In October 2021, software engineer Josh Wardle uploaded his creation to the world—Wordle™. This once-a-day online game gives players six tries to identify a five-letter word, while offering clues and confirmations about which letters go where. Wardle's Wordle soon went from a gift he had designed for his sweetheart to a phenomenon played by millions at home, school, and work.

Question

"Even though I play it every day, I still feel a sense of accomplishment when I do it," Wardle told The Guardian.

The chance to practice their smarts is why so many people love word games, and Wordle follows in the grand tradition of crossword puzzles, Scrabble®, and word searches. Logophiles from first-grade classrooms to retirement communities play them faithfully to cultivate vocabulary and stimulate their brains—research shows that word games are excellent ways to exercise the mind and boost memory. Here's how a few favorites went from rudimentary ideas to household words.

Crossword Puzzles

Cruciverbalists, better known as crossword fans, owe their favorite game to a newspaper editor named Arthur Wynne. In 1913, he wanted a new diversion for the FUN section of the New York World. He drew a grid of numbered squares matched with clues and christened it "FUN's Word-Cross Puzzle." A typographical error subsequently renamed the game "Crossword Puzzle," and the transposition stuck. Wynne's winning creation quickly became a craze, and newspapers around the country developed their own versions.

One exception was the New York Times, which in one 1924 editorial demeaned crosswords as "a primitive sort of mental exercise." The famed newspaper held out until 1942, when it finally launched its own. Ironically, many crossword connoisseurs now consider the Times puzzle the crème de la crème of the genre.

Scrabble

Alfred Mosher Butts claimed he wasn't good at spelling, but that didn't impede his invention of the quintessential board game for wordsmiths. The Great Depression of the 1930s left the architect unemployed, so he began toying with game ideas. His vision was to design a crossword-like word game that assigned points to the different letters and could be scored for competitive play. He called it "Criss-Cross Words" and sold a limited number, but every major game manufacturer rebuffed the concept. Then he met James Brunot, who helped Butts refine the rules and come up with the catchier name the game bears today.

Scrabble's big score came in 1952. According to legend, an executive with Macy's department stores encountered the game while on vacation, decided to stock it, and soon customers were scrabbling for a set of their own. In total, Scrabble has sold 150 million copies in 29 languages, and is found in three out of five American homes, according to Hasbro, the game's manufacturer.

Word Search

In 1968, Norman E. Gibat, the publisher of Selenby Digest in Norman, Oklahoma, inserted a word game in his publication to entertain readers while they stood in line at the grocery store. He concealed the names of Oklahoma cities in a grid of letters and challenged readers to find them. Thus, Word Search was born and quickly became popular among area teachers, who spread the word to colleagues elsewhere. (About the same time, Spanish game-maker Pedro Ocón de Oro invented an identical game dubbed Sopa de Letras—"Soup of Letters"—and he often shares credit for developing the idea.)

Gibat's digest folded in 1970, and he had no interest in continuing its most popular feature. But by then word searches had taken on a life of their own, going by names like "Seek and Circle" and "Mystery Word." Word Search games remain wildly popular and a staple for educators seeking engaging ways to reinforce vocabulary.

Time will tell if Wordle joins the ranks of these legendary word games, though fame was never the motivation for its developer. As Wardle told the New York Times: "I think people kind of appreciate that there's this thing online that's just fun."

Think about and discuss these questions:
Which word game sounds most interesting to you and why?
What do you think is the secret to making a popular word game?

After Reading
Now that you have read the article, indicate whether you agree or disagree with this statement.

Word games are a lot of fun.

Agree
Disagree

Explain why you voted the way you did. Then read and respond to what others have to say.

Answer 1

Response: Agree

I voted "Agree" because word games provide a unique blend of entertainment and cognitive stimulation. They challenge players to think critically, expand their vocabulary, and engage in problem-solving. The satisfaction of successfully identifying words, especially in games like Wordle or Scrabble, contributes to a sense of accomplishment and can be deeply rewarding. Additionally, these games can foster social interaction, whether through friendly competition or collaborative play, making them enjoyable for individuals and groups alike.

The article highlights how word games have stood the test of time in various forms, appealing to diverse audiences across different ages and backgrounds. The shared experience of solving puzzles and the opportunity to learn new words enhance their appeal. Overall, I believe that these games are not only fun but also beneficial for mental agility.

Discussion on Word Game Popularity

In considering what makes a word game popular, several factors come to mind:

1. Accessibility: A game should be easy to understand and play, allowing newcomers to jump in without extensive rules or complicated setups. Wordle's simple mechanics and daily challenges are appealing and encourage regular play.

2. Engagement: A game that provides a sense of accomplishment keeps players coming back. The balance between challenge and skill, as seen in Scrabble and crossword puzzles, keeps the experience rewarding but not frustrating.

3. Social Component: Many successful word games, like Scrabble and Wordle, incorporate a social element where players can compete or share their results, fostering community and conversation around the game.

4. Innovative Design: Unique concepts or twists on traditional formats can capture attention. Wordle’s daily puzzle format introduces excitement and an element of surprise each day.

5. Cultural Resonance: Games that can be easily integrated into daily life or that resonate with a particular culture or period, as seen with the rise of word searches in classrooms, tend to thrive.

These elements combined create a compelling experience that resonates with players of all ages, contributing to the sustained popularity of word games.