8 Wordle word game alternatives you need to play
Need more Wordle-like joy in your life? We've got a bunch of similar games for you to try.
Wordle became a huge deal very quickly, and for many of us has slotted into our daily routines. But what if you want more Wordle goodness in your life? What other options do you have? And what if those solitary boxes just don’t get you excited anymore?
Well, turns out you have plenty of options when it comes to finding a fresh twist on the Wordle formula. To help you find your latest fix, we’ve compiled eight of our favourite Wordle spinoffs that may just be your next daily fixation. If you try any of these out, let us know what you think of them in the comments section at the bottom of this article.
Worldle
Got a hankering for some geography? Does the idea of confusing Austria and Australia make you squirm? Then Worldle is the spinoff for you. As excellently summarised by Graham Smith on our sister site RockPaperShotgun, Worldle drags us away from the safety of grammar and the cheeky dictionary tab you swear you won’t glance at and challenges us to identify countries through their silhouettes.
Worldle brings you back to school as you desperately try to remember the shape of European countries. I mean c’mon, who actually knows what Switzerland looks like? If you do, then this is one for you.
Nerdle
If you’re a numbers person, the age of Wordle has left you by the wayside. It’s true, everyone keeps talking about their favourite starting words, but no one ever thinks to ask what your favourite prime numbers are anymore. It’s been rough, but thankfully, all you number crunchers have an alternative specially crafted just for you.
Rather than fishing for a specific word, Nerdle has you find the proper equation using the same rules. Rather than tactfully placing vowels, it’s a plus, minus, or a multiplication. You know of course an equals symbol must be in there somewhere, but the location it rests changes everything. As a writer, it makes my head hurt, but you numerical folk out there are sure to get the thrill only a quadratic equation can provide.
Lewdle
If you’re like me, you’re vulgar. It’s rare that swearing in an article is warranted, but outside of work profanity makes up a vast portion of my verbal output. As such, Lewdle has allowed me to combine my love of cussing with the inherent intellect vulgar people have. So if you share this habit of throwing out obscenities, it may be the Wordle spinoff for you.
Lewdle features the simple change of swapping out the possible words you need to find for a range of naughty words. It retains that brain-scratching difficulty inherent to the genre, but with the added bonus of drawing out a sly chuckle every now and again. Absolutely worth your time, you prick.
Bikle
I write this fully knowing how small the biking gamers community likely is, aside from fans of those entertaining cycling esports events and ride or die lovers of the Tour de France video game. However, if you belong to this elite group and can fix your expensive electronic gears for your even more expensive Bianci road bike in a flash then there’s actually a Wordle game that’s perfect for your unique sensibilities.
Bikle has you, the cyclist with a categorical knowledge of the ongoing saga that is competitive cycling, try and figure out the names of famous racers in the sport. Legends like Coppi, Brand, and Zhupa (no, me neither) are waiting for you to flex your mind. We recommend getting into your full-body lycra cycling suit too, the really tight one people stare at when they drive by.
Absurdle
There’s no nice way to write this, Absurdle is for those with a gluttonous appetite for punishment, who like the odds stacked so steeply against them that the chances of winning are so unlikely that it’s arguably not even the goal of playing. If this, for whatever reason, sounds awfully like you then Absurdle should be your next source for misery.
Rather than give you as many hints as possible as you progress, Absurdle is all about leaving you with as few clues as possible. Rather than pick a word at the start, Absurdle actually changes the answer based on your initial answers. The goal posts are always changing, which is why the current record for beating the game is four guesses. If you’re up for the headache, be sure to check it out.
Squirdle
Hang on, this is a gaming website! Lets feature a spinoff likely to appeal to those out there who have been catching and training digital monsters for years now, or who have only just started their adventure with Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Squirdle fills this niche quite nicely.
In it, you start by entering your pokemon of choice. You’re then given pointers on whether it’s in the right generation, type, height and weight. From there, it’s up to you to piece together the correct answer and determine who’s that pokemon! If you’ve not caught up with recent games, you can play a generation one version that limits the selection to the old school favourites. Give it a try if you consider yourself a walking talking pokedex.
Squable
If there was one thing that Wordle was missing, it’s high intensity PvP gameplay. While not exactly Call of Duty, Squabble does act a bit of direct competition to the Wordle format. If you’d rather play these games with other people, rather than sharing your daily successes over Twitter.
Squabble has you join a lobby alongside several other like-minded players as you race towards figuring out the correct answer. Be careful though, as it follows the same rules as Wordle so you can run out of opportunities to make guesses - time is of the essence.Wordle Unlimited
Finally, we’ve got a safe pick for those of you who despite your best efforts just can’t overcome Wordle some days. No shame here, the game can be tricky! Thankfully, Wordle Unlimited does exactly what you’d assume, it allows you to tackle a classic game of Worldle with no guess limit.
All of the above spinoffs are excellent alternatives to the classic format, but sometimes you just can’t be the original. If you fancy that same experience, with a bit less stress attached, Wordle Unlimited may be the perfect choice as you explore the Wordle Ecosystem.