Wordle is So 2022

Wordle is so 2022.

I quit.

After playing over 300 games, guessing the word twice on the first try, and 18 times on the second; I decided that Wordle no longer gives me joy. In fact, I am mostly annoyed by it and thus I am done. Yesterday was the death knoll. I guessed HOUSE as my first guess and since the ‘O’ & ‘U’ were correct, I guessed BOUND. When that was wrong, I realized that I could easily go through MOUND, POUND, FOUND, and ROUND, and if all of these were wrong, I would have been out. The answer might have been WOUND. No skill. Just luck and that didn’t seem fun.

I am a word person and I jumped on the Wordle craze early, before the New York Times bought the game. I love words. I liked the challenge. I picked a different word to start each day, often reflecting what was happening or my mood. Was the day dark and gloomy and wet? Then RAINY was my word. Did I have lots to do but no inclination to get it done. Let’s try AVOID first. My son and husband joined in and we exchanged results. My husband, ever the Facebook poster, posted his online. I didn’t understand the need for being public about it. Then my son stopped playing and just my husband and I exchanged results. Our own daily Wordle challenge. We also played Daily Dordle (twice the words, seven tries) and Quordle (four times the words, nine tries) and CrossWordle (just as it sounds Wordle as a crossword, this requires a little bit of skill). If I was still playing Wordle, perhaps my word today would have been NERDY. Absolutely we are.

But I quit.

By the way, you should know. I’m not a quitter. I always finish a book I have started, even when I hate it. I work on The Spelling Bee until I get to Genius or reach out to my (smarter-than-I-am) son, who helps get us to Genius and often to Queen Bee. I still eat gluten and sugar and dairy, and of course drink wine.

These things bring me joy. Wordle no longer does. And so far, 24 hours in, I don’t miss it.

As I look forward to all that 2023 holds for me, new trends, new games, new experiences, I am excited. Who knows what is on the horizon. For now, I’m a little proud of myself for giving up something I no longer enjoy. Marie Kondo (so 2019, but who’s counting) would be pleased.