Wordle is the computer-based game that has seemingly taken the world by storm, and if you’re part of the craze, you may have wondered about other word games like Wordle.
The game has a simple premise – players have 6 attempts to guess the hidden 5 letter word, with each incorrect guess aiding the player with what letters they already have.
Created by Josh Wardle, the game unexpectedly took off, which promoted the New York Times to acquire the rights for a fee in the low seven figures.
Wordle takes inspiration from some existing word games that we think you’ll love, but it has also inspired a new wave of word games you should know about.
To learn about these games, both past, and present, continue reading to learn everything you’ll need to know to start playing.
17 Word games like Wordle
DORDLE
Players: 1 player.
Playing Time: 5 – 10 minutes.
Age: Ages 12+.
Game Type: Daily word game.
Game Overview:
Dordle follows the exact same concept as Wordle, except rather than guess 1 5 letter word, you’re required to guess 2 at the same time. Pick letters that can be used in each word; you have 7 attempts per word to win.
RELATED: Dordle rules
RELATED VIDEO: How to play Dordle
QUORDLE
Players: 1 player.
Playing Time: 5 – 10 minutes.
Age: Ages 14+.
Game Type: Daily word game.
Game Overview:
If only guessing 1 or 2 words at a time has become too easy, then Quordle takes it to the next level by forcing players to play 4 words at once. Each letter you pick will get used for each of the 4 words; you have 9 attempts to correctly guess all 4 words to win.
RELATED: How to play Quordle
RELATED VIDEO: Learn how to play Quordle
WAFFLE
Players: 1 player.
Playing Time: 5 – 10 minutes.
Age: Ages 12+.
Game Type: Daily word game.
Game Overview:
For a daily word game like Wordle but has a different flavor, Waffle gives you the letters but requires the player to unjumble them instead. Rather than having to spell the word, you’ll need to have the word in your vocabulary already to succeed in this game. Players can only swap letters 15 times in total to win as well.
RELATED: How to play Waffle
CROSSWORDLE
Players: 1 player.
Playing Time: 5 – 10 minutes.
Age: Ages 14+.
Game Type: Daily word game.
Game Overview:
Crosswordle is Wordle except in reverse. The answer is already at the bottom, and players need to work backward to determine which route to the final word was taken. Players have unlimited attempts but are timed, with the best players solving the puzzle the quickest.
SCRABBLE
Players: 2 – 4 players.
Playing Time: 30 – 60 minutes.
Age: Ages 8+.
Game Type: Board games, Tile games.
Publisher(s): Hasbro.
Game Overview:
The Grandaddy of word games, Scrabble, is the game where each letter has a value, with the more obscure letters having a higher score attached to them. Combine letters that both you own and are on the board already to create words that score highly. The player with the highest combined score at the end of the game wins.
RELATED: Scrabble rules.
RELATED VIDEO: How to play Scrabble
UPWORDS
Players: 2 – 4 players.
Playing Time: 45 – 90 minutes.
Age: Ages 10+.
Game Type: Tile games.
Publisher(s): Spin Master.
Game Overview:
The goal of Upwords is to build words which in turn allows players to score more points. Each player starts with 7 tiles and uses these to create words. Players add tiles throughout the game and can place their tiles on top of other players’ pre-existing words to expand them and steal their words and points. Most points at the end of the game win.
RELATED: Upwords rules.
RELATED VIDEO: Learn how to play Upwords.
JABUKA
Players: 2 – 8 players.
Playing Time: 30 – 60 minutes.
Age: 8+.
Game Type: Tile games
Publisher(s): Self-published.
Game Overview:
Jabuka is the game where each bean has a letter on it, but the letter is designed so that it can be used as different letters depending on what is needed. For example, a ‘d’ can also be a ‘p’ when turned upside down. Players need to make as many words as possible with the available letters, with the player with the most words winning the round.
BLANK SLATE
Players: 3 – 8 players.
Playing Time: 20 – 35 minutes.
Age: Ages 8+.
Game Type: Group games.
Publisher(s): USAOPOLY.
Game Overview:
Blank Slate is a word game in which players are required to fill in the blanks in a spoken statement. A nominated player reads out the statement missing a word, and all players must write on their chalkboard what they think the most common word would be. Everyone reveals their answers, and whoever matches gets a point each. The most points win.
RELATED: Blank Slate rules
RELATED VIDEO: Blank Slate Game – How to Play.
WORD ON THE STREET
Players: 2 – 8 players.
Playing Time: 30 – 60 minutes.
Age: Ages 12+.
Game Type: Board games.
Publisher(s): Out of the Box.
Game Overview:
Played in teams of 2, Word on the Street requires players to brainstorm a word from a category that’s drawn from a card while the other team attempts to distract them.
Once they decide upon a word, they must pull each letter of the word closer to their side of the street. They do this before time runs out before the turns switch. The team with all the letters on their side of the street wins the game.
RELATED VIDEO: How to Play Word on the Street.
WORDICAL
Players: 2 – 8 players.
Playing Time: 20 – 40 minutes.
Age: Ages 8+.
Game Type: Card game.
Publisher(s): Educational Insights.
Game Overview:
In Wordical, the consonants are displayed on cards, and the vowels are on the dice. Each player gets 6 cards, and a player rolls the vowel dice. Players must combine the consonants and vowels to make the best scoring word possible to win the round. Whoever wins the most rounds wins overall.
BANANAGRAMS
Players: 2 – 10 players.
Playing Time: 30 – 60 minutes.
Age: Ages 7+.
Game Type: Tile games.
Publisher(s): Self-published.
Game Overview:
Bananagrams is a word game where players need to get rid of all their tiles by combining them together to form words and then shouting ‘BANANAS.’ Players make a crossword pattern with their words and need to draw a new tile if they cannot form a word with their remaining tiles. If they cannot form any words, they can dump a tile in return for picking up 3.
RELATED: Bananagrams rules.
RELATED VIDEO: How to play Bananagrams.
WORDSPIEL
Players: 1 – 6 players.
Playing Time: 10 – 30 minutes.
Age: 8+ years.
Game Type: Card game.
Publisher(s): SET.
Game Overview:
The goal of WordSpiel is to be the first player to get rid of all 10 of your cards. Deal the cards out, so each player get 10 each; the rest are placed as a draw pile.
Players need to make words with their cards but must use the last letter of the previous word to start their word. Overturn the top card from the draw pile to begin the game. If a player cannot make a word, they must skip their turn and draw a card from the draw pile.
PAPERBACK
Players: 2 – 8 players.
Playing Time: 40 – 90 minutes.
Age: Ages 8+.
Game Type: Card game.
Publisher(s): Flowers Games.
Game Overview:
A word game that is also a deck-building game, Paperback requires players to slowly build up their decks by gathering letters and wildcards to make the best word possible. The best words earn the victory points, and the most victory points at the end win the game.
RELATED VIDEO: Paperback Rules Overview.
DABBLE
Players: 2 – 4 players.
Playing Time: 20 – 30 minutes.
Age: Ages 8+.
Game Type: Tile games
Publisher(s): Self-published.
Game Overview:
Dabble starts with players picking 20 random tiles to get the letters they’ll use for the round. Players need to use their letters to come up with a 2-letter, 3-letter, 4-letter, 5-letter, and 6-letter word.
The first player to complete shouts ‘Dabble’, and all letters of accepted words get calculated with the score on the bottom of the tile. The first player to 500 points wins.
QUIDDLER
Players: 1 – 8 players.
Playing Time: 35 minutes+.
Age: Ages 8+.
Game Type: Card games.
Publisher(s): SET.
Game Overview:
Shuffle the Quiddler deck and deal out 3 cards per player to start with – each ensuing round, the number of cards dealt increases by 1 until the final round with 10 cards. Each round players need to use their cards to make the most or the longest word possible. The highest combined score after the final round wins the game.
RELATED: Quiddler rules
BOGGLE
Players: 2+ players.
Playing Time: 20 – 60 minutes.
Age: Ages 8+.
Game Type: Board games
Publisher(s): Hasbro.
Game Overview:
A word game that is all about quantity of words rather than quality, Boggle requires players to shake 16 cubes with assorted letters and overturn them to get 16 random letters to use. Players then need to create the most words using the 16 letters. This continues across multiple rounds, with the player who has the most words winning the game.
RELATED: Boggle rules
RELATED VIDEO: How to play Boggle.
CRAZY LETTERS
Players: 2+ players.
Playing Time: 30+ minutes.
Age: Ages 10+.
Game Type: Card games.
Publisher(s): Mindware.
Game Overview:
A player starts by drawing a card; the goal of Crazy Letters is to decipher the coded phrase by rearranging the letters displayed on the card. A ‘q’ might actually be a ‘b’ that needs switching round to complete the phrase, for example. The first person to shout it out wins the round, and whoever wins the most rounds wins the game.
