Wordle took the isolated world by storm when it came out in late 2021. The game is relatively simple and straightforward, yet highly addictive, which is why players come back to it day after day.
Since then, the game has inspired multiple Wordle variants. Players would turn to these after they’re done with Wordle’s word of the day just to satisfy the high left behind by the original game. The internet has a lot of them out there. Some are niche-based, others deviate from its word-puzzle genre altogether, and all of them are equally as engaging as the original in their own rights.
Bardle
Fans of old literature may become enticed by the uniqueness of Bardle, specifically those who are fans of the works of Shakespeare. Bardle is a Wordle variant that specifically uses words and characters from Shakespeare’s body of work, which is a lot.
Even though Bardle is, at its core, centered around the classic poet, the game is still highly similar to Wordle. This is mainly because many of the words Shakespeare used in his writings are still commonly used today. Like Wordle, Bardle also only lets you solve one word per day.
Chessle
This Wordle variant is definitely not for everyone. Who it’s for, however, are those who are skilled at chess. Chessle uses the Wordle formula but has you guess opening chess moves instead of words. The game has two modes. There’s a Normal mode which has you guess the first three moves for both white and black, and an Expert mode which has you guess the first five moves.
The problem with this Wordle variant is that it can be very difficult, or outright incomprehensible for non-chess players and incredibly easy for those who are skilled at it. The game provides a decent challenge for those who simply play chess casually.
Worldle
Worldle is a Wordle variant perfect for those who study a lot of geography. The game shows you an image of a country’s map. You’re then given six chances to guess that country correctly. After each guess, the game provides you with a distance detailing how far your guess is from the actual country and the direction of the actual country from the country you guessed.
Even non-geography buffs can get a kick out of this Wordle variant. Whipping out a world map may make this game easier, but it still remains substantially challenging. Plus, it can be very informative.
Mathler
Mathler is for mathematicians, aspirants, and those who hated math in school and want to hate it even more now. Regardless of your relationship with math, the game can be just as engaging as the original game it deviates from. Although it is considerably more difficult, especially for those who are not that great at mathematics.
The game follows the same rules as Wordle, but with numbers instead of words. You’re given a number and you have six guesses to find the calculation that equates to the given number. The game only uses the four basic operations, but that doesn’t mean it won’t rack your brains trying to find the hidden calculation.
Hello Wordl
Hello Wordl is a customizable Wordle. If Wordle’s five-letter puzzle isn’t enough for you, this variant allows you to guess words up to 11 letters long. On top of that, you can also adjust the difficulty from Normal to Ultra Hard, each altering the rules of the game.
This is perfect for those who believe they’ve mastered Wordle and want to try out a similar game that can give them a harder challenge. Linguists, English majors, writers, and the like will surely have their expertise and knowledge of the English language tested by this game.
Heardle
Musicians and music lovers will appreciate this Wordle variant more than the original. Heardle is a game that lets you guess a song by listening to its first few seconds. Each wrong guess will make the snippet longer, giving you more time to listen to the song.
The aim of the game is to guess the song correctly with as few tries as possible. The song becomes significantly easier to guess after a few mistakes, but your final score will also be lower.
Framed
Not only is there a Wordle variant for music lovers, but there’s also one for cinephiles as well. Framed is a game that lets you guess a movie by giving you screenshots. Just like Wordle, Framed gives you a total of six guesses. Each time you make a wrong guess, the game gives you another screenshot from that same movie until you get the guess right.
This Wordle variant is truly for lovers of cinema. This game doesn’t only feature popular blockbuster films, it includes indie and obscure movies as well. Whenever you’re done with the Framed of the day, you can head to the archives and try guessing previous entries as well.
Squirdle
If you used to get ecstatic, or still do, when you hear the line “Who’s that Pokémon?” while watching the old Pokémon TV series, you’ll absolutely love this Wordle variant. Squirdle is very simple. You type out your initial guess, then the game will begin giving you hints based on generation, type, height, and weight.
The game will tell you if the correct Pokémon is from an older or newer generation, whether its type is correct or not, and the same goes for height and weight. Given how many Pokémon there have been, this Wordle variant is quite a challenge, even for die-hard fans of the franchise.
Swordle
May the force be with you if you decide to play this game. Swordle is a Wordle variant that’s centered around the Star Wars universe. The words can be characters, worlds, or certain aspects from the world of Star Wars such as “Jedi” or “Force.”
If you’ve only seen the movies, you may have a hard time guessing the words Swordle presents. The game doesn’t only use characters and worlds from the main Star Wars movies, it uses the entire Star Wars media, including video games, books, and TV shows.
Lordle of the Rings
Lord of the Rings is set in a universe that has rich and extensive lore. That said, playing a Wordle variant is no easy feat. Lordle of the Rings is truly made for the biggest fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s high fantasy series.
Like Wordle, this variant uses five-letter words and gives you six tries. The words can either be names, places, or unique aspects from the Lord of the Rings universe, both from the movies and the books.
Crosswordle
Those who find Wordle way too easy will get their minds running from this next Wordle variant. Crosswordle is a union between two popular text-based games, the crossword puzzle and Wordle. This makes the game significantly more difficult than the original game as you don’t only have to guess two words instead of one, those words need to be intersecting as well.
What’s great is that the two words featured in each game are always related to one another, giving you leeway on your guesses. The words aren’t exclusively five-letter words either. One of them can be, but the other can be an eight-letter word. The same rules for hints and guess from Wordle apply to this one as well.
Sweardle
Sweardle is a Wordle variant for those who enjoy a little profanity every once in a while. This game strictly uses swear words. Unlike Wordle, Sweardle only uses four-letter words, but you’re only given four guesses.
The game can be highly entertaining and somewhat challenging. It’s surprising just how many swear words there are out there, some you may have not even heard of before. If you want a break from Wordle and want to flex your profane vocabulary, give this Wordle variant a try.
Semantle
Out of all the Wordle variants out there, Semantle has to be the most complicated. You start by guessing one word. The game will then tell you how semantically similar your guess is to the correct word on a scale of -100 to 99, with 100 being the correct word. This means it will rate your guess based on how similar your guess is to the correct word in meaning or in logic.
Unlike Wordle, the daily word isn’t restricted by a letter count. Your number of guesses isn’t limited either. You can make as many guesses as you like as long as you reach the correct word or until the word of the day is replaced.
Flagle
Flagle is another geography-based Wordle variant. At the start of the game, you’re presented with six blank blocks. These blocks, when turned, reveal a country’s flag. You’re supposed to guess which country the flag is from.
Whenever you make a guess, one block will reveal a portion of the flag. This means the game becomes significantly easier as you make more guesses.
Artle
Artle is a Wordle variant made for art enthusiasts and fans of famous and obscure artists throughout history. From paintings and photographs to sculptures and statues, the game presents a work of art and you have to guess the artist behind it. Whenever you make a wrong guess, you’re presented with another artwork from the same artist. You’re given four guesses.
This Wordle variant was made by the National Gallery of Art. The daily pieces presented in the game are part of the Gallery’s collection, which is estimated to be more than 130,000. Like Wordle, Artle resets on a daily basis.
