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Games People Play SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MAY 2022 15 By Theresa Rossetti, Resident Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Operation, Connect 4, Monopoly, Trouble, Risk, War, Clue, Trivial Pursuit. There are probably very few of us who do not remember playing board games "back in the day" and probably plenty of us who still play them now with family and/ or friends. Perhaps you prefer crossword puzzles or Sudoku, but the idea remains the same – a challenge to your brain while having fun. Many of us have switched to video games or playing through apps on our preferred electronic gadgets. Farmland, Angry Birds, Candy Crush etc. have caught the attention of many people. Most, if not all, of these cost money at some point, even if they are "free" to start. But WORDLE absolutely seems to be eclipsing all of them. It's a one-try a day game where the player has six attempts to find the correct five letter word. The game has quickly become a phenomenon. It was invented by Josh Wardle, a Wales-born software engineer now living in Silicon Valley, because his partner loved to play word games. He put the game online, paying $100 a month for the website, in order to expand to a few relatives and friends. Word spread and on November 1, 2021 90 people played. By the end of December over 300,000 players played. According to Wardle he never really intended to make any money from the game, but (as many of us know) he sold the game to The New York Times in late January. Reportedly, he was paid in the "low seven figures" for the game. The Times has said it would "initially" keep the game free. Many of us hope that "initial" period will last a long, long time. Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it didn't take long for knockoffs to pop up everywhere online. If once a day is not enough for you, why not try: Dordle (two games at a time), Quordle (four at a time), Sedecordle (16!), Absurdle, Globle (countries), Lewdle (exactly what it sounds like), Sweardle (see Lewdle), Primel (prime numbers not words), Heardle (songs), Star Wordle (Star Wars terms), Taylordle (for Taylor Swift fans), and the list goes on and on. So, here's to Josh Wardle, who has given us a brain challenge, a way to connect with friends and bragging rights on Facebook in a maximum of 30 letters!

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