Addicted to 'Wordle'? You Might Want To Try These Word Puzzles
Although it launched back in November 2021, Wordle really gained steam around the cusp of the New Year and now attracts over 2 million users every single day.
It's not hard to see why, as the puzzle game is supremely addictive and gives you a chance to expand your vocabulary (and then show it off to everyone online). However, you can't get too invested in Wordle, as its developer has deliberately put certain measures in place to stop that from happening.
Unlike with most things on the internet, it doesn't allow you to binge or encourage you to while away the hours with your face glued to the screen. In fact, there's only one puzzle available each day and there's refreshingly no incentive whatsoever to remain constantly engaged.
With that being said, if you are finding that one Wordle puzzle a day isn't enough to satiate your thirst for knowledge, Newsweek has found a collection of similar language-based games that you could try.
We have purposefully avoided the Wordle clones that have started to pop up over the last few weeks, as those don't really bring anything new to the table and many of them are aggressively monetized. Instead, this list is comprised of games that offer something a little different.
Typochondria
Typochondria (comically subtitled: "A Gamee of Misspellings") has you step into the role of a beleaguered editor who has the misfortune of proofreading an especially careless writer's manuscript.
Racing against the clock, you must blitz through the entire draft (which is naturally riddled with errors) and flag as many typos as you can before the publication deadline. If you're the type of person who is unable to ignore grammatical mistakes on social media or out in the world, then this is your opportunity to put that anal retentiveness to good use.
Typochondria is available to download now on the App Store.
Spellspire
Spellspire is not your typical word game, as it actually involves an unexpected element of combat.
In the title, you control a heroic wizard who is desperately trying to fight his way to the top of an imposing tower. Throughout your ascent, you will encounter various dragons, goblins, knights and undead soldiers who all want to prevent you from reaching that goal.
To overcome these foes, you will have to cast destructive spells and whittle down their health bars. Yet instead of just pressing a simple attack button or choosing an action from an exhaustive move list, you will need to utilize your anagram solving skills.
That's because your magical abilities in Spellspire are powered by words that you must piece together using a limited number of letters (these refresh on each floor). The bigger your linguistic constructions, the more damage you will inflict upon your enemies.
It's a fun twist on the standard word game and gives you a clear story motivation for solving all these puzzles. If you're interested in giving it a whirl, Spellspire can be purchased now from Steam, the Xbox Marketplace, the Nintendo eShop, the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
Wordscapes
If you want something a bit more in line with Wordle, then Wordscapes offers a similar experience but one that has a much narrower scope.
When playing a game of Wordle, you have access to a full keyboard and need to try and work out a specific answer from over 12,000 possibilities. With Wordscapes, on the other hand, you are limited to just a handful of letters per puzzle and must try to make the most of them.
Specifically, you will need to fill out a crossword by rearranging the characters you've been given into various anagrams. It's worth noting that this game is monetized (largely through pop-up ads that you can skip and in-app purchases) so just keep an eye on your spending habits if you decide to give it a go.
Lexigo
Hosted by Merriam-Webster, Lexigo is accessible via web browser, and you don't have to pay a cent for its hints or to skip through any of its puzzles.
The basic idea is that you must spell out a given word but can only do so by chaining together letters that are adjacent on a grid. In that sense, it's a bit like a mix between a word search and a game of dominoes.
There will always be a dictionary definition to point you in the right direction, but it shouldn't be too challenging, given that you have unlimited clues. Rather than being a taxing conundrum, Lexigo is designed to be more like a quick brainteaser that you can blast through in just a few minutes.
Words with Friends
Before Wordle took the internet by storm, there was this competitive head-to-head game. If you are not familiar with Words with Friends, it's not too dissimilar from Scrabble.
Like in that popular board game, your goal here is to populate tiles with high-scoring words (using randomly assigned characters), while trying to sabotage your opponent's efforts. You do this by strategically placing your answers on the grid, so that your rival is forced to waste their own precious letters in what limited space you have left for them.
The main appeal of Words with Friends is that you can directly challenge other people (rather than just comparing results as you do with Wordle). There's even a skill-based matchmaking mode where you can play against strangers who are at your experience level.
Developed by Zynga, Words with Friends is available to download on smart phones right now. There is a classic edition, as well as a sequel.
