Wordle Founder Josh Wardle on Viral Success and Future Plans

The Unexpected Rise of Wordle: A Simple Game Captures the Internet's Attention

The internet frequently witnesses surprising success stories, and as the new year approached, one such narrative emerged, captivating users with its straightforward concept and engaging gameplay: Wordle. This game challenges players to deduce a five-letter word within six attempts, fostering a shared experience as players exchange results and charting grids of their progress.

In a tech landscape often dominated by complexity, Wordle represents a refreshing change. As discussed with its creator, Josh Wardle, the game deliberately eschews common features. There’s no dedicated mobile application, limiting play to one word per 24-hour period, and it remains free of advertising and registration requirements. Remarkably, gameplay isn’t even disrupted by intermittent internet connectivity.

The Origins of a Viral Sensation

Perhaps even more compelling than the game itself is the story of its creation.

Josh Wardle, a British-born New Yorker formerly with Reddit and currently a software engineer at the Brooklyn art collective Mschf, initially developed Wordle last year as a personal project for his partner, a dedicated word puzzle enthusiast.

Originally hosted on his long-standing personal website (powerlanguage.co.uk, a remnant of his time in England), Wardle initially shared the game with family. He then extended invitations to a select group of friends. However, the conditions were ripe for rapid dissemination, and virality soon ensued.

Within weeks, the game’s player base swelled from under 1,000 to over 2 million.

“The game that everyone is playing today is precisely what I initially built,” Wardle explained in an interview with TechCrunch. “My intention was certainly not for it to become this popular.”

Navigating Unexpected Growth and Opportunities

This rapid expansion has taken Wardle by surprise. While employed at Mschf – known for attention-grabbing projects like Lil Nas X’s “blood shoes” – he admits to occasionally losing himself on Twitter, observing the public’s reaction to his creation.

However, Wardle doesn’t identify as an entrepreneur, and this is shaping the future of Wordle. He approaches the situation organically, leading to unforeseen outcomes.

Reports have surfaced, and have now been confirmed, that investors have approached Wardle with proposals to expand Wordle’s reach. (It’s worth noting that Wardle’s employer, Mschf, receives funding from venture capital firms like Founders Fund, potentially offering a model for future development – or not.) Wardle, however, isn’t focused on monetization.

“I don’t envision Wordle becoming my full-time occupation, nor do I desire to invest heavily in its development,” Wardle told TechCrunch. “I’m content with its current state. Should funding materialize, I’d prefer it to resemble a patronage arrangement for an artist.”

While Wardle contemplates his options, others are taking action. Numerous developers have begun creating clones of Wordle, capitalizing on its web-based accessibility to generate revenue. Apple is now proactively removing these clone applications, independent of any direct requests from Wardle.

Addressing Claims and Focusing on the Core Experience

Ironically, Wardle is also facing accusations of intellectual property theft. The host of the U.K. game show Lingo has publicly asserted that Wordle bears striking similarities to his program.

However, considering the impetus behind Wordle’s creation and its minimal evolution since then, these controversies seem to miss the point.

“I experience the same sense of satisfaction when solving a Wordle, despite being its creator,” Wardle shared with us. “It’s about the process, particularly on challenging days when I’m genuinely stumped and must carefully consider my options.” (The solution during our conversation was “query,” a fitting choice.) “The difficulty level is calibrated to provide a rewarding sense of accomplishment.”

We spoke with Josh Wardle to delve deeper into his design philosophy and future plans.

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[This interview has been condensed for clarity]

The Intentionality Behind Simplicity

TC: A key aspect of Wordle’s appeal is its limited playability – once a day. This contrasts with previous viral games like Flappy Bird, which became so addictive that its developer ultimately removed it. How deliberate was this design choice, aiming for a game that occupies only a small portion of your day?

JW: My partner and I frequently enjoy word games from The New York Times, which follow a similar one-a-day model. An interesting point to consider is that Wordle could still be a daily game even if each player received a different, randomly selected word. However, it’s the shared experience of solving a single puzzle that has driven its success. Regarding games like Flappy Bird, I’m naturally skeptical of apps and games that demand constant attention – I’ve worked in Silicon Valley and understand the underlying motivations. With Wordle, I intentionally deviated from the practices typically employed to maximize growth, and surprisingly, this approach has contributed to its popularity. A significant element is undoubtedly luck and being in the right place at the right time. I believe people appreciate experiences that don’t overtly seek anything from them.

I initially shared the game with my family in the U.K. over the summer, and they enjoyed it so much that it disrupted our family chat. We eventually created a dedicated Wordle channel. At that time, the emoji grids didn’t exist, so players simply announced their scores. I introduced it to a few friends in the U.S., and Andy Baio featured it on his blog. Then, a newsletter author from The New York Times included it as a footnote around Thanksgiving, which unexpectedly led to its popularity in New Zealand, followed by Australia. A journalist in Australia wrote about it, and the next day, I logged in to find that 80,000 people had played. An early adopter in New Zealand pioneered the emoji grid concept, manually typing them to share results on Twitter, prompting me to integrate it into the app. This feature has had a substantial impact.

Scaling and Infrastructure

You’re now witnessing millions of players accessing the game through your Power Language site. How have you managed the resulting traffic?

The architecture is remarkably simple. It’s essentially a website and some JavaScript code that downloads once and then operates independently, even offline. There’s no backend infrastructure. This simplicity does have drawbacks, such as the visibility of the word list in the source code. However, scaling a backend system with server-side processing for each guess would have been a significant challenge. Because I initially built it for my partner and myself, I prioritized simplicity.

I’ve observed people examining the source code on Twitter, noting the presence of the word list and playfully comparing it to looking at the answers upside down in a newspaper puzzle. It’s a matter of who you’re cheating if you take that approach. You could even open an incognito browser to play again today if you desire. The stakes are relatively low.

The site was initially hosted by an independent company. For a period, I worried about exceeding my bandwidth limit, waking up each morning hoping fewer people had played. Towards the end of December, I still had 100 gigabytes of bandwidth available. My former Reddit colleague, Kevin O’Connor, now VP of Engineering at Kickstarter, helped me implement Cloudflare, and more recently, we migrated the hosting to Amazon S3, which offers indefinite scalability as long as I’m willing to cover the costs.

Responding to Interest and Maintaining Integrity

Numerous venture capitalists are playing Wordle and sharing their results on Twitter. Have any VCs contacted you? What are your thoughts on their potential vision for Wordle as a business venture?

I’ve received a few inquiries in the characteristic, diplomatic tone of VCs. I haven’t engaged in any substantive conversations yet. I’m unfamiliar with this situation and unsure how such a discussion would unfold, given that I’m offering the game for free. I enjoy giving it away for free – that’s a core principle.

Are you open to exploring potential opportunities?

I believe it would be imprudent not to consider them. It presents a unique opportunity. I don’t necessarily aspire for Wordle to become my full-time job, nor do I want to invest heavily in its development. I’m content with its current state. However, given my background in technology, I anticipate continuing to work in the field, and it seems sensible to at least engage in discussions.

I’m fortunate to be in a position where the server costs are manageable. It’s not that I believe everyone should offer their creations for free online, but because that’s how I started, it allows me to continue in that vein. I created something that felt authentic, and now, when people ask about monetization or other changes, it’s easy for me to say no. I was happy with it when it was just my partner and me playing together. It’s easy to be swayed by external pressures, but I try to remember that I was happy then, and I believe I’ll be happy if that’s where it ends. If, ultimately, it returns to being just my partner and me playing, I’ll be perfectly content.

The Creative Spark and Community Engagement

You previously created “The Button” and “Place” while at Reddit. What motivates you to develop these types of projects?

My background is in art, and I’m driven by a desire to create interesting things. The business side of things holds little appeal for me, and I doubt anyone would pay for the unconventional ideas I pursue. If funding were to occur, I’d envision it as a patronage arrangement for an artist.

The internet is brimming with memes and artwork inspired by Wordle. Do you have any favorites?

I particularly appreciate the creative interpretations of the emoji grids. I’ve started following an account that creates green and yellow Microsoft Paint-style images. I saw someone who cross-stitches her Wordle results, which is quite impressive. It’s those expressions of enjoyment and creativity that are truly rewarding. I enjoy creating things myself, so seeing people respond to my work in that way is incredibly fulfilling.

The Role of Twitter and the Shared Experience

It seems that Twitter plays a significant role in the Wordle conversation. Why do you think that is?

It’s important to note that the majority of players don’t actually share their results on Twitter. Wordle Stats, an account that analyzes Twitter data, estimates that around 30% of players post their grids, while approximately 2 million people play the game.

Many players share Wordle results in WhatsApp groups, like my family’s. For some, Twitter serves as that family WhatsApp group. However, the vast majority of players engage with the game outside of Twitter. They play with friends and family. It can be challenging for families to connect due to COVID, and finding conversation topics can be difficult. Wordle provides a low-effort way to check in, and sharing results can be a comforting way to show you’re thinking of others. It’s a shared experience.

The Story Behind “Power Language”

Why is your website called “powerlanguage”?

It’s a username I’ve used online for a long time, stemming from a mishearing. Someone was reprimanding my friends and me in my youth, scolding us for using profanity. I thought he said “power language.” In retrospect, he was saying “foul language,” but I was captivated by the idea of swearing being called “power language” and simply embraced it when I was 16.

Addressing Clones and Intellectual Property

What are your thoughts on the numerous Wordle clones? Would you ever consider developing an app?

One response is that I lack the skills and would need to invest time in learning how to do it, which I could, but it would be a time commitment. Again, if my goal was to build a game for my partner… we can use a website every day. It’s not a problem. If my goal was to monetize Wordle, I can see why it would make sense, but then I would have to grapple with issues like push notifications. Would I really want to send you a notification? Is that the best approach? Why not just forget about Wordle for a while?

I did have a positive experience with someone who created a Wordle app on the App Store years ago, which suddenly gained traction. He discovered The New York Times article and contacted me on Twitter, expressing his appreciation for my approach and offering to donate the app’s earnings to a literacy charity, which I thought was wonderful.

Regarding the clones, there are subtle elements that contribute to Wordle’s functionality. I invested considerable effort in curating the solution list, ensuring that it doesn’t include obscure or unfamiliar words. A poor experience arises when the solution is a word that most players have never encountered.

A Final Word on Solutions

The Ringer reported that “FARTS” will never be a Wordle solution. Is there a reason for that?

There is a reason, but I believe part of the joy of discovering and playing Wordle lies in the process of uncovering its nuances. I prefer to allow players to discover it themselves. It’s an exercise for the reader. (Note: We believe we’ve figured it out.)