The Westra Siblings grew up playing the game "Mastermind" ... where you try to guess a pattern of colors. Different pegs would indicate if a color was correct, and whether it was in the right or wrong place. Fast forward to 2021, when a developer by the name Wardle, released a word game with a similar idea. Wordle. It took off, and gained millions of addicts ... and some of those are within the Westra family.
Mom/Margie and Dad/Lamar REALLY like Wordle. The game releases ONE puzzle per day, at midnight. Dad says that often Mom plays the game shortly after midnight, while he's sleeping, and that he doesn't even get a chance! Dad says Mom "cheats" ... that if she gets down to the end (hasn't guessed within five) that she'll start it again on a different device, using what she's already learned, to get a few more tries in. Mom says it's not cheating, it's just taking advantage of the technology. Mom says that she knows Dad really likes the game, because "he'll even stop working or eating to come solve the puzzle. He'll even get up from a nap!" There are some variations out there, so Mom actually plays FOUR a day ... the main NewYorkTimes one, then Word Hurdle, which has options for four/five and six letter words (and Mom plays all three).
Mom and Dad have their set "starting words" ... route and snail* ... with those two, they hit all the vowels and a few of the main consonants. Derek's starting words are noisy/heart and Danielle's are great/spoil. Wordle will keep track of the letters you have tried, so you know which ones could still be in the final word. The goal is to solve the puzzle in the six tries, and it's more impressive if you can get it in less (see Derek's proud #3 in the picture above). Also keeping a "streak" of how many days in a row you've been able to solve the puzzle. Landon had come over for lunch and asked for a little help, as he was down to his final guess. Based on the letters in use and what was left, I suggested "boxer" ... unfortunately for him, the word that day was "foyer" ... he was sad to have to restart his streak.
* on Friday, January 12, 2024, Wordle #937 ... the starting word was SNAIL.
The New York Times purchased the rights to the game, so they are now the official publisher of the daily puzzle. Everyone gets the same word ... so don't give it away to someone who hasn't solved it yet! Derek said that with several in the family (the folks, he and Danielle, Alicia) playing the game, they have to be careful! In a family email sent out March 28 Derek wrote:
Wordle: Danielle and I play everyday. We got Mom and Dad hooked. Sometimes we try to talk about before the other person has played, and we have to remind them "We Don't Talk about Wordle." I started writing a little parody song to the tune of "We Don't Talk about Bruno." Probably won't ever complete it, but if it do, it will be funny. ;)
Anyone else in the family playing Wordle? What are your current streaks? What is your best score (the least amount of tries, it's taken you)? Cooper played it a few times, before getting sidetracked with a Pokemon variation, called "Squirtle" ...
These brain games ... good thinking exercises to keep your mind sharp!
What other game apps has anyone been addicted to?
Mom said she's still plays Word Scramble/Boggle ... she and Chris were very into that game. I couldn't keep up with Mom, but I got her playing with Pam (my MIL) and they played daily until Pam passed away, leaving a few games forever unfinished. I found the first mention of the game in an email Feb2012 (Jen in a letter to Mom) "Funny you mention playing Boggle ... there is a new game on the Ipods called "Scramble" and we are all loving it (it's like Boggle), even the boys (and Callahan keeps beating Gray and I, which surprises us!) ... it's so fun to see all the words that COULD have been created (being a computer application, it can show that after each game." Mom said she really got into the game April of 2012 as she was recovering from her surgery, and D&D loaned her an ipad so she wouldn't be bored during her rehab stay. Since then, Mom and Dad have invested in their own ipad (or two, or three). Mom said it's still her favorite, but that most people have stopped playing. She got Nelva to play with her ... and she plays with strangers. Dad never got into Scramble/Boggle like he has Wordle, but he'll often look over a shoulder and point out words he sees. He likes the challenge of finding longer words.
A Google search revealed that "Word Streak with Friends" was released in Jan2012. The name was changed to "Scramble with Friends" (the "Scrabble" game by the same company is "Words with Friends") and then in 2017, it officially licensed the name "Boggle" as that physical game has been around for years (and was a Westra favorite) and is what people think of when they see this type of game.
In 2019, Cooper set a goal to make it through all 4800 levels of WORDSCAPES (an anagram/crossword type game) ... and he did it. Back in 2017 at the Blackham home, the featured game was Fight List. Also in 2012 (when Scramble was first released), there was DrawSomething, a little like Pictionary, anyone remember playing that?
.JPG)
