# "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:** 11
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/201 "2022-01-02T17:39:44Z")
> [@Ponderoid](#): > > I wasn’t asking the puzzle number, which is hard to determine. Not everybody can see the puzzle number, including me. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > But it seems nobody can easily see that number, so that’s frustrating. > [@Riemann](#): > > Hit the settings button (top right) and it’s in tiny print at the bottom right. It is a pain in the ass, but it’s doable, even on a phone. Given that users around the world are playing this game, the puzzle number is by far the best way to identify a particular puzzle. There’s also a ‘Feedback’ link on that page. I just sent them an email asking them to put the puzzle number on the main page, right under ‘WORDLE’. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/202 "2022-01-02T19:06:55Z")
In a new twist, today’s took me five in part because Guess 1 was a total miss: PRIDE BLACK BOMBS BOSSY BOOST ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/203 "2022-01-02T19:17:21Z")
I was lucky with first guess with 3 correct and in the right place. This is obviously some subliminal vaccine propaganda. 😜 Roast Foist Boost ---
**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:** [January 2, 2022, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/204 "2022-01-02T21:21:04Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > > [@Bullitt](#): > > > > That’s odd. > > But understandable, since Australia (and Japan) are about a 3/4 of a day ahead of USA. The odd part is that the puzzle for any given date would differ, regardless of location. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/205 "2022-01-02T22:14:15Z")
On mobile, tap the gear icon in the top right corner. Then look for the puzzle number in the bottom right. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2022, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/206 "2022-01-02T22:21:35Z")
Wordle 197 6/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟨 🟨🟩⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩⬜⬜🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 This is what I get when I hit Share, and what I post on Twitter too. No need for blurred spoiler tags, and it gives the puzzle number too. And despite Australia being ahead of America in timezone, I always get the puzzle after you do. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/207 "2022-01-02T22:35:18Z")
I’m also in the “use whatever five letter word pops into my head” camp. Wordle 197 4/6\* ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 I thought my first two guesses here were utter garbage, but they actually eliminated four out of five vowels. After that it was pretty easy. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2022, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/208 "2022-01-02T23:44:37Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > And despite Australia being ahead of America in timezone, I always get the puzzle after you do. Hmm okay then. It’s a software bug. Hopefully they’ll fix it in an upcoming release. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2022, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/209 "2022-01-02T23:56:01Z")
I’ve been thinking about this, and I think the way to figure it out is find out which country gets the updated puzzle first - it’s probably where the servers are located. If the puzzle updates at, for example, UK GMT, and every country west of London’s timezone gets to see the new puzzle at their midnight, that would fit. The test is to see if Europe and South Asia get the next puzzle after Australia gets it. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2022, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/210 "2022-01-02T23:59:43Z")
Good idea. But it wouldn’t be country, per se, but time zone. So perhaps it’s the Zulu time zone, or GMT. ETA — are any of us in Iceland? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/211 "2022-01-03T00:14:30Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > This is what I get when I hit Share, and what I post on Twitter too. No need for blurred spoiler tags, and it gives the puzzle number too. > [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Wordle 197 4/6\* > > ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ > ⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨 > ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩 > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > I thought my first two guesses here were utter garbage, but they actually eliminated I’m only seeing blocks of color; I can’t see any of the words. Clicking on them, or anywhere else on the post, doesn’t help. ETA: _ST_IPE R **O** U **ST** **BO** A **ST** BOOST ETA again, Jan 2, EST. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2022, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/212 "2022-01-03T00:15:35Z")
Correct. No words revealed, but if you know the answer, it gives you information you can extrapolate from. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/213 "2022-01-03T00:15:36Z")
I think that’s working as intended. Just showing my progress without any spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/214 "2022-01-03T00:20:33Z")
It isn’t showing your progress, because I can’t see what you did at all. – do you mean that it’s just showing at first you had no correct letters, then four incorrect and one in the wrong place, and so on? That doesn’t seem to me to be showing the thought process you put into it; which is what I meant by showing your progress. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/215 "2022-01-03T05:10:45Z")
RATIO STERN TRUSS Jan 3rd 2.10pm ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/216 "2022-01-03T05:31:31Z")
Right. I wouldn’t say it shows a thought process - it’s more like a snapshot or scorecard. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/217 "2022-01-03T05:45:07Z")
Jan 3rd, puzzle #198 I was certain I had it at try #3 but for that [censored] repeated letter. _ST_O_R_E FI_R_ **S** _T_ **TR** A **S** H **TRUSS** ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/218 "2022-01-03T06:16:11Z")
Also #198 TEARS TORUS TRUSS ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/219 "2022-01-03T07:32:57Z")
TEARS is a good starting word. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2022, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/220 "2022-01-03T07:55:14Z")
I thought I got lucky with three guesses, but apparently everyone managed to guess it in three. GHOST PRUNE TRUSS I felt lucky with the second one, after which I had three correctly positioned letters, and knew that the T had to be in first and couldn’t be last. So there was only one possibility left. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=12)