“I haven’t played since the day I sold it,” said Josh Wardle, reflecting on his experience with Wordle, the popular word game he created in 2020 to entertain himself and his girlfriend during the pandemic.
Wardle sold Wordle to The New York Times in February 2022 for a low seven-figure sum. Since then, he has not engaged with the game that brought him widespread acclaim.
After selling Wordle, Wardle developed a new game called Parseword. This game allows players to solve one cryptic crossword clue each day, with the difficulty increasing as the week progresses.
Wardle originally named the game “Mr Bugs’ Wordy Nugz” before settling on the current title. His aim with Parseword is to assist those who have struggled to break into the world of cryptic crosswords.
“I remember looking at clues and feeling utterly flummoxed. Like it was completely impenetrable,” he shared, emphasizing his desire to make cryptic crosswords more accessible.
Wardle, now 43, has expressed his love for language, stating, “I love language, this tool we all have access to, we use every day.” This passion drives him to create games that he himself would enjoy playing.
In Parseword, players are tasked with deciphering a single clue daily, a format that contrasts with the six attempts required to guess a five-letter word in Wordle. In Wordle, tiles turn green if the letter is in the correct position, yellow if it appears in the word but not in the right place, and grey if it’s not included at all.
As Parseword gains traction, players are eager to see how it evolves and what new challenges it will present in the coming weeks.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding future updates or expansions to the game, but Wardle’s innovative approach continues to attract attention in the gaming community.
