For centuries, we’ve been challenged by word puzzles. Whether it was your daily Jeopardy, crossword puzzles in the newspaper, Scrabble, or even gamepigeon’s Word Hunt. So many possibilities on the tip of your tongue, yet the one right answer is something you would never think of. Out of everything, nothing beats the daily Wordle challenge. With 5 letters and a limited amount of guesses, millions have been left in shambles trying to attempt their daily puzzle. And although it might not appear to be too difficult, many would argue that it’s a lot harder than it looks.

   Recently, the trending game has been purchased by the New York Times. In an attempt to highlight the importance of word games, the newspaper bought Wordle, still trying to attract younger players–and they’ve clearly been successful!

   Students on campus have even taken part in the challenge themselves. The senior spelling bee champion, Julian Villarta, even admitted that he and his friends have grown to play it every single day for the past month! “I found Wordle through an online friend of mine and from there it just became a daily part of my life. I’ve even gotten some friends, and a few teachers, to play it as well!” 

   Most people would like to say that they begin their tries with the most vowel-packed words they can think of, but Julian always sticks with whatever comes to mind first. “Even though it is nice being able to complete in as few turns as possible, I think you should have fun with it and that’s why I start with a different word everyday. I just use the words I have and try to come up with as many combinations in my head before typing it. And lately, the words have been getting even weirder, so sometimes I just guess a random word that I don’t even know exists and hope for the best!”

   For other students, it’s more of a one-on-one competition for who can figure out the word first, but with the least amount of tries. Sophomore Natalie Tsung mentioned that her friends are the driving force behind playing so often. “I try to play every single day to keep the  streak, and my friends remind me to when they send their results in our own group chat.” 

   Unlike Julian, Natalie feels the smartest method is to begin with the word that has the most amount of vowels possible. “After that, figuring out the syllables is the easiest way to connect it all together. Most times, I will admit, I don’t know the word or it sits in the back of my mind. So when I play it, I feel like I’m learning new things and possibly refreshing my own memory.”

   The next time you find yourself with not much to do, refresh your brain with a game of anagrams. Whether the word is AUDIO, STORM, CRAZY, or WRECK, you’ll never know until you try!