【】

Try Mashable's free version now
I lost Wordlefor the first time this week, and the New York Timesowns it. Coincidence? Absolutely, yes. Do I still want to blame the Times? Absolutely, yes.
If you're one of the millions of peoplewho have been playing Wordlefor any significant amount of time, you might also be one of the many players who thinks it's gotten way more difficult lately.
The original Wordle creator, Josh Wardle, made the game for his partner, and has had a planned list of words mapped out for months. The Timessaid the only change it made was removing a few words that were thought to be too obscure, thereby actually making Wordlea bit easier.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
"Since acquiring Wordle, The Times has not made the puzzle harder," communications director Jordan Cohen told Mashable, adding that it removed 'AGORA' last week"in an effort to make the puzzle more accessible."

"We will continue to review the solutions, and remove obscure or potentially insensitive words," Cohen said.
So, we know the Timesisn't at fault for the perceived difficulty bump — and that there really isn't any increased difficulty in the game at all. So why do we all think Wordleis getting so much harder, despite the precise knowledge that it is not? Maybe we've now been playing long enough that we're bound to start losing a few. Or perhaps we just want something to blame, like when toxic gamers notoriously cry "lag" to hide their poor performance.
Rachel Kowert, the research director for Take This, a non-profit that provides mental health resources to the gaming community, told Mashable that she also thought the game had gotten more difficult, even though she knows that isn't actually true. She says this could be because we, as humans, are more likely to want to blame someone else than blame ourselves.
"It's not that Iam unable to figure out this puzzle today, it's that theymade the puzzle too difficult to figure out," Kowert said.
SEE ALSO:All the tips and tricks you could need to succeed at 'Wordle'You can now play the entire archive of past 'Wordle' puzzles
Hooked on 'Wordle'? You're really going to hate 'Absurdle'
12 of the best 'Wordle' clones, because one word a day isn't enough
Another idea, Kowert said, is a cognitive bias called anchoring and adjustment — in which your decisions are influenced by a specific reference point. For instance, if you're shopping for an instrument and see a guitar that costs $30,000 next to one that's $3,000, you'll likely see the second guitar as cheap, even though, in reality, $3,000 is a lot of money.
In this scenario, you might have an opinion of the New York Timesthat it is a sophisticated paper with notoriously difficult puzzles to solve. So, when the Timesbought Wordle and began hosting the game on its site, and you had a difficult time solving one of the words, you might assume it's because of the Times'zeal for difficulty.
"So now Wordleis taking me six tries today instead of four, which could happen regardless of who owns it," Kowert said. "But I'm gonna say that's because of the New York Times."
Tweet may have been deleted
One Twitter user pointed outin a viral thread that the entire practice of believing it's more difficult is a study in confirmation bias, too. People already disliked the Timesor its games for one reason or another, and once they struggled with a puzzle or two, it became easy to blame the paper.
Kowert added that social contagion — the process of ideas spreading through a network — plays a huge role in this as well. Once enough people believe in something, it's easy to believe it along with them.
Tweet may have been deleted
Even when we're shown evidence that Wordleisn't getting more difficult, we don't want to believe it, because it doesn't feeltrue — and, sometimes, we follow our feelings much more than we follow factual evidence.
Which is why I'm taking advice for my new five-letter starting word for Wordle: facts or feels?
More on Wordle
'Taylordle' is 'Wordle' for Swifties
Just 9 wild pitches for the inevitable 'Wordle' movie
The NYT bought Wordle, but you can make it yours by simply downloading it
One Wordle a day not enough? Dordle gives you two at once.
You're not a true 'Wordle' connoisseur until you start with the scientifically proven worst word
'Wordle' memes are everywhere
'Lewdle' is the NSFW 'Wordle' clone your dirty mind deserves
Google gets in on 'Wordle' fun with a delightful Easter egg
'Primel' is a tricky new 'Wordle' spin-off that'll make your head hurt
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.
TopicsGamingWordle
相关文章
Xiaomi accused of copying again, this time by Jawbone
Imitation is not always the best form of flattery.。 SEE ALSO:Xiaomi's MacBook Air clone is called, w2025-04-23Major internet outage hits the U.S.
No, it's not just you. Large swaths of the United States experienced internet connection problems to2025-04-23iPhone X automatically blocks message notifications by default
As the iPhone X nears its official Nov. 3 delivery date, we're still somehow learning more about the2025-04-23- HTC is finally getting with the times. The company's last flagship, the HTC U11, was a great device,2025-04-23
Aly Raisman catches Simone Biles napping on a plane like a champion
Simone Biles is exhausted. She won five medals at the Summer Olympics in Rio, posed for selfies with2025-04-23Unqualified podcast: Anna Faris shares her experience with sexual harassment
Actress Anna Faris revealed on her Unqualifiedpodcast that like so many other women, she too has exp2025-04-23
最新评论