History of Wordle in Timeline

Wordle is a web-based word game where players try to guess a five-letter word in six attempts. After each guess, tiles change color to show which letters are correct and in the right spot, or just present in the word. A new word is released daily, and all players attempt to solve the same word, creating a shared experience. The game was created by Josh Wardle and draws inspiration from the game Mastermind.

1955: Inspiration from Jotto

In 1955, the pen-and-paper game Jotto was released. Wordle is conceptually and stylistically similar to Jotto and the game show Lingo.

2013: Early Prototype Creation

In 2013, Josh Wardle created an early prototype of Wordle, initially named Mr. Bugs' Wordy Nugz. The prototype allowed players to solve puzzles consecutively, inspired by the color-matching mechanics of the board game Mastermind.

2014: Prototype Completion and Abandonment

By 2014, Wardle had completed the Wordle prototype but eventually lost interest and set it aside. Before setting it aside, Wardle made improvements to the word list using input from his partner.

January 2021: Wordle Published on the Web

By January 2021, Wardle had published Wordle on the web, initially sharing it only with himself and his partner. He named it Wordle as a pun on his surname.

October 2021: Initial Spread to Relatives

In October 2021, Wardle shared Wordle with his relatives, and it rapidly became an obsession for them. Subsequently, the game was introduced to close friends.

October 2021: Public Release

In October 2021, Wordle was publicly released after initially being developed as a personal project. The game subsequently experienced widespread popularity in late 2021.

November 1, 2021: Player Base Growth

On November 1, 2021, the Wordle player base was at 90 players. Subsequently, there was rapid growth to over 300,000 by January 2, 2022.

December 2021: Viral Phenomenon on Twitter

In late December 2021, Wordle became a viral phenomenon on Twitter after the addition of a sharing function that displayed results in an emoji-style format.

January 2, 2022: Player Base Exceeds 300,000

By January 2, 2022, Wordle's player base had grown to over 300,000 players, marking a significant increase from the 90 players recorded on November 1, 2021.

January 2022: Acquisition by The New York Times Company

In January 2022, The New York Times Company acquired Wordle for a "low seven-figure sum". Following the acquisition, changes were implemented, including removing offensive words and introducing account logins.

January 2022: Wordle Adapted into Numerous Languages

In January 2022, after Wordle gained viral popularity, it was quickly adapted into numerous other languages. An open-source version of the game was modified by linguist Aiden Pine to accommodate different character sets.

January 2022: Wordle Clones Appear and are Removed from Apple's App Store

In early January 2022, numerous ad-supported Wordle clones appeared on Apple's App Store. By the end of January 2022, nearly all of these clones were removed. The New York Times also initiated legal action against Worldle, alleging trademark infringement.

March 2022: Peak Player Count

In March 2022, Wordle's player count peaked. While it later declined, it remained stable at about half of that peak a year later in March 2023.

March 31, 2022: Wordle Boosts NYT Puzzle Site

According to the New York Times quarterly earnings report ending on March 31, 2022, the acquisition of Wordle brought "tens of millions" of new players to the New York Times puzzle site and app.

April 7, 2022: WordleBot Launch

On April 7, 2022, WordleBot was launched by The New York Times to provide players with analysis and ratings of their Wordle gameplay.

July 2022: Spotify Acquires Heardle

In July 2022, Spotify acquired Heardle, a music-identification game that was inspired by Wordle.

August 24, 2022: Wordle Added to NYT Crossword App

On August 24, 2022, Wordle was added to The New York Times Crossword app, allowing progress to be synced across mobile and desktop versions.

October 2022: Wordle: The Party Game Release

In October 2022, Hasbro released Wordle: The Party Game, a physical board game adaptation of the online game, designed for two to four players.

November 2022: Tracy Bennett Appointed Editor

In November 2022, The New York Times appointed Tracy Bennett as Wordle's dedicated editor. She is responsible for selecting the daily word from a curated list.

January 2023: Merriam-Webster Acquires Quordle

In January 2023, Merriam-Webster acquired Quordle, a Wordle variant that involves solving four puzzles simultaneously.

January 2023: Bennett Discusses Word Selection Process

In January 2023, Tracy Bennett spoke about the word selection process. She explained that while the words are initially chosen at random, she reviews each selection for suitability.

March 2023: Game Developers Conference Insights

At the March 2023 Game Developers Conference, New York Times producer Zoe Bell shared insights into Wordle's lasting impact on the company's other online games.