For a lot of people, the hype aroundWordlefaded quickly after its initial popularity spike. At the end of December 2021 and into the New Year, it permeated public consciousness. Every day Twitter was flooded with discussion of the day’sWordle.In early January it apparently eclipsed 300,000 daily users. The phenomenon wasnationalnews.The New York Times took notice early on, and bought the game from its sole developerfor a nice chunk of money.
It would’ve been easy to call that moment “peakWordle.” I’ve been playing itevery single dayfrom early in its popularity, but I thought it was just me and a handful of nerds who were left. It clearly wasn’t. To pull back the curtain just a tad, our articles highlightingWordle tips and tricks every dayare at times the most-viewed articles on Digital Trends. Yes, still, in August 2022.
Who knows if this timeline is entirely different from what would’ve come ofWordlehad The Times not acquired it. But it’s clear thatWordlestill has serious legs as a popular online word game.Google Trends shows a small drop-off over the course of the year, but significant staying power — people loveWordle, even if they aren’t talking about it much.
I’ve long since steered away from posting everyWordleresultto my Twitter. And it isn’t a regular point of conversation with friends or family as it was in the early days. Yet, I haven’t missed a day ofWordlein seven months. At the time of writing, I’ve played the game 208 times — yes, I know that’s a bit ridiculous.
Wordleis part of my morning routine. Wake up, start the coffee, and open upWordle. When my girlfriend or I are traveling, the morning starts with a familiar message, “Did youWordle?!” — before sharing results. I steer clear of ourWordletips and tricks articles to avoid spoilers, and despite my inherent competitiveness I don’treallycare that I’ve broken my streak 5 times with failed attempts. I don’t take it seriously — it’s just a simple, fun game.
Wordleasks little of me, and provides a nice jumpstart to my brain alongside a morning cup of coffee.
It’s only gotten easier now that the New York TimesimplementedWordlestats syncing; if I have an early morning out of the house, or I’m traveling, I’ll just open it up on my phone and not worry about my stats getting out of sync. (Though I feel like I do worse on my phone, for some reason.)
It feels like the core reason for my continued play isWordle‘s simplicity. It’s not an app, just a simple webpage I can access anywhere at any time. There’s no gamification, upsells, perks, or loot boxes.Wordledemands little of me, and provides much more. It’s just a quick game I get to play every morning to get my brain moving while I have my first few sips of coffee. That’s exactly what I, and apparently many others, need in a game right now, and it has resonated with me in a way few games have.
