# "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:** 55
**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 3, 2022, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1081 "2022-02-03T12:01:16Z")
I had been spoiled on today’s word due to looking at the source code, so I just went to 5/6 before entering the right word to preserve my streak. By tomorrow I’ll have forgotten what tomorrow’s word is and I’ll be back to an unspoilt state. (Is it “choof”? I’m going with “choof”. It’s a good word and bears repeating.) ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1082 "2022-02-03T12:44:31Z")
Wordle 229 4/6\* ⬛⬛🟩🟨⬛ 🟩⬛🟩🟩⬛ 🟩⬛🟩🟩⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEAST SPARK SCARY SHARD > [@Smapti](#): > > had been spoiled on today’s word due to looking at the source code, so I just went to 5/6 before entering the right word to preserve my streak. Think I would have done it as the first word to see what it said - getting it first time isn’t exactly showing some higher intelligence, it’s pure luck. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2022, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1083 "2022-02-03T12:52:32Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Same problem (and words) for me, although I did it in four because I didn’t use your fourth guess. It’s a pain. I noticed after posting that c was already eliminated by my first guess, so I shouldn’t have even made that fourth guess. I do try and abide by hard mode rules, but I do not actually play hard mode. I keep thinking I should switch back to my original starting word instead of trace, but my original starting word was stare. That’s pretty much the same word! I think I may switch to the one vowel per word approach. Maybe start with something like trash. ---
**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 3, 2022, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1084 "2022-02-03T13:06:08Z")
My second twofer. Wordle 229 2/6\* 🟨🟨⬛🟩⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > [@EllisDee](#): > > this is the first one that wasn’t fun. I wonder if using high-percentage starter words makes you more or less likely to get stuck in situations like that, where you have multiple possibilities with just a few remaining letters and winning comes down to getting lucky before running out of guesses. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2022, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1085 "2022-02-03T13:10:59Z")
I’m amazed my “in 3” streak continues. It seems like every time I get to the 3rd word thinking, “well this fits but probably isn’t it…” Wordle 229 3/6\* ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BIRCH HORSE SHARD ---
**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:** [February 3, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1086 "2022-02-03T13:21:53Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I wonder if using high-percentage starter words makes you more or less likely to get stuck in situations like that, where you have multiple possibilities with just a few remaining letters and winning comes down to getting lucky before running out of guesses. That’s my thinking as well. But it’s not like switching from trace to stare – the first starting word I came up with to use – would improve that situation much if at all. I might consider something like thick, then maybe woman. That’s getting Freudian, but I like that collection of 10 letters. And I like still having r and s available to use for other guesses. ---
**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 3, 2022, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1087 "2022-02-03T13:24:17Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Think I would have done it as the first word to see what it said - getting it first time isn’t exactly showing some higher intelligence, it’s pure luck. Eh, it would be a reminder that I won by cheating. The game as coded isn’t really designed to prevent cheating, since you can just look at the source code and see every correct answer, in plaintext, in sequential order. Fortunately, Wordle doesn’t track progress across different devices (yet), so I tested it on my tablet and if you get the answer on the first try the message you get is “Genius”. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2022, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1088 "2022-02-03T13:28:38Z")
That’s disappointing. It really should say something like lucky or hacker. EDIT: Hmm. Lucky might not be a bad second-tier starting word. Wouldn’t have hit a single letter with today’s word, though. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1089 "2022-02-03T13:30:58Z")
Wordle 229 5/6 ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 GRRR! I hate when this happens! ---
**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:** [February 3, 2022, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1090 "2022-02-03T13:31:30Z")
Yep, exactly! The first unfun one I’ve come across. (Please tell me one of your guesses was shart, lol.) ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1091 "2022-02-03T13:33:56Z")
I _ **almost** _ went with that as a guess… ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1092 "2022-02-03T14:02:38Z")
#229 Got it in three today, the easiest ever. Starting word: EARTH ---
**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 3, 2022, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1093 "2022-02-03T14:53:22Z")
The variants just keep coming, this one is math equations. Be warned that they can include multiple operators (didn’t realize that until near the end). Nerdle 15 6/6 🟪⬛⬛⬛🟪⬛🟩🟩 🟩⬛⬛⬛🟪⬛🟩🟩 🟩🟪⬛⬛⬛🟪🟩🟩 🟩⬛⬛🟪⬛⬛🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 [https://nerdlegame.com](https://nerdlegame.com) #nerdle ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1094 "2022-02-03T16:05:08Z")
I guess it was spoilered and I did click on it without engaging my brain, but fuck! ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1095 "2022-02-03T16:29:42Z")
> **Wordle 229 5/6\* 2/3/2022** > > ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > MOI_S_T → not great to start, but it suggests a great follow-up… > **SHAR** E → OK. Only a few possibilities left… > **SHAR** P → Not that one. > **SHAR** K → or that one, so it must be > **SHAR** D > > If I hadn’t been playing on hard mode, I could have tried POKED on the third guess and gotten it in four. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1096 "2022-02-03T16:34:24Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I think I may switch to the one vowel per word approach. Maybe start with something like trash. I’ve considered that approach before, but I’m worried that a double-vowel word could prove too hard to figure out before running out of guesses. Might be an interesting thing to try on the variant game where you can try some back puzzles, though… ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1097 "2022-02-03T17:41:57Z")
Wordle 229 6/6\* 🟨⬜🟩🟨⬜ 🟩⬜🟩🟩⬜ 🟩⬜🟩🟩⬜ 🟩⬜🟩🟩⬜ 🟩⬜🟩🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 First time I’ve been pushed all the way to 6 ROAST SWARM SPARK SNARL SCARY SHARD I also thought of SHART , but I had already eliminated the last letter in my first guess. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1098 "2022-02-03T17:49:14Z")
My first 2 !! Wordle 229 2/6\* ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BEARD - my usual start word. SHARD ---
**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 3, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1099 "2022-02-03T17:50:54Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Wordle 229 4/6\* > > ⬛⬛🟩🟨⬛ > 🟩⬛🟩🟩⬛ > 🟩⬛🟩🟩⬛ > 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 > > BEAST > SPARK > SCARY > SHARD > > Think I would have done it as the first word to see what it said - getting it first time isn’t exactly showing some higher intelligence, it’s pure luck. I have a 1/6 and a 2/6 — pure luck, indeed. ---
**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 3, 2022, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604/1100 "2022-02-03T17:51:34Z")
Nicely played! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=54) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordle-a-strangely-compelling-word-game-part-1/956604.md?page=56)