Can't Stop Playing Wordle? Science Might Be Able to Explain Why

As we get closer and closer to the answer with each new guess, we get a little bit more confident that we’re on the right track.

Our brains are probably computing the likelihood that the next guess is right. Then, when those five green letters are revealed at the end of the puzzle — even if you didn’t guess them correctly — it gives players a boost that psychologists call a sudden influx of fluency. In other words, that satisfying ‘aha!’ moment that feels so good, and that we’re hard-wired to chase.

Another of Wordle’s uniquely compelling aspects is that a new puzzle is only offered once a day. That helps keep the experience fresh and novel and allow players to really relish the experience.

Because you know that there’s only one [puzzle a day], maybe there’s some scarcity involved.

This may be the only fun little thing you’ll do today, so maybe people savour it.

Those grey, green and yellow boxes populating your social media feed aren’t just visual clutter — they’re a testament to the game’s built-in shareability. Since everyone is trying to guess the same answer, Wordle has quickly become a virtual water cooler, allowing players to share scores with colleagues, friends and family members with ease. In short, it creates a common in-group identity, which helps us forge stronger bonds with others.  

There’s another reason that sharing our Wordle grids with others — and seeing them shared back — feels so good.

It’s a striking example of what psychologists call the shared reality theory, or our need to align our own internal, subjective experiences with the experiences of others. 

We want verification that our experience is similar to the experience of those we care about.