In October 2021, a new and captivating daily word game was released to the internet by creator Josh Wardle. The game quickly became a huge success, reaching 300,000 players within the first two months. “Wordle” has now become a national phenomenon, grabbing the attention of millions.

People of all ages are enjoying Wordle. Everyday there is a new five letter word to be guessed within only six attempts. Students are competing with their classmates and teachers to see who can finish the puzzle first and with the least amount of attempts. Wordle has also helped lift the spirits of those in times of distress, or who just want a fun and slightly challenging game to pass time.

English teacher Adriana Martinez says that even though she is bad at Wordle, she likes to play it. 

“I hope that I can get better at those word games,” she said. “I also like the chatter about it, to be part of the conversation. When people get excited about it, I like to be a part of that.”

Along with the original, there have been many different versions of the game designed. A few of the most popular Wordle variants are Absurdle, Nerdle, and Crosswordle. Each has a small change in vocabulary, but the main idea stays the same. A specific remake called Taylordle uses only words that can be associated with Taylor Swift such as song titles or famous quotes, hence the name.

Some fear that changes may be coming to the beloved game after an article was published by The New York Times on Jan. 31, 2022, announcing the new addition to their famous collection of daily puzzles. Players are worried that Wordle may be put behind a New York Times paywall. An important appeal of the game is its easy access, yet its similarity to other word games such as sudoku, crossword and spelling puzzles may take away that factor. 

Wordle has taken over the internet and has given a new game to word puzzle lovers, or those trying to pass the time. The future is uncertain for this word game other than the love from its players. 

“It’s something I really look forward to everyday,” junior Maggie Miller said.