The Enduring Appeal of Wordle: From Celebrity Showdowns to Daily Rituals

I play Wordle most every day. I have a few friends that I share my score daily. It is a nice way to stay connected. One of these friends, Doug Smith, says “I love Wordle because one can’t binge on it. Once it’s done, we all have to wait until tomorrow. I tend to play it over breakfast; it helps wake up my brain!”

Let’s look further into how celebrities are playing!

Entertainment icon Carol Burnett has revealed her impressive Wordle skills, claiming to have solved the daily word puzzle in just one attempt an astonishing seven times. During a recent appearance on “Live with Kelly and Mark,” the 91-year-old comedy legend discussed her daily Wordle competitions with “Palm Royale” co-star Allison Janney.

“We’re kind of even,” Burnett admitted before sharing her remarkable achievement. “I have gotten Wordle in 1 seven times.”

Burnett explained that words like “towel,” “hunch,” and “stash” were among her first-guess victories. In one instance, she was staying at a hotel and needed extra towels, so she typed “towel” as her first guess — which turned out to be the day’s solution. “It was crazy!” she exclaimed.

Star-Studded Wordle Competitions

The comedy legend is part of an impressive Wordle group that includes several Hollywood stars. Burnett revealed she plays Wordle every morning with Allison Janney, Charlize Theron, and “Friends” writer David Crane. “They’re my friends, and we all Wordle,” Burnett shared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Janney has also spoken about their Wordle friendship, telling TVLine, “Every day I get a text from Carol Burnett, which just makes my whole day. We play Wordle and Connections together in the New York Times app.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, another Burnett collaborator, has praised the comedy icon’s word game talents, saying Burnett “is incredible at Wordle and all word games” and “does not fool around when it comes to word games.”

Meanwhile, Ben Affleck has revealed his own competitive Wordle group, describing their matches as “fiercely competitive” with “a lot of mockery and derision.” Affleck’s group plays multiple variations of the game, including Quordle and Octordle, adding up all scores at the end of the day.

Jimmy Kimmel also referenced the game during a recent monologue about the vice presidential debate, joking that with candidates expected to fact-check themselves, the moderators might just be playing Wordle during the event.

From Personal Project to Global Phenomenon

Wordle’s journey from personal project to worldwide phenomenon is as fascinating as its gameplay is addictive. The game was created by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle in 2013 as a prototype he initially called “Mr. Bugs’ Wordy Nugz.” However, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 that Wardle refined the game for his partner, Palak Shah, who loved word games.

Shah played a crucial role in the game’s development, reviewing 12,000 five-letter English words and narrowing them down to 2,500 commonly-known words suitable for daily puzzles. The couple played the game privately from January to June 2021 before Wardle shared it with family members.

In October 2021, Wardle made the game publicly available on his website. By November 1, it had only 90 players. However, the game’s popularity exploded within months—by early January 2022, 300,000 people were playing daily, which grew to an astonishing two million by the end of that month.

Part of Wordle’s success came from limiting players to one puzzle per day, creating a sense of scarcity and shared experience as everyone attempted to solve the same word. The game’s simple sharing feature, which allowed players to post their results without spoiling the answer, helped it go viral on social media.

The New York Times Company acquired Wordle from Wardle in January 2022 for a reported “low seven-figure sum.” In 2022, “Wordle” became the most-searched term on Google worldwide.

Why Wordle Captivates Players of All Ages

Wordle’s appeal lies in its simplicity and accessibility. Players have six chances to guess a five-letter word, with color-coded feedback showing correct letters in the right position (green), correct letters in the wrong position (yellow), or incorrect letters (gray).

The game requires no download or registration, has no advertisements, and can be played on any device with a web browser. Its straightforward rules make it accessible to players of all ages and technological comfort levels.

The daily nature of the game creates a ritual for many players, something to look forward to each morning with coffee or to wind down with at night. For celebrities like Carol Burnett, it’s become a way to connect with friends and colleagues, sharing results and friendly competition.

Wordle has even spawned numerous variations and adaptations, including versions for specific interests, languages, and difficulty levels. From the original word game to celebrity-focused versions like Lookdle (guessing pixelated celebrity faces), the Wordle concept continues to evolve and entertain.

As Wordle approaches its four-year anniversary since public release, its continued popularity among both everyday players and celebrities proves that sometimes the simplest games have the most staying power. Whether you’re a comedy legend like Carol Burnett or just someone looking for a quick mental challenge, Wordle provides a brief but satisfying daily ritual that connects players around the world.