One of the biggest online viral success stories of 2022 (so far) has been the rise of the word game WORDLE. A simple yet novel game of guessing a five-letter word, WORDLE started gaining traction in October last year. By January this year, it had more than 10 million users – the kind of popularity that is unheard of in the humble world of online word games.
Today, WORDLE has an even wider global reach (see map below on how quickly the game spread globally). Thousands of online articles are written every day on how to crack the word of the day. People really seem to like the game which explains why it was recently bought by The New York Times for an undisclosed, low-seven figure amount.
I stumbled upon the game a few months ago, intrigued by several friends on Facebook who were sharing their daily Wordle scores and comparing notes on how tricky (or easy) each day’s word had been. I played it a few times and realized how enjoyable the game is.
You start by typing in a five-letter word and press enter. If there is a letter common between the word you entered and the word of the day, then things could go two ways. If the common letter is in the exact same position as it is in the word of the day, then it appears green. If not, it appears yellow. In six attempts, you try and get all five green letters and end up with the word of the day.
Sounds simple.
It does, however, make me wonder if there is more to the success of this game? Is there something that sets WORDLE apart from all other online games and why has it been so successful?
Turns out, word games (like WORDLE) have a long history of being likeable.
Games like crossword and scramble words have been around for decades appearing as a regular fixture in newspapers – be it print or digital. Although the crossword that most of us know, with black and white squares, was invented in 1913, its precursors have been around for hundreds of years. Safe to say then that word games have been enjoyed by us, humans for a very long time and wordle is no exception.
But what seems to be the reason for it?
Sure, word games make for a good and safe way to pass your time, but is there any real benefit to them?
Yes, there are. Apart from the usual benefits of improving one’s vocabulary and language skills, playing word games like WORDLE can have a positive and lasting impact on our cognitive abilities.
Psychologists believe that completing word games can helps us feel more competent and in control, which in turn helps improve our mood and self-esteem. There is also ample research to show how playing word games can reduce stress. Setting aside a few minutes every day to play a game like WORDLE with a simple, user-friendly gaming interface can help shut off negative thoughts and calm your mind. Also, many word games involve trying to recall words and check spellings which require one to actively focus and work on their memory.
Last but not least, what sets WORDLE apart is its social aspect – a sense of community and collective fun felt by users when they share their scores on their social media profiles – something the creator of the game, software programmer Josh Wardle does not take credit for.
In a recent interview with TIME Magazine Wardle revealed that in its original format the game was simply meant to be played by a user who had to guess a five-letter word in six attempts. There was no way a user could share how well they performed on the game. In fact, this was something suggested by one of the early players of the game. Wardle then turned their idea into code and incorporated it into the existing game structure. Little did he know that this would spur an unprecedented level of activity and buzz on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook where users would not just share their results but participate in a lively discussion helping each other in guessing the word of the day. This sense of community has fueled WORDLE’s success.
But, that’s not all. The fact that WORDLE, unlike other word games, is very quick and can be played just once a day stacks the odds in its favour. For many users, this is the right amount of bite sized fun and daily challenge they need – something to look forward to every day. It is not addicting in a harmful way because it can only be played once a day.
In fact, the way I look at WORDLE’s success is that it has reinforced the fact that in a world of fancy, eye-catching online content simplicity on its own is still worthy of the highest success. So, as I tip my hat to this simple yet wonderful game, I invite you to join in the fun and start (or continue) WORDLING.
Source of both images is: Twitter blog by Lauren Fratamico (@LaurenFratamico)
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