‘Incredible’: from Wordle’s Welsh beginnings to the New York Times
He is the toast of New York, of London – and of a small village called Llanddewi Rhydderch.
Just four months after Josh Wardle invented the wonderfully simple and soothing puzzle Wordle, he is a megastar in the world of games and is a great deal wealthier after the New York Times acquired his creation for a seven-figure sum.
But back in his home village in south-east Wales, which has a church, a chapel, an ancient yew tree and not much else, Wardle’s family expressed quiet joy at their son’s success, and also, perhaps, a little bemusement.
“We’re very proud but it won’t change him at all,” said his father, Christopher, a farmer. “He’s not interested in the money side of things. He just likes creating. This all got so big so quickly.”
His mother, Tessa, said: “I think this [selling the game] was the best way for him to manage things.”
Wardle, who left the UK to pursue a career as a software engineer and is now based in Brooklyn, invented the game during Covid lockdown to entertain his partner, Palak Shah. Wardle shared it with family members and, realising that it may be worthy of a wider release, unleashed it on the world in October.
While he had an inkling he was on to something, Wardle has made it clear he could never have imagined it would become so big – especially as he had originally created it for an audience of just one person.
In his statement on the sale, Wardle said it had been incredible to watch the game bring so much joy to so many. “I feel so grateful for the personal stories some of you have shared with me, from Wordle uniting distant family members, to provoking friendly rivalries, to supporting medical recoveries,” he said.
“On the flip side, I’d be lying if I said this hasn’t been overwhelming. After all, I
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