Wordle

Wordle is a web based word guessing game created by software engineer Josh Wardle, launched in October 2021, in which players have six attempts to guess a secret five letter word, with each guess shaded to show which letters are correct and correctly placed, correct but misplaced, or absent from the word, and only one puzzle available to solve per day, the same for every player. The game's daily limit and simple color coded results, easily copied as text and shared on social media without revealing the answer, drove a rapid viral spread in late 2021 and early 2022, growing from roughly ninety players in November 2021 to more than two million within about two months. Its unexpected popularity led The New York Times Company to purchase the game in January 2022, folding it into its existing puzzle offerings and prompting a wave of imitators across other languages and subjects.