By Anna Harris

A web-based word game has taken the country by storm, leaving people hooked over every letter.

This game is called Wordle.

Wordle was created and developed by software engineer Josh Wardle and was released in October 2021. Players have six attempts to guess a random five-letter word. If one of the letters is in the word, but in the wrong spot, the box turns yellow. If one of the letters is in the word and in the correct spot, the box turns green. All other letters are grayed out.

The goal is to narrow down what the word is in as few guesses as possible.

This puzzle game is leaving its users coming back day after day to play. Reece Harnett, a sophomore at High Point University, is one of many.

“So, I first heard about Wordle when I went home for Christmas break,” said Harnett. “All of my family was there, and it was actually my grandma that was the one who first brought it up to me. And I got right into it and have not stopped ever since.”

People like Harnett have made this game a part of their morning routine, completing the word game right when they wake up to get their brain working.

“It’s a game that really tests your brain,” said Harnett. “I’ll be honest, when I first started, it took me a lot longer to think about five-letter words and now, I can just list them off like it’s nothing. You know, it’s just one of those things, if you do it every morning, it’s just something to get your mind going. For me, that’s a great start to my day.”

In the beginning of 2022, Wordle became owned and published by the New York Times. This has caused many people to have a different view of the game in comparison to before.

Dihandra Williams, a senior at HPU, sometimes has a hard time balancing her gut feelings and her mind playing tricks on herself.

“I think because it is with the New York Times, I make the assumption all the time that the word is going to be so much harder than what it is,” said Williams. “I’ll second guess myself. Sometimes the word will be as simple as ‘sweet,’ like a word you use every day. So, I think that’s one thing to consider. Don’t overthink it. Sometimes it’s a lot simpler than what you think it is.”

Completing the daily Wordle might be a way to get your brain moving, but some people might have different reasons behind why they keep playing.

Dr. Kristina Bell, Associate Professor of Game Design and Director of General Education at HPU, specializes in what makes a game a great one.

“So, people play games for different reasons and different games try to reach different types of players,” said Bell. “But I think this game really does touch on people that are drawn to achievement, and also connection, because it has the share option at the end. So, you can share it in your social media feeds, you can text it to your friends. So yeah, I think this game is definitely designed for those types of players specifically.”

Whether or not this phenomena will last is still in question, but like other popular word games, it has its potential.

“I do think Wordle has some staying power,” said Bell. “You know, I think that certainly it peaked early and it became very popular and I don’t know if everyone will keep playing it, but I think it’s going to secure enough players, like the crossword puzzle. They’re going to come back to it day after day and keep playing.”

Whether every individual visits the website every day or not, the game’s variety of strategies, players’ drive for competition and never-ending possibilities of answers keep people coming back for more.

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You can play Wordle on the New York Times website here.