“Wordle” conquers the world! The puzzle game, which is currently popular in the USA, has experienced a remarkable rise: in November, around 90 people were still searching for a new five-letter word every day. Now it’s millions every day. And those millions are worth a million dollars to the New York Times newspaper.
“Wordle”: Boom with five letters
The principle of “Wordle” is very simple: Every day you have to guess a new word consisting of five letters. The player has six attempts and receives tips depending on the letters typed. A green letter is in the word and is in the right place, a yellow one is correct but not in the right place, and a letter marked in gray doesn’t belong in the word at all.
The fascination of this simple procedure attracts players again and again. Because everyone can only play “Wordle” once a day and no matter how it turns out: The motivation to try it again the next day is extremely high. Either because you want to prove that success was not a flash in the pan, or because it can’t all be that difficult.
“Wordle” even has a place in pop culture in the USA. Stars tweet about it or write about their experiences with “Wordle” on Instagram. The puzzle is mentioned in TV shows and on the Internet there are evaluations of how often which letter occurs and what the best strategy for victory is.
Wordle tips for beginners
The most common letters in the English language are E, A, R, I, O – so they should be tested early.
If you have a green letter early on, you should move it calmly in the following attempts. In this way you can find more correct letters.
The keyboard below the guess field shows which letters you have already used. Especially in the first three attempts you should try not to type any letters twice.
Only in the later attempts is it worth putting the letters together to hopefully form the correct word.
Controversy over the optimal starting word
Researchers have now analyzed the 2315 possible solution words and came to the conclusion that the combination of letters “LATER” offers the best starting chances. But this theory is also controversial. Because in addition to the solution words, the game also accepts over 11,000 other words and letter combinations that are not correct – but help in the search for the right letters. If you follow this theory, “AEROS” or “SOARE” provide better odds of winning. The two researchers only agree on one thing: the word “XYLYT” is the worst start.
million amount for the game
UNLIMITED GAMING EXPERIENCE
Free online games
“Wordle” was previously operated by the programmer Josh Wardle, who had not yet earned any money with it. Because the game is offered as a free app, it has no advertising on its website.
But now Wardle has found a way to turn his five letters into a high number in his bank account: The New York Times has taken over the game for a “low, seven-figure sum”.
What that means for “Wordle” players is still unclear. The newspaper wants to continue operating the service as before. However, observers expect that it could be offered as a paid subscription. The New York Times is currently making good money with a service that allows paying customers access to the newspaper’s crossword puzzles.