New Word Game

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Two of the most cultural word-based games in English speaking countries are Wordle and Crossword Puzzles. This guide will explain the differences between them both.

Wordle

The main objective of the game is to solve a 5-letter word. You get clues in the form of coloured letters to tell you if a letter is in the correct position (green), a letter that should be there but is in the wrong place (yellow), and letters that aren’t in the word (grey). Wordle has the same puzzle everyday for everyone in the world to solve. There are no linguistic clues to help solve the puzzle.

Crossword Puzzle

In a crossword puzzle you need to solve a grid of intersecting words. Each word has their own clue to help solve them. You need to use deduction to work out what the word is. Words in crosswords can range from 3 to 15+ letters in length.

Difficulty

Wordle is difficult due to the logic needed to solve it. You have no context clues as you’ll never know if the word is a noun, verb, adjective or anything else. You simply have to work out what letters are in the word.

Crosswords are difficult due to the vocabulary and knowledge needed. Clues can often refer to actors from the 1940s, a French cooking term, or a Latin law term. Those who have more general knowledge and specific vocabulary have an advantage over those who have less.

Uniqueness

Wordle is the same puzzle for everyone in the world on the same day. This is why the emoji sharing grid works as everyone is solving the same puzzle.

Crosswords are personal. The NYT Crossword, LA Times and Independant all have their own unique puzzles everyday. When people talk about crosswords they’ll have to mention which crossword they’re referring to and the date.

Time

Most people solve Wordle in 2-5 minutes. Monday’s NYT Crossword can take 5-15 minutes for experienced puzzlers. Fridays/Saturdays can take 30 minutes +. Crosswords require more focus whereas Wordle is a short daily puzzle.

Feedback

After each guess in Wordle you get instant feedback. It is very clear as you’ll only get green, yellow or grey. With crosswords in print there is no feedback. You just know if you’ve got the right answer or not. You’ll only realise you got something wrong if the crossing letters don’t fit. Some digital crossword apps let you check individual boxes but overall there’s no feedback.

Vocabulary

The Wordle word each day will always be a common word you’ll recognise. It will never be a proper noun or a very technical/archaic word (due to editorial guidelines). Crosswords often contain proper nouns, abbreviations, foreign words and archaic words. Crosswords reward you for having a wide vocabulary where as Wordle rewards you for your logic with common words.

Easy to Play

Wordle can be explained in 2 sentences. New players will understand how to play after 1 game. Crosswords have a higher learning curve. There are many different types of clues, anagrams, homophones, reversals and abbreviations (abbr.) to learn.

Which one is for you?

If you enjoy fast paced puzzles that involve logic then Wordle is perfect for you. If you enjoy longer puzzles that involve knowledge and having a wide vocabulary then crosswords are for you. Many word game lovers play both!