avoid hard mode). OUTER, SATIN, BATTY, CLUMP, BATCH, WATCH The first dumb mistake was guessing BATCH when I’d already found out there’s no B. The second was even more embarrassing: at step 3 I was sure the word ended in β€œATCH” and so started running though possible initial consonants. And of course those were β€œbatch, catch, hatch, latch, match, patch…”----and all those words happen to rhyme. So when I got to β€œW” I rejected it because there’s no English word β€œwatch” that rhymes with β€œbatch, catch, hatch…”. But of course there IS an English word β€œwatch” that rhymes with β€œbotch”!!! :facepalm: ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2022, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2057 "2022-03-12T01:18:40Z")
Extra facepalm for me: a grocer’s apostrophe!!! (β€œword’s”). Shame compounding shame… πŸ˜₯ ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2022, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2058 "2022-03-12T03:24:22Z")
**Tomorrow’s Wordle** This one took me way too long to figure out. Wordle 266 5/6 ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > **Wordle 266** > > CRATE > WAIST > ATOLL > FLOAT > TODAY ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2022, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2059 "2022-03-12T05:36:57Z")
Wordle 266 3/6\* ⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ 🟨🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 IRATE YACHT TODAY ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2022, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/2060 "2022-03-12T05:44:13Z")
Wordle 266 4/6 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 CRIMP STARE GLOAT TODAY Screwed up my second word, should have played STALE instead of reusing the known bad R. (And would have had I noticed.) That would have at least saved me from the fear of \_LOAT. It would also have narrowed down my third guess to only the correct answer, at least I think, for an easy 3. Lots of unforced errors from me lately. Still saving par but I’m starting to lose the plot. I feel a 5 or 6 coming. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=102) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=104)