Ah, Wordle, where would we all be without you?
Chances are if you've been online in the last month, you've seen one of your friends sharing the now-signature combination of yellow and green squares that make up Wordle results. It's a simple but effective game that's taken the world by storm. It should be no surprise, then, that it's inspired many spin-offs and variants that have all taken the original formula, but added a twist. From forcing you to solve multiple puzzles simultaneously, adding numbers to the mix, or maybe adding a unique theme, there's no shortage of variants on Wordle for you to play. Here, I've collected seven of the best spin-offs, with links so you can join in the fun and find your new favourite game. Enjoy!
Quordle
Think you’ve mastered the art of solving a Wordle? How about the art of solving four at the same time? This is what Quordle asks us. It’s a simple but effective spin on the classic, giving you nine moves to solve the deceptively tricky puzzle. Every time you guess a word, it checks it against all four possible answers, offering more potential routes to pursue for each guess. It's a great variation on the original - similar enough to hook you in, different enough for you to consider new strategies. What are you waiting for? Get on board!
Worldle
My favourite Wordle spin-off, Worldle, is a deceptively simple concept: you are shown an outline of a random country, and to win, you must guess its name. Whereas in Wordle, where you get hints depending on which letters are correct, here you get given three hints: the distance between your guess and the answer, the compass direction toward the two, and a percentage of proximity between the countries, where the correct answer would give 100%, and other countries would provide a lower score. With only 6 guesses - just like in the original Wordle - you’ll be thinking hard about each guess!
Squirdle
Are you as much of a Pokémon fan as I am? Want to test your knowledge of Pokémon generations and typing combinations? Then Squirdle is the game for you! Just like the original Wordle, you have six guesses to choose what Pokémon the game is thinking of. You get clues on the Pokémon’s generation of origin, typing combination, height, and weight. Can you guess the correct Pokémon? You can generate a random puzzle at will, or alternatively, play the daily special, which refreshes every day and gives you eight guesses. Can you prove yourself a true Pokémon master?
Nerdle
If the original Wordle is a counterpoint to Countdown’s letters round, then Nerdle is a great alternative to the numbers round! The idea is simple: instead of guessing letters in a word, you’re guessing numbers and operations in an equation. You can choose to input digits 0-9, the addition, subtraction, multiplication, division operations, and an equals. The clues system is similar to the original Wordle, making it easy to get used to. It’s really entertaining trying to make equations that make sense while following the clues given. It’s deceptively difficult, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable!
Absurdle
A new favourite variant of mine, Absurdle follows the same basic formula of Wordle - namely, you guess five-letter words to try and find the solution. However, instead of a single goal to work toward, Absurdle forces you to guess against every single possible word. As a result, it continually makes the game as long as possible, forcing you to narrow down your guessing criteria to back the game into a corner. It makes for a competitive variant on the classic. There’s tactical ways to play the game to achieve a swifter victory. With a detailed guide on the site, there's no reason not to get stuck in!
Squardle
This one took me a while to understand, but trust me, it's worth it. Just like Wordle and Absurdle before it, the goal is to guess five-letter words. The difference with Squardle is that here, you're not guessing just one word, you're guessing six words arranged in a 5x5 grid. Sounds confusing? It is at first - it took me three goes to fully understand - but with practice, it's intuitive hint system makes things so much easier, making for a real head-scratcher of a puzzle. It's a brilliant twist on the classic Wordle formula: as my friend put it, "it's like letter Sudoku"! If you enjoyed the original, I can't recommend this one enough.
Sedecordle
So, you've mastered Wordle. Maybe you've tackled Quordle, and think you're getting the hang of solving multiple puzzles at once. Why not take this to the next extreme? Enter Sedecordle, which is exactly what the title implies - you must solve a whopping sixteen Wordles at once. You get 21 tries, and each guess will provide hints in the same way that the original Wordle does. In some ways, it's easier than the original - with more guesses, there's more ways to eliminate incorrect letters - but in other ways, it's so much harder. Give it a go and see how well you can juggle sixteen different combinations of letters!
I hope you found a new favourite game from this list! Did I miss any? If so, drop your favourite Wordle spin-off in the comments!
AC is the Head of Written Content at QSO Media. Follow them on Twitter.
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