Predicting the next thing that will go viral and take the world by storm is almost impossible. That people everywhere have been sucked in by a simple word puzzle that requires you to figure out one five-letter word each day is downright bizarre, but also a little heart-warming. Wordle's success has been a minor miracle, as has the unwritten agreement between almost everyone who plays not to post the daily answers on social media.
The simple word game's popularity exploded over the holiday period and by the turn of the year, it felt as if everyone was playing. Many were hooked in by the mysterious tweets about the game published by its players. Nothing but colored squares and numbers. A way of bragging to other players, but also a way to draw non-players in because sooner or later, you were forced to ask what the tweets were about whether you liked it or not.
As for exactly how much Wordle's popularity grew, stats courtesy of Similarweb have highlighted just how viral the game went, and it's wild. When it launched in October, Wordle amassed a little less than 5000 visits over the course of a month. Honestly, strip away the fact it has gone viral, that's still pretty impressive for a word game that was created by one man for his wife.
Fast forward just three months to January 2022 and Wordle was accessed more than 45 million times over the course of a single month. That's an increase of 900, 900 percent. That's not a typo, nor is it the same number twice. Wordle's popularity has increased by almost one million percent in just three months. Unbelievable, and that explains why The New York Times was so eager to get it under its own puzzle umbrella.
Yes, if you hadn't already heard, the other big Wordle news this week is that its creator has already cashed in, selling the rights to his puzzle game to NYT for an undisclosed seven-figure sum. Fair play to him, but it might spell the eventual demise of Wordle. Apparently, the game will remain free-to-play for now, but there's a risk it's moved behind a paywall in the future. If you fear that happening in the future before you're done getting your daily fix, then apparently right-clicking and saving the webpage could mean you never have to face a time when Wordle will cost you money.