New York Times Acquires ‘Wordle’, Hit Word Game That Made Everything Better

Screenshot via Wordle

Fans might be at a loss for words as the popular one-a-day puzzle game Wordle has been purchased by The New York Times Company, the Times confirmed in a report on Monday.

The newspaper said a deal was made “in the low seven figures” and that the puzzle will form part of its strategy to reach 10 million digital subscribers by 2025.

Wordle—created by Brooklyn software engineer Josh Wardle in October as a gift to his partner, and served as a reminder of their love of the word—has visitors guess a five-letter word in under six tries. The game is rationed to one puzzle a day, and everyone receives the same word. Wardle’s version, at least, is free to play and ad-free.

In its announcement, the Times said the game will be free for now.

“At the time it moves to The New York Times, Wordle will be free to play for new and existing players, and no changes will be made to its gameplay,” it noted.

Formerly a shared secret between Wardle and his partner, Wordle grew to support the withdrawals of some 90 users on November 1 but attained overnight fame—amounting to millions of users to date—after a profile by the same New York Times. Google even has an Easter egg on its site where it takes on a Wordle-style logo when you look up the game, acknowledging the puzzle’s worldwide impact.

The creator described that keeping the no-frills game short and sweet helped bring it to where it is today. “It’s a great puzzle, and it doesn’t take long to play, which makes it perfect for our age when people have short attention spans.”

Prior to the acquisition, he told the Times: “I think people kind of appreciate that there’s this thing online that’s just fun. It’s not trying to do anything shady with your data or your eyeballs. It’s just a game that’s fun.”

The Times now reports that it is using Wordle to help bolster its selection of daily New York Times Games, which include The Crossword, Vertex, Spelling Bee, Tiles, and Letter Boxed. The free tier offers limited access to the lineup, and players can dole out US$0.75 a week, or US$25 per year, to get the full version.

As of its latest earnings report in December, the newspaper said its games tier has drawn over a million subscribers. It also revealed that the selection was played more than 500 million times in 2021.

“The Times remains focused on becoming the essential subscription for every English-speaking person seeking to understand and engage with the world,” the news outlet added.

Following the agreement, Wardle divulged on Twitter that—although it was “incredible” to watch how Wordle brought joy to so many people—it was admittedly “overwhelming” as he was just one person. He is thus entrusting the Times to take the helm.

An update on Wordle pic.twitter.com/TmHd0AIRLX

— Josh Wardle (@powerlanguish) January 31, 2022

“I am working with [the newspaper] to make sure your wins and streaks will be preserved,” Wardle added.

The New York Times Games section helped inspire his project, a fact that isn’t lost on players who have been around since Wordle’s beginnings, so the creator is glad for things to have come full circle.

“The New York Times Games play a big part in its origins, and so this step feels very natural to me,” said Wardle.

Times were simpler just yesterday.

[via The New York Times and Gizmodo, cover image via Wordle]