The popular online word game “Wordle” has fans puzzled.
People are calling out the game for allegedly ripping off the TV game show “Lingo.”
Wordle, a daily puzzle where players have six chances to guess a five-letter word, is so popular the New York Times recently bought Wordle for a seven-figure sum from creator Josh Wardle.
But now its originality is being called into question. Users took to Twitter to show the similarities between “Lingo” and Wordle.
One user replied to the newspaper’s announcement on Twitter that they purchased the game: “Did @NYTimesWordplay just pay a cool Million for the GSN gameshow Lingo?”
Another added, “Is wordle just like Lingo? The Black squares means none of the letters are in the word The Yellow squares means this letter is in the word but the wrong place And the Green squares mean that the letters are in the right place in the word Is Worldle just recycled hipster LINGO?”
“Just saw the ‘creator’ of that word game Wordle sold it for 7 figures to The NY Times.. But its the exact same game as ‘Lingo’ TV game show. How’s that work? 🤔 Can someone simply rip off old game shows for app ideas? New app idea: wheel of fortune, but call it ‘prize wheel’ 🤷♂️,” one wondered.
“Lingo” was created by TV producer Ralph Andrews in 1987 and aired on the British network ITV. The series made its way to the States in 2002 on Game Show Network and was hosted by Chuck Woolery. It stayed on the air for five years and returned to the network in 2011.
Wardle announced on Jan. 31 the sale of his puzzle to the New York-based publication.
He has not responded to The Post’s request for comment.
“The game has gotten bigger than I imagined,” Wardle said on social media, adding that he was “thrilled” with the purchase. “I’d be lying if I said [running Wordle] hasn’t been a little overwhelming.”
He continued, “It has been incredible to watch a game bring so much joy to so many, and 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.”
Following the announcement, Jonathan Knight, the games general manager for the New York Times, said he is “honored to help bring Mr. Wardle’s cherished creation to more solvers in the months ahead.”
https://nypost.com/2022/02/04/fans-accuse-online-game-wordle-of-ripping-off-tv-show/
