7 Word Games Similar to Wordle

Wordle has taken the internet by storm. It’s a simple yet addictive game where you try to guess a five-letter word within six tries. 

A new word is available everyday and you can only play one round until it resets (at least, for the original version). But what if you’re done with today’s Wordle? 

Word Games Similar to Wordle

So you’ve caught the Wordle bug and are craving for more—or at least, a similar game. Here are a few alternatives to keep your mind buzzing with puzzles.

1. Rebus Puzzles

A rebus puzzle, also known as a picture riddle, combines illustrations and words to convey a phrase or message. It is your goal to figure out what this phrase or message is.

Take the picture above, for example. There’s an emphasis on the letters “R” and “U”. They’re also within the word “trouble.” 

So the answer is: You (U) are (R) in trouble.

There are a lot of these floating around on the internet, ranging from obvious to complex puzzles. When solving them, pay attention to the word and letter placements, sizing, color, and quantity.

2. Connections

Besides Wordle, Connections is a word-based game that The New York Times publishes on its website. 

Each day, you are presented with 16 words that you need to arrange into four groups of four. The words in each group are categorized in some way and increasing difficulties. 

The category is revealed if you successfully identify a group. Categories are colored yellow, green, blue, and purple with yellow being the easiest and purple the most difficult.

Identifying groups can be tricky. The game regularly employs palindromes, homophones, turns of phrases, and extremely specific categories to up the difficulty. You also only have a few chances to guess before it is game over and need to wait until the next round.

3. Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction originated as a game show where two teams competed to complete a “chain” of words. Each word is connected to the one above or below it, either as part of a phrase or through association.

The first and last words are revealed at the start of the game, as well as the first letters of the words above and below them. Your goal is to create the chain by guessing the words in between. Any wrong answer will reveal the next letter of the word you tried to guess. 

Take the picture above for example. Since you already have “G” and “P”, it’s reasonable to think that the missing words are garden and party. The completed chain would then be crushed ice, ice water, water garden, garden party, and party animal. 

4. IFYKYK

In IFYKYK (also the acronym for If You Know, You Know), you are given an acronym that you must guess in three tries. 

All correct letters will be colored green after each guess. Letters in yellow means they’re correct but in the wrong spot. Letters in grey are not included in the answer.

It’s quite challenging as some of the acronyms are either uncommon or have long words. And if you fail, you’ll have to wait until the next day to play again. 

5. Semantle

Semantle is similar to Wordle in that you need to guess a word. However, its mechanics are completely different.

You need to find a random word (that can be any part of speech) by making semantically related guesses. The closer your guess is to the secret word, the higher your similarity and proximity score. 

You have an unlimited number of guesses and keep on going until you guess the word. Hints are available to point you in the right direction. However, if you give up, you have no choice but to wait until the next day’s game.

6. Waffle

Waffle is another daily word game. You’re given a grid of jumbled letters that you need to rearrange so that each line of the grid is a correctly spelled word. Think of it like a crossword puzzle, except all the letters are already provided.

However, you only have 15 moves to solve the puzzle. All puzzles can be solved in a minimum of 10 moves. The letters in green are in their correct places. Yellow means the letter is in the word but in the wrong position. Those in gray aren’t part of the word. 

7. Wordle Spinoffs

If you’re up for a more difficult Wordle, there are many spinoffs available online. A few of these are:

• Dordle—Instead of guessing a word in six attempts, you need to guess two words in 7 attempts.
• Quordle—You need to guess four five-letter words in four boards with only 9 tries.
• Octordle—Like Wordle, but multiplied 8 times and you only have 13 chances.
• Sweardle—Wordle but with four-letter swear words instead.
• Absurdle—Wordle that actively tries to avoid giving you the right answer. Here is a more detailed explanation of how it does this.

Word-based Brainteasers

Word-based brainteasers are gaining attention in social media. You’ll see lots of creators who focus on puzzles like these, as well as word games that are played in person and with other people. 

If you’ve tried all of these and more, there’s no reason you can’t go back to the classics of word games. A quick search will get you to numerous Scrabble and Crossword puzzle websites.

What’s your favorite word game similar to Wordle? Share your experience below!

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

• Your Guide to Wordle: What It Is, How to Play, and Tips for Success
• 9 Scrabble Tips to Up Your Game (Plus 107 Two-Letter Scrabble Words)
• 6 Online Word Games for Kids to Build Reading Skills
• 17 Best Word Game Apps for Fun and Educational Play