10 Wordle Alternatives and Spin-off Games

Main points

• The hype for Wordle may have been brewing for a while, but there’s a world of alternatives waiting in the wings.
• Find Wordle derivatives such as Squabble, Lewdle, and Crosswordle.
• Each of these brings a unique twist to Wordle.

Remember when Wordle was all the rage on social media, popping up in every corner of your feed? Yes, those were the days. It seems like everyone is trying to guess the secret word, sharing their success (and sometimes failure) with colored blocks of green, yellow, and black (or gray). Then, like a plot twist in a blockbuster movie, New York Times Games stepped in and made Wordle even bigger. Suddenly, it’s not just a game; This is a cultural phenomenon.

While the Wordle craze may have died down a bit, the love for word games hasn’t gone away. If you’re still craving a daily word challenge or are just looking for a fun way to pass the time, you’re in luck. There is an entire Wordle alternative waiting for you to discover. From clever twists on classic formats to entirely new challenges, these games offer something for everyone. While you wait for the next big thing to take over social, you might just find your new favorite way to pass the time.

Best Wordle Alternatives and Derivatives

To be clear, the word games below are not outright plagiarisms or clones of Wordle. Of course, they are like Wordle, but each has its own characteristics. Like, imagine a version of Wordle where all the words to guess are NSFW. Guess what? That exists. Its name is Ludel. If you want to play that game and more like Wordle, here are our picks of the best Wordle alternative games – or spin-offs, if you prefer.

1 quarrel

This is Wordle with a battle royale game

This new take on the Wordle format is all about another huge gaming trend in recent years: battle royale.

Brawl pits you against other players. You need to enter your guess quickly, and you still only have six attempts to find the correct five-letter word. The player’s health will slowly deplete, and you’ll lose some due to wrong guesses. Get the correct letters to earn lives and damage other players. Once all your health points are gone or you’re done guessing, you’re out of the game.

There are two modes. Blitz is suitable for 2 to 5 players, while Squabble Royale rounds have 6 to 99 players. The game continues until one player remains. Another cool aspect is that you can create a lobby and invite friends to private matches. There’s also a replay mode so you can see everyone’s guesses in real time.

2 Ludel

Imagine Wordle, but with only curse words in it

This game looks just like Wordle and uses the same formatting and color blocks. But there’s one thing that sets it apart: Lewdle has a content advisory that warns you that you might be offended by the use of profanity, vulgarity, or obscenity. It also says “Go play Wordle!” if that’s you. With Lewdle, you’ll get a puzzle every day with words ranging from mildly to completely unsafe.

3 word puzzle

Wordle in crossword format

In this Wordle-like game, you have to guess two words that intersect like a crossword puzzle. It features black/grey, yellow, and green color blocks, with one puzzle per day. But you can guess as many times as you want—until you win or give up. You can also create your own crossword puzzles and share them with friends, something that other Wordle alternatives don’t offer.

4 Le Monde

Wordle, but guess where in the world

This Wordle spin-off is about geography. You can try six times to guess the displayed country or region. However, with clues, instead of seeing black/gray, yellow, and green blocks, you see distance, direction, and proximity percentage. So if you guessed Ukraine, Worldle might show you 55 kilometers and an arrow pointing northwest (34%). This means that the correct country or region is located 55 kilometers northwest of Ukraine, with a proximity rate of 34%. There is only one puzzle per day, and there are options to make the game more difficult.

5 word master

Wordle remastered, unlimited games

Okay, this is the closest Wordle clone on our list. This is a remastered version where you can still try six times to guess a five-letter word – but it offers unlimited gameplay so you don’t have to wait 24 hours.

6 HelloWordl

What if you could guess an 11-letter word?

Hello Wordl is another Wordle remake that lets you guess a word and uses the same color blocks. It even has unlimited games like Word Master. But what’s unique about Hello Wordl is that it also lets you change the number of letters in the word you’re guessing. From a 4-letter word to an 11-letter word. However, no matter how long the word is, you only have six chances to guess.

7 absurd

This is the adversarial version of Wordle

This Wordle spin-off is for true word game lovers. That’s because it’s actively trying to avoid giving you the answer. Instead of selecting a word for you to guess at the beginning of the game, it shrinks the list of words based on your guess. The final word might not even have the yellow letters you guessed earlier. But hey, you can guess as many times as you want.

Obviously, the best score you can get is four guesses.

8 Lord of the Rings

Wordle uses only words from LOTR text

Are you a Tolkien fan? This is a derivative work for you. You have six attempts to guess five-letter words from the Lord of the Rings text. A place like Rohan and a character like Frodo are even a safe bet.

9 main

Wordle, but contains prime numbers

In this Wordle-like game, you have six attempts to guess a five-digit prime number – using only prime numbers. Gray, yellow, and green color blocks are all here, and you can only get one puzzle piece per day.

10 Nadel

Wordle, containing math and other content

Think Primel, but for true math nerds. With Nerdle, you have six chances to guess the equation solution. After each guess, the number or symbol in the correct position is green, the number or symbol in the wrong position in the equation is purple, and the number or symbol not in the equation is black. After completing a puzzle, you must wait 8 hours before completing the next puzzle.

Tip: The “=” symbol always appears in the puzzle.

FAQ

Q: Are there any other games like Wordle worth trying?

There are honestly dozens. Here are a few more we like:

1. Quader: Take your Wordle game to the next level by solving four words simultaneously, perfect for those who like a good brain exercise.
2. figure eight: Are you ready for a real challenge? Try to guess eight words simultaneously in this intense Wordle spin-off game.
3. Dowdle: Dordle is all about juggling two words at the same time, doubling your puzzle fun and testing your multitasking skills.
4. sedkoder: For the ultimate word puzzle fanatic, Sedecordle lets you solve 16 words simultaneously. What a brainteaser!
5. look: Mix it with IYKYK, where you can guess acronym-based phrases. It’s a fresh twist on combining Wordle with pop culture.
6. hear: Test your musical knowledge by identifying songs with just a few seconds of audio in this unique version of Wordle.
7. name the ride: Car lovers will love this game where you identify vehicles from images, with each guess getting clearer.
8. Ludel: Guess famous people from pixelated images in this fun visual game, gradually improving in quality with each wrong guess.
9. framed: In this engaging game, movie lovers can show off their knowledge by guessing movies from a series of still images.
10. Katie Letter: Unscramble letters to form words and build an army of cats in this quirky and fun game.
11. spell tower: Block letters by forming words in this fast-paced, addictive puzzle game.
12. sverdel: For those who don’t mind a little edginess, Sweardle lets you guess four-letter curse words, a bold improvement on Wordle.
13. Whiddle: Enjoy retro NES-style Wordle gameplay in Wheeldle, a treat for nostalgia fans and word puzzle lovers.
14. word guesser: Customize your word puzzle experience by choosing word length and playing any number of rounds in this versatile game.
15. Quader: Celebrate LGBTQ+ culture with daily puzzles that highlight gay culture and entertainment in this inclusive Wordle variation.
16. Fodel:Phishing lovers, this one is for you. Delve into Phish-themed word puzzles and connect with your favorite bands in new ways.
17. tyler del: Taylor Swift fans can enjoy this themed Wordle game featuring puzzles related to her music and pop culture.
18. letter: Like a minimalist challenge? Guess a letter every day in this simple but engaging version of Wordle.

Q: What is Wordle?

Wordle is a popular online word puzzle game in which players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word, with each guess providing feedback in the form of colored tiles indicating when letters match or occupy the correct position. It was created by software engineer Josh Wardle and launched in October 2021. New York Times Games acquired Wordle in January 2022.