Wordle’s success is based on learning from the past

I used to be amused to learn your editorial (2 February) concerning the web sport Wordle, created by Josh Wardle for his companion and subsequently offered to the New York Instances.

I used to play this sport on paper within the Nineties with my spouse on the time and have included a short dialogue of it in my guide Sociology as Technique. I describe the sport as a recontextualisation of a board sport referred to as Mastermind, which was performed with colored pegs somewhat than phrases. One participant positioned an association of pegs hidden at one finish of the board, and the opposite needed to attempt to deduce the association earlier than the board was stuffed with their incorrect makes an attempt.

Some readers might keep in mind this sport; there was additionally an internet model of it.
Prof Paul Dowling
Division of Tradition, Communication and Media, UCL Institute of Schooling

Re the protection of the acquisition of Wordle, the sport has been round since 1975, albeit in analogue type. My set of Phrase Mastermind in its battered field has gamers inserting letter tiles in 4, somewhat than 5, holes as they attempt to guess the phrase. Completely different colored pegs point out an accurate letter in the suitable or incorrect place. It permits as much as 10 tries a sport. You possibly can play without spending a dime as many instances a day as you want, too. However the primary benefit is that it needs to be performed from a static place, so there isn't a probability of colliding with somebody enjoying it on their telephone whereas strolling alongside.
Janet Fraser
Twickenham, London

The invention of the extraordinarily standard Wordle just isn't a brand new creation besides as an internet app-based model. My mates and I performed the identical sport on paper or in our heads and referred to as it 5-letter Phrase Mastermind. We'd play a number of phrases on the identical time and have as many guesses as wanted, with the winner having the fewest tries. I keep in mind it helped maintain us awake on lengthy night time shifts at Frenchay hospital 50 years in the past.
Rob Doran
Canon Pyon, Herefordshire

Round 55 years in the past we have been enjoying a really related sport in pairs towards one another throughout a craze in our workplace. It has solely been changed into an internet competitors.
Ian Elliott
Hathersage, Derbyshire

Have an opinion on something you’ve learn within the Guardian as we speak? Please electronic mail us your letter and it is going to be thought of for publication.