Two years since it first became an online sensation, Wordle's legacy as the internet's favorite word puzzle game is firmly established.
Created by Josh Wardle as a gift for his crossword-loving partner, Palek Shah, the Brooklyn-based software engineer never intended for the game to be more than a couples' pastime during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, after sharing the game with his friends and family, the developer realized that other puzzle nerds might enjoy Wordle. He uploaded the game to the web in October 2021, with Wordle going from 91 players to 2 million in less than three months.
The New York Times took notice, purchasing the game from Wardle for a seven-figure sum. As of 2024, Wordle is still NYT's most popular word puzzle game.
But why has Wordle remained popular, when so many so many other internet fads come and go? Wardle believes it's the five-letter, six-guess format.
"There is a reason that every word is five letters long and that you are allowed six attempts to guess it," Wardle told Newsweek in 2022. "That might seem arbitrary but, with the prototype version, I tested different word lengths and experimented with the number of tries that players were allowed.
"Through that process of refinement, I figured out that five letters and six tries was the ideal sweet spot. It's just limited enough to feel challenging and to make you think, but most of the time people still manage to solve it. So, you feel a real sense of real accomplishment."
However, the fact that users can only solve one puzzle per day also plays a part, according to Wardle.
"The idea to impose a limitation came when my partner and I started getting into crosswords during the pandemic. In particular, The New York Times has this puzzle called Spelling Bee, which has this once-a-day model that I thought was really effective.
"I liked the idea that everyone around the world was trying to solve the exact same word at the exact same time. It created a shared communal experience [If] there were multiple puzzles to solve and everyone was at a different stage, then there wouldn't be that kind of conversation, which I think is the most fulfilling part of Wordle."
If you're struggling with today's Wordle puzzle, Newsweek has gathered a few clues to help you find the answer.
'Wordle' #1,097, Hints for Friday, June 21
Hint #1: Today's Wordle contains two vowels.
Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.
Hint #3: The answer begins with the letter "P."
Hint #4: Today's word is both a verb and a noun.
Hint #5: The answer ends with a consonant.
'Wordle' #1,097, Answer for Friday, June 21
Today's Wordle answer is "Paint."
If you can't wait for Wordle to reset at midnight in your time zone, why not give these other popular online word puzzle games a try?
