In classrooms, workplaces, and households alike, a new question has been circulating throughout our daily conversations. At some point during your day, you’ll most likely hear someone pose this question: have you done the Wordle today? This new online word game has taken the world by storm, adding a new piece to the daily routine of millions. What is it about Wordle that seems to have everyone addicted?

Created by Josh Wardle, Wordle is a game that invites players to guess a five-letter word every day. After each guess, you are told whether the letters you guessed were right or if they were in the correct place. A correctly guessed letter turns yellow, a correctly placed letter turns green, and a letter that is neither guessed nor placed correctly remains gray. You are given a total of six tries, and after those six tries you must wait until midnight for the game to reset and a new word to be chosen. This simple game became something of an overnight success, gaining 300,000 players in about two months and now having millions of players. Following its sudden rise to fame, Wordle was bought by the New York Times on Jan. 31, 2022.

There are many aspects of Wordle that could explain why it draws in so many users. Lydia Ramer Hunter, a math teacher at Pennridge High School and an avid Wordle player, likes the game because of the conversation it sparks. She enjoys the way it brings people together, saying: “Anything a lot of people are participating in gives people something to talk about and compete in”. Wordle brings a sense of union and community to those who play, allowing you to discuss how hard you thought today’s word was or see if you can get the word in less tries than the person next to you. Ramer Hunter also likes how the game is quick and something she can play during the work day. Since you get one word a day, part of the draw is that it can’t be overplayed; it stays fresh and gives you something to look forward to. It’s become part of many people’s day-to-day activity and something they enjoy doing on a daily basis.

Despite its popularity, there are some people who don’t understand the hype around Wordle. Timothy Busch, another Pennridge High School teacher, heard about the game through other people posting their results on social media and through conversations with friends. Even though he knows of the game, he has no interest in playing, with the reason being that “…everyone else does”. He doesn’t feel it’s necessary to jump on the bandwagon, but he understands why other people might. Busch feels that the fact that you’re only given one word a day definitely adds to its popularity, always leaving you waiting for more. He feels that time would be better spent playing a game with friends or family instead of an individual game, saying: “…it provides more of a social dynamic”. With many who love it and many who are indifferent to it, it’s hard to say if Worlde is just a fad or something that will stick around for a while. Is it just another game that will dwindle in popularity over the coming weeks? Only time will tell.