Fans of the viral digital word game Wordle can now enjoy it in a whole new format. Pre-orders are now being accepted for Wordle: The Party Game, the board game version of the free web-based, one-play-a-day puzzle, set to go on sale from October 1.
Gaming behemoth Hasbro has partnered with The New York Times, which acquired Wordle earlier this year, for the product, and they hope to "deliver classic Wordle gameplay, but in an all new way that is perfect for game night with friends and family".
“Since Wordle burst onto the scene, it’s undoubtedly been a staple in social and pop culture vocabulary. We’re beyond thrilled to work with New York Times Games to bring our gaming worlds together and extend Wordle in new ways," said Adam Biehl, senior vice president and general manager for Hasbro Gaming.
How will the Wordle board game work?
Wordle: The Party Game will feature the same gameplay where players must solve the puzzle in six guesses — only here, they will now compete against each other.
In each round, a player designated as the Wordle Host writes down a secret word. Just like the original Wordle game, players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word. The fewer tries a player needs, the fewer points they score. The player with the fewest points at the end of the game wins.
Included in Wordle: The Party Game are dry-erase Wordle boards and markers so games can be played repeatedly. Players can also switch up the gameplay with four different ways to Wordle: classic play, fast, timed or teams.
Wordle: The Party Game is intended for ages 14 and up and is expected to retail for $19.99.
A humble beginning
Released to the public in October 2021 by former Reddit software engineer Josh Wardle, Wordle's website was initially drawing an average of 90 players. But by January, more than two million had played the game, with many crediting its simplicity and accessibility as a reason for its popularity.
The New York Times bought Wordle in February for an undisclosed price in the low seven figures.
The game's success has also inspired similar word games. AlWird, an Arabic version, launched in February while Heardle, a music guessing game, debuted on March. In Heardle, instead of trying to decipher a five-letter word, players listen to the opening seconds of a pop song, and try to figure out its title and artist.
Antiwordle, a game that turns the rule of Wordle on its head, is also gaining popularity.
Scroll through the gallery below to see nine similar word games if you love Wordle:
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'Hello Wordl' is a remake of 'Wordle' and is played in the same way, except you can do it more than once and change the length of the words. -
'Absurdle' is the 'adversarial variant' of 'Wordle'. -
'Letterle' is a mischievous spoof game that makes players guess a single letter each day. -
'Letterpress' is an unlimited, free game where you unscramble tiles to spell words against friends and random opponents. -
'Word Forward' features a 5x5 grid of letter combinations that you can use to make words. -
'Kitty Letter' is from the makers of 'Exploding Kittens'. -
'SpellTower' is like 'Tetris' meets 'Boggle'. -
'TypeShift' allows players to spell words using sliding letters in columns. -
'Word Master' is strikingly similar to 'Wordle' except you can play more than one a day. -
'Wordle' has gone viral and amassed hundreds of thousands of players in a few months. AFP
