Hoai Lon's blog : Wordle Nyt Game
Wordle Nyt is a simple, addictive daily word-guessing game created by Josh Wardle and now hosted by The New York Times. Here’s a concise guide to how to play plus strategy, variations, and perspectives.
How to play
- Objective: Guess a secret five-letter English word within six tries.
- Input: Enter any valid five-letter word each turn.
- Feedback: After each guess, tiles change color:
- Green: letter correct and in the correct position.
- Yellow: letter is in the word but in a different position.
- Gray: letter is not in the word at all (given the current answer list).
- Use feedback to refine subsequent guesses until you find the word or exhaust six attempts.
- A new puzzle appears daily; the same answer is given to all players worldwide.
Strategy and tips
- Start with strong starter words that include common vowels and consonants (e.g., “SLATE,” “CRANE,” “AUDIO”).
- Balance vowel coverage early to identify which vowels appear.
- Prioritize uncovering letter positions with follow-up guesses using repeated known letters.
- Avoid repeating gray letters unless feedback indicates they can appear in other positions (double letters can mislead).
- Use letter-frequency knowledge (ETAOIN SHRDLU-style lists) to maximize information per guess.
- If stuck, use pattern matching: focus on confirmed letters and possible placements rather than random words.
Common approaches
- Entropy/max-information approach: choose words that maximize expected elimination of candidate words.
- Human heuristics: start with a fixed starter, then switch to targeted words to confirm placements.
- Solver assistance: many players use Wordle solvers or word lists to check remaining possibilities—this reduces challenge but speeds solving.
Variants and spin-offs
- Absurdle: adversarial variant that avoids committing to a word until forced.
- Quordle/Octordle: guess multiple words simultaneously (4 or 8 boards).
- Dordle: two boards at once.
- Hello Wordl: unlimited guesses and variable word length.
- Crosswords-style or themed Wordles: custom word lists (names, technical terms).
Cultural and social impact
- Wordle became a daily ritual for millions, encouraging social sharing of results (emoji grids) without spoilers.
- It influenced numerous clones and inspired classroom use for vocabulary and logic practice.
- Critics note that the NYT version’s word list and vocabulary choices can bias toward certain dialects and sociolects; obscure or proper nouns are excluded, but some players still find answers unfair.
Arguments and counterarguments
- Pro: Wordle promotes language play, pattern recognition, and relaxed daily challenge; social sharing fosters community.
- Con: It can be addictive, encourage “cheating” via solvers, and occasionally present words unfamiliar to some players, which can frustrate rather than entertain.
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