If you thought Wordle was just a game that you have been playing online every day to maintain a streak, it’s not just that. Apparently, the technique you apply to find possible answers says a lot about you. The starting word you pick, the Wordle strategy you follow to choose words, and much more identify certain characteristics in you.
For the uninitiated, Wordle is a web-based game designed by Josh Wardle in 2021. The game requires the player to guess a five-letter word, using the hit-and-trial method, and they have only six chances to do so. The game that has been bought by The New York Times has now become one of the most famous puzzle games, with over two million users in January 2022, according to an article by The Guardian.
Wordle 220 2/6 🌝☺️
🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩— Malala (@Malala) January 25, 2022
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The popularity of the online word game also soared after the players shared their scores on social media, without really revealing the word of the day. The green, yellow and black blocks illustrate the number of guesses a player has made to get to the answer. Another reason behind the game’s popularity is that players can only work on one word a day, which makes them want to come back.
A risk-taker or a planner, here’s what your Wordle strategy says about you
The hard mode
Playing Wordle in this mode could imply that the player likes a challenge. Only the true aficionados of the game know that the puzzle can be switched to hard mode with just a click. In this mode, if the first guess reveals letters of the final word. The player has to incorporate those letters to guess the next word.
The perk of playing in the hard mode is that, a small asterisk distinguishes the scores from those in the normal mode. It is a subtle flex to players’ friends, letting them know they did not take the easy route. The asterisk appears with the score when a player shares it on social media.
Starting with the same first word every day
The Wordle routine of many players involves starting the game with the same word every day. It can be a word containing some of the most common consonants and at least one vowel from the English language, such as ‘stain’ or ‘heart.’ This method, according to cultural critic and author Linda Holmes, shows just how superstitious one can be.
Starting with vowels
The percentage of vowels in the English alphabet is about 20 percent. Several players choose the first words comprising as many vowels as possible such as ‘adios,’ ‘adieu’ or ‘bijou’. This could mean the player thinks well ahead of making a move and wants to get to the answer as quickly as possible.
This manner of strategising can also imply that the person is not much of a risk-taker and tries to play it safe.
Making the second guess
Some players are impulsive with their guesses. For instance, if a player gets one letter of the answer but not at the correct spot, they might end up making a second guess that contains a completely different set of letters.
Let’s say, the player’s first guess was ‘spoil’ and ‘s’ appears in a yellow box, indicating although the final word consists of an ‘s’, it is not in its correct position. The player, instead of trying out other words containing an ‘s’ at different spots, goes for a completely new word like ‘lemur.’
Even though this could help the player find more letters of the word, it involves a risk factor and increases the number of guesses that they will take to reach the final answer.
Therefore, distinct personality types can have contrasting Wordle strategies. Though there are many approaches to the five-letter words, it’s all fun and games in the end.
(Main and Feature Image Credit: Nils Huenerfuerst/Unsplash)
