First released in October of 2021, Wordle has since come to dominate a segment of mobile gaming that it has seemingly created itself. The crossword-like puzzle has become the globe’s latest obsession, as people of all ages and backgrounds compete to see how few tries it takes to solve that day’s Wordle.

Although it may appear an intricate game, Wordle, at its core, is much more straightforward than one would imagine. With only six attempts to guess one five-letter word each day, Wordle’s simplicity is what has attracted many to play.

“It’s funny because you tend to think of it as complex, but it’s actually super simple when you get down to it,” said Seth Gardiner, junior.

Wordle’s daily aspect and the fact that each day competitors have the same word as each other, have led to the game skyrocketing in popularity.

“It’s something to look forward to for the next day. It makes you focus in on that one game per day. If you don’t get it in a certain amount of tries, you have to go back and hopefully get it the next day,” said Cade Hall, sophomore.

Many players enjoy the competitive nature of Wordle, appreciating the way the game can easily bring people together each day.

“I think it’s kinda fun just to compare with the people in my friend group. I know personally it’s kind of fun to see that this person got it in this many tries, this person got it in this many, and I got it in this many,” Gardiner said. “It’s cool to see where you’re at compared to other people guessing the same word.”

Although most players enjoy the social aspect of Wordle, there are still some people who just like the way it makes them use their mind.

“Sometimes [I’m competitive] with people, but most of the time, I’m more competitive with myself,” said Brooklyn Smith, sophomore. “If I can’t figure it out, I get really annoyed.”

For some players who are competitive by their own nature, Wordle is just one more way for them to express their desire to dominate others off the field.

“I compete to get good grades, I compete to do better at Wordle; it all kind of relates because sports have given me that competitive edge,” Hall said.

With all the buzz and excitement Wordle has brought, several games with a similar format have risen to be nearly as popular as the game they are inspired from.

“There’s a game called Quordle and it’s four Wordles at once, you have nine guesses to get it in. It’s kind of fun too, it makes you think a little more,” Hall said.

Other than games that concern words and letters, the Wordle hype has also brought games that have a unique take on the Wordle format.

“They’re all so fun because you use a different part of your brain besides vocabulary, like Heardle, you have to think about your memory of songs,” Smith said.

Many believe that people’s universal infatuation with Wordle is due to its simplicity, which is able to connect people of all backgrounds.

“From teenagers to [senior citizens], everybody likes it. It’s not hard, it’s fast, and everybody has to use their brain the same way,” said Ronda Cunningham, English language arts teacher.

Amusement aside, Wordle’s ability to make players thoroughly think about how to put letters in different positions and to expose them to words they did not already know, can have some benefits for students at OHS.

“It’s critical thinking; it’s making them think; it’s helping them with their vocabulary,” Cunningham said. “I’ll have kids who didn’t know what the word meant. They’re learning new vocabulary, they’re learning how to put letters together.”