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 New York Times buys Wordle infographic
Graphic explains the meteoric rise of Wordle and how to play the game.
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ENTERTAINMENT

Gaming phenomenon, Wordle, bought by New York Times

By Ninian Carter

February 1, 2022 - The New York Times has bought the addictive puzzle game Wordle for an undisclosed seven figure sum.

The New York Times has bought word game sensation Wordle, for an undisclosed seven-figure sum.

The free and simple browser-based game is the brainchild of software engineer Josh Wardle, originally made for his partner, a puzzle enthusiast, for them to play together.

To begin with, the game was only played by them, and then shared with friends via WhatsApp. Then in October 2021, Wardle made Wordle public on his website, powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle (an old URL he owns from his days studying and working in the UK).

Within months the game had spread virally, thanks in part to the way scores can be shared visually and spoiler-free on social media, and now has at least 3 million players worldwide and after this latest media attention, no doubt millions more to follow.

The game is seen as a breath of fresh air in the tech industry as it requires no mobile app or registration. There is only one word to solve every 24 hours and players are not bombarded by advertising. In short, it’s simple, free fun.

The New York Times has assured fans that Wordle will remain free to play – but clearly such a popular game will act as a way of drawing attention to its services and help bolster subscriptions.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 01/02/2022; STORY: Graphic News
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