Wordle is the latest free game that is currently taking the Internet by storm. Each day, the web-based game provides players with a new five-letter word to solve, with six tries to figure out, based on the provided hints and context. If a player fails within the six attempts, they're not allowed to play until the next day. This simple yet fun concept has seen incredible viral success, with gamers taking to social media to post about their results regarding these daily word puzzles. Within three months, the game amassed a following of over 300,000 people playing.
With a game as successful as this in such a short amount of time and it being a free to play game, there are concerns that some people may have regarding its future. Many casual games like this are usually inundated with in-game ads or adware while playing. This can be seen with other mobile games, such as Pokemon GO and its rumored incorporation of in-game advertisements. The creator of the game, Josh Wardle, explains that it will not be including any form of advertisement and will remain free-to-play.
In an interview with BBC Radio, Wardle explains that he's always been suspicious of mobile apps that always demand the player's attention. He specifically mentions the prevalence of when games would send push notifications to tell a player to continue playing when they are doing something else. Wardle notes that he specifically designed Wordle to be as simple as possible, where it can be played within three minutes and then the player can move onto something else.
This is likely why Wordle only exists as a browser game, with no mobile app version currently being planned, as this browser version is being used to maintain its simplicity. In addition, there are no plans to incorporate in-game ads into Wordle either, stating "I am not doing anything with your data, and that is also quite deliberate."
Wardle notes that he never intended for this simple game to go viral, though he noted that the ability for players to share their grids on social media is why the game went around so quickly. When he was asked if he had plans to try and turn a profit from it, he flatly denied the notion. Wardle explained that his games are meant to be fun first, and wants to keep it so that he doesn't have to charge players in order to keep playing the game.
Wordle is now available for free, playable on the game's official website.
Source: BBC