"Wordle," a strangely compelling word game (Part 1)

The Game Room
2001

Wordle 264 3/6*

:yellow_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::black_large_square:
:green_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::green_square::black_large_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

SLANT
LEASH
LAPSE

2002

Wordle 264 5/6

:yellow_square::black_large_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::black_large_square:
:green_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::yellow_square:
:black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square:
:black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

AIERY
LOTUS
MUNCH
FUDGE
LAPSE

2003

Another fast play whee!
Wordle 264 3/6*

:yellow_square::black_large_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::yellow_square:
:yellow_square::green_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

Sharp
Paste
Lapse

2004

Wordle 264 4/6*

:white_large_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::green_square::yellow_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

BEARD
TAKEN
MAPLE
LAPSE

2005

Wordle 264 5/6

:white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::green_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:yellow_square::green_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::green_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::yellow_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

After the third pick I went through the options and came up with two possible words. I chose the wrong one,

TRACE
MANGO
SABLE
FALSE
LAPSE

2006

Made work of this one today.
Wordle 264 4/6

:white_large_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:yellow_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::green_square:
:yellow_square::white_large_square::green_square::yellow_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

HEART
PLANE
APPLE
LAPSE

2007

Awww, it was all over too soon today!

Wordle 264 3/6*

:black_large_square::black_large_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::green_square:
:yellow_square::green_square::black_large_square::yellow_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

IRATE
SABLE
LAPSE

2008
Wordle 264 4/6* 3/10/2022

:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::green_square:
:yellow_square::green_square::white_large_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

MONTH → Good knockouts, folks! That’s all I’ve got…
SPIRE → Still a little low on vowels. After some brief thought, it came to me…
PAUSE → …and a short jump to
LAPSE

Oddly enough, my father is an incorrigible trainwatcher, and every year he does a calendar of self-taken train pictures to give to other members of his crew. So my sequence yesterday of

goes very well with this month’s picture of the Eurostar.

Hmmm… do I really need spoilers a day late?

2009

Wordle 264 4/6

:yellow_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::green_square:
:black_large_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::yellow_square:
:black_large_square::green_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

Three starter words have me all the letters…

2010

I say no.

2011

Wordle 264 5/6*

:yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::yellow_square:
:white_large_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::yellow_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

ALTER
MEDAL
BLEAK
FALSE
LAPSE

2012

Got 5 today. Thought I was getting much better with several 2’s and 3’s in the recent past. Yesterday my average was exactly 4, with the same number of 3’s as 5’s and the same number of 2’s as 6’s. Maybe I should get a 3 tomorrow on purpose even if I know the word in 2 so I can preserve the perfect symmetry.

2013

Wordle 264 4/6

:black_large_square::black_large_square::blue_square::black_large_square::black_large_square:
:blue_square::blue_square::blue_square::black_large_square::orange_square:
:black_large_square::orange_square::orange_square::blue_square::orange_square:
:orange_square::orange_square::orange_square::orange_square::orange_square:

INERT
PLACE
MAPLE
LAPSE

I hit so many letters with the second word that I was disappointed not to get it in 3. 4 is fine with me though.

2014

Wordle 264 3/6*

:green_square::green_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square:
:green_square::green_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

LATER
LANCE
LAPSE

2015

At the risk of giving away a clue, tomorrow’s is one of those words.

Wordle 265 4/6

:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square:
:yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::green_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

2016

Wordle 264 3/6

:white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:yellow_square::white_large_square::green_square::yellow_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

A quick one, today: TRAIN, APPLE, LAPSE

2017

Wordle 264 3/6*

:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::yellow_square:
:yellow_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

IOTAS
SHALL
LAPSE

My new stricture: the guesses combined have to form a grammatically correct sentence.

2018

Tomorrow’s Wordle, Today

Wordle 265 4/6

:yellow_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square:
:yellow_square::yellow_square::green_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

Wordle 265

CREAM
ACTIN
PATCH
WATCH

Indeed it is.

2019

Wordle 265 3/6

:yellow_square::black_large_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::black_large_square:
:black_large_square::green_square::black_large_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

CLASP
MARCH
WATCH

Scary scary.

2020

Wordle 265 5/6*

:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square:
:yellow_square::white_large_square::green_square::white_large_square::yellow_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

Yup

FREAK
ANTIC
MATCH
PATCH
WATCH

I’m thinking the key to a low score would be to guess the first letter early and that isn’t a letter I would normally lead with.