In the last month, internet game Wordle gained popularity over social media. As a word guessing-based game, players are challenged to guess the day’s word of the day, a five-letter mystery term, in six tries or less. As you place each guess, the website either marks a letter as correct and in the right position (green), a correct letter but in the wrong place (yellow), or a letter not found in the mystery word (gray). For previous New York Times crossword puzzle fans or the academic seeking validation through puzzles, the daily Wordle proves that with enough thinking and luck, you too can be a Wordle all-star. 

Wordle was created by Josh Wardle, a software engineer created the game back in October for his partner, who was a word-game fiend. From humble beginnings, Wordle amassed a cult-like following over a couple of months – a rapid rise in popularity for a game that is simplistic and ad-free. The black background and minimalist design makes the game timeless, leading to millions coming back each morning to give their hand at solving the puzzle, including myself . More recently, Wardle sold the game to the New York Times for a humble price “in the low seven figures”.

The newspaper assures that the game will remain free initially, causing users to voice their concerns over the simple game having a paywall in the foreseeable future. 

Personally, my morning routine includes waking up 15 minutes before my bus arrives to pick me up, getting dressed, picking up a banana from my kitchen for breakfast, and doing my daily Wordle and New York Times mini crossword on the way to school. I know. Super cool. But the addictive nature has me coming back every morning and trying my luck and brain at guessing the unknown word. Most have a strategy when starting the Wordle, beginning with words like “adieu” or “arose”, but my starter word is based on what goes on that morning. Angry? Start with “scowl”. Remembered that I have $1 to use at the Grand Central vending machines? “Money”.  You get the gist, but the best way to describe my process is “vibes”. 

Sophomore Jack Beja says that “the six minutes it takes me to do Wordle is the single best six minutes of my day”, showing the Wordle grind at Township is strong (and also raises a concern for the rest of Jack’s day). Lexi Polvere states that “my addiction to Wordle is almost as bad as my mom’s addiction to Candy Crush”, which would seem impossible in 2016 but is easily a fact today.

In a world where mindless activities, like scrolling through a social media feed, seems to be the only pastime, Wordle shows how people actually use their brains for good (or to feed into their competitive nature, but you do you). As stressful as life can be at times, Wordle serves as a nice pause during a rather hectic day.