# "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:** 52
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1021 "2022-02-01T01:51:17Z")
[https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/1488271190305116164](https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/1488271190305116164) ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1022 "2022-02-01T02:07:45Z")
Hello, [wordle.net](http://wordle.net): > **[hello wordl](https://hellowordl.net/?challenge=c2NlbmVyeQ)** > > A word-guessing game β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬› πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**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:** [February 1, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1023 "2022-02-01T02:34:51Z")
Did the article say what the purchase price was? Sorry can’t read it now. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1024 "2022-02-01T02:38:37Z")
β€œin the low seven figures” ---
**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:** [February 1, 2022, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1025 "2022-02-01T02:45:54Z")
Thanks. Wow, not a bad chunk of change. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1026 "2022-02-01T03:01:45Z")
Is there really any significant IP associated with this? The name Wordle, sure. But there are already copycats, and players will just go to those other sites if they put it behind a paywall. It’s hard to imagine there is much that they can do to prevent that. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1027 "2022-02-01T03:28:58Z")
This is a very interesting question. I’ve sampled many of the variants and alternatives mentioned in this thread, and there remains something uniquely charming about the original: some combination of the cleanness and slickness of the interface, doing exactly what it needs to do, no more and no less, and of course the beauty of no ads, no clutter. But it’s the communal aspect of one game per day, same game for everyone, that makes it a real winner. Hello Wordl, which is fine, lacks that critical community aspect. NYT will become the only game in town, cornering the market, just as as with its superlative crossword, where fully half the fun of doing the puzzle is doing the _same_ puzzle as thousands of other fans every day. But the NYT will not retain the beauty of the interface. I’m afraid a single ad, or even any other stuff on the page, will ruin much of the magic. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1028 "2022-02-01T03:30:49Z")
> **[hello wordl](https://hellowordl.net/?challenge=Y29uc3VtcHRpb24)** > > A word-guessing game β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬› β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©β¬›β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**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:** [February 1, 2022, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1029 "2022-02-01T03:41:19Z")
I see from this thread that there are a lot of alternative games. I’ve tried maybe just one. But the original works just fine for me. I’ll stay with it, until it’s put behind a paywall, or if they start with ads. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1030 "2022-02-01T06:40:44Z")
The New York Times have a number of free games, sudoku for example. It’s not a given that they will charge for 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:** [February 1, 2022, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1031 "2022-02-01T08:28:05Z")
Wordle 227 4/6 β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ© β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨ πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬› 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1032 "2022-02-01T08:56:56Z")
I’ve been trying to decode those mosaics of gray, green and yellow boxes people post to show their Wordle prowess. So I went back to the first post mentioning them (AFAICT): > [@GuanoLad](#): > > 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. Good to know, but… I did the β€œshare” copy-thing and then pasted it elsewhere and… its still just a bunch of colored blocks. What’s the gig? Is it _supposed_ to be only colored blocks, and not letters??? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1033 "2022-02-01T09:18:31Z")
Wordle 227 3/6\* ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟨🟨🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 AIERY STONE THOSE That was lucky. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2022, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1034 "2022-02-01T09:20:19Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Is it _supposed_ to be only colored blocks, and not letters??? Yes. If you know the answer, it gives you insight into the guesses we made and how well we did. You may even extrapolate what the words were. But if you don’t know the answer, it gives nothing away to spoil it for you. White (or black, depends on the theme you use) means an incorrect letter. Yellow means a correct letter in the wrong place. Green means a correct letter in the right place. ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1035 "2022-02-01T09:28:41Z")
I had similar luck to you: Wordle 227 3/6 β¬›β¬›β¬›πŸŸ¨πŸŸ© πŸŸ©πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ©πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![SoToasty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sotoasty/32/2803_2.png) [@SoToasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoToasty)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1036 "2022-02-01T11:26:42Z")
Wordle 227 4/6\* ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟨🟨🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Price Angle Stoke Those Better today. Third word help a lot. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1037 "2022-02-01T11:46:45Z")
Wordle 227 2/6\* 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1038 "2022-02-01T12:11:11Z")
Back at a 3 for the day: Wordle 227 3/6 🟨⬜⬜🟨🟨 ⬜🟩🟨🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SALET CHEST THOSE ---
**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:** [February 1, 2022, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1039 "2022-02-01T12:44:01Z")
Guess I wasn’t as clever today as I thought. Wordle 227 3/6\* β¬›πŸŸ¨β¬›β¬›πŸŸ© πŸŸ¨β¬›πŸŸ©β¬›πŸŸ© 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1040 "2022-02-01T12:56:17Z")
Little more trouble today than usual. Wordle 227 4/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 🟩🟨⬜⬜🟨 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=51) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=53)