Wordle: 5 Things You Need To Know About The New Hit Game

Attention fans of the old game show Motus! In the United States, a browser-based mini-game called Wordle uses the same principle and is a hit. This free game has just been released in French under the name Sutom. Here are 5 things to know about this novelty that is not really a novelty.

1- It is based on the principle of the TV game Motus

Since its launch last year in the United States, Wordle has become a real phenomenon on social networks!

And yet, its concept is nothing revolutionary, since this simple little game is based on the principle of the TV game show Motus, which was the highlight of France 2.

For those who might have forgotten the rules of the game, the player has 6 attempts to find a 5-letter word thanks to clues on the position of the letters.

2- The rules of the game are very simple

If you go to the official website of the game, its appearance should remind you something...

Wordle is indeed in the form of a grid of letters with a maximum of 6 attempts to find a 5 letter word.

At each attempt, the colored boxes tell you if the letter is well placed, misplaced or missing in the word to be found.

In short, the rules of the game are exactly the same as those of the TV game show Motus broadcast on French television from 1987 to 2019.

3- It is inspired by a much older game

But it wasn't our TV game Motus that inspired this online game. Motus and Wordle are both inspired by an older American game called Lingo.

Lingo was created in 1987 on the model of a world-famous board game: the Mastermind game where you have to identify a combination of colors.

In addition, Mastermind itself is said to be inspired by a game that is played with a pencil and paper called Bulls and cows.

As you can see, the concept of Wordle is not new, but it is timeless!

4- It federates millions of players in the United States

Wordle, which was launched last year by engineer Josh Wardle, has been very successful across the Atlantic. It peaked at 2 million players in early 2022.

Yet, paradoxically, the Lingo game had flopped when it was launched in 1987. It was its European adaptations in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and France that made the game known and appreciated.

In digital form, the browser game has features that make it even more addictive.

First, the online game offers only one grid per day and it's the same for everyone. In other words, players from all over the world are challenged to identify a single word per day.

If you fail, you'll have to wait until the next day to try your luck again with a new mystery word.

This also means you can't chain games. But you can share your results and compare them on social networks.

Thousands of players have taken to sharing their daily results on social media with the hashtag #Wordle and 6 rows of 5 colored rectangles indicating how many tries they solved the puzzle.

Wordle 202 4/6

????????
?????????????????
?????????????????
????????????????????

What a kick this discovery #wordle

— Tsuki (@Tsuukigan) January 7, 2022

5- It is now available in French

Since January 2022, Wordle is available in French version under the name Sutom, i.e. Motus in reverse (see link below).

It uses the principle of a daily grid and easily shareable results on social networks, but with an extra French touch.

Indeed, in the French version, the color code of the game takes up the one of the France 2 TV game show, with blue boxes and letters that turn red or yellow!

Nostalgic fans of the game show presented by Thierry Beccaro can therefore find at home the atmosphere of their old favorite program.

Another notable positive point is that this game is entirely free and without advertising. Its creator has indeed decided not to monetize it, but to offer it as a distraction to Internet users worldwide.

So, will you succumb to the Sutom phenomenon and share your result on social networks to taste the daily pleasure of showing off online?