AI Summary
This historical piece recounts the origin story. Josh Wardle created it for his partner, Palak Shah, who loved word games. It started private, went to family WhatsApp, then public in Oct 2021. By Jan 2022, millions were playing. It covers the NYT acquisition in Feb 2022 and how it spawned a genre of "daily limitation" games.
AI Highlights
- The Name: A pun on his last name (Wardle -> Wordle).
- The Growth: From 90 players in Nov 2021 to 2 million in Jan 2022.
- The Sale: Bought by NYT for a "low seven-figure sum."
- The Legacy: It proved that simple, ad-free web games could still go viral.
A Love Story
Most games are made for profit. Wordle was made for love. Josh Wardle built it simply because his partner loved word puzzles. It had no ads. No app.
The Viral Spark
The "share" feature changed everything. The colored grid blocks were mysterious. People asked "What is that?" And the fire spread.
The New York Times Era
In early 2022, the game moved to the NYT. While some fans worried it would change, it largely kept its simple, daily spirit alive.
Summary
Wordle is a reminder that the best things on the internet are often simple, shared, and born from creativity.
Wordle is a trademark of The New York Times Company. This article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The New York Times.