Why do people who “don’t play games” play Wordle?
On games, psychology, and why we play
One of my least favorite conversations to have with a person goes something like this:
ME: I’m a game designer.
THEM (usually older, well dressed professional): Oh, I don’t play games.
ME: Sure you do, everyone plays.
THEM: Not me. I haven’t played a game since I was 6 years old.
ME: Not even Checkers? The Crossword? Sudoku? Candy Crush?
THEM: Nope! But my grandson/niece/neighbor with incurable mental illness plays them all the time.
First of all, these people must be lying. Second, the air of pride and superiority is infuriating.
A year or two ago though, something happened. The conversations started going more like this:
THEM: I don’t play games.
ME: Not even the New York Times games? Wordle?
THEM: Oh, I play Wordle every day but I don’t count that!
Interesting.
What Makes Wordle Different?
Personally, I love the NYT games, especially Wordle. So I speak with some experience when I say I know what makes it fun.
I’m also a game designer and engagement expert, and practice what some people call gamification, too.
After a few conversations like the one above, I started wondering what it was about Wordle that not only engaged millions of people daily, but gave it the power to pull in even the infamous “I don’t play games” crowd.
From a gamification standpoint, social sharing, streaks, and a one-time-only daily puzzle are all strong engagement mechanisms. They play on our need for social connection, sense of accomplishment, FOMO, and loss aversion. But many games do this. They help explain the wild success of the game, but not it’s unique appeal to non-gamers.
Core Drives
For instance, a new puzzle that changes every day would trigger Core Drive 7, Unpredictability and also Core Drive 8, Loss and Avoidance, both of which he terms “black hat” gamification.
But Wordle doesn’t succeed just because it drives us by our base instincts. It succeeds because it appeals to our higher calling, particularly what Chou identifies as Core Drive 1, Epic Meaning and Core Drive 2, Accomplishment, two of the key “white hat” gamification techniques.
These are key for pulling in non-gamers. I’ll explain how.
It’s on the New York Times, so it Must Be Serious
The NYT brand is one of the strongest in the world. It’s the “paper of record” for the entire planet and one of the best outlets for journalism left in a charred landscape of TikToks, memes, and Truths.
One of the reasons that non-gamers don’t play games is that they believe games are not serious. They are a waste of time. And they see themselves as serious people. Therefore, they cannot play.
But the NYT is a serious news outlet, so they wouldn’t publish something if it weren’t of some value. Therefore, Wordle must be OK.
Wordle Reflects the NYT Brand / Reader Self Image
Once you understand the psychology of non-gaming NYT subscribers, this makes even more sense.
Why does one subscribe to the Times? Yes, you are curious about the world and what happens in it. Yes, you want to be well-informed.
But deep down, most newspaper subscribers (myself included) have a certain image of themselves and what it means to be a NYT subscriber. Namely, a Times subscriber is:
- Well informed
- Intelectual
- Curious
- Worldly
- Literate
There are probably more associations, but those are enough for our purposes.
It’s no coincidence that the skills that make one good at Wordle (and the other NYT games such as the Crossword and Connections) are reflected in these values. A broad knowledge base, good vocabulary, and the curiosity to experiment will give you better results in the game.
Therefore, when I play Wordle, I am not just playing a game, I am practicing the values that make up the core of my very identity!
It’s easy, so we feel smart
Those qualities do make you better at Wordle. But the fact is, the game is very easy. Most people can win the game every time they play with just a little thought.
In other words:
Wordle has hit a sweet spot where it feels intellectually challenging but is actually simple.
The aesthetic outcome of this is when you play Wordle, you feel smart.
This is a great feeling for anyone. People love to feel smart and accomplished.
But in Wordle especially, and for the types of players we’re discussing especially, this amplifies the “worldly and literate” self image we talked about earlier.
This makes Wordle the ideal vehicle for triggering Core Drive 1.
Extremely Low “Cost”
Unlike a Crossword, which players can sink hours into, Wordle takes seconds to play.
Unlike Candy Crush which has limitless levels, Wordle can only be played once each day.
Unlike Checkers, Wordle is played alone with no need to seek out a partner.
Unlike almost any console or PC game, Wordle is free.
Playing it costs you virtually nothing. So for those who fear “wasting time, money, and effort” playing games, the down sides are negligible.
You don’t need to download an app, or even open one! You already have the app, because you have the New York Times, and you’re already looking at it because you just read the news.
Speaking of…
The news makes you feel bad. Games make you feel good.
If you couldn’t tell already, I don’t believe games are a waste of time. I think they’re great. I think they’re so great that I devoted my entire career to them.
One of the great things about games is they make us feel good. This is good for our mental health.
Many Americans report that the state of the world, recent events, changes in society and the planet… i.e. the news gives them anxiety and makes them feel depressed.
It should come as no surprise that after reading articles about drugs, suicide, shootings, wars, and melting ice caps people need a pick-me-up.
Enter: Wordle. In just a few seconds you can have fun, feel accomplished, and boost your own self-image. It’s something nice to look forward to in a world that can be bleak.
And its social sharing features give you a sense of connection with others in a world where friendships are become rarer.
Truth is, we don’t need to make excuses to play, and Wordle players don’t make excuses to play either; they just do it.
They do it because it is fun, because it feels good, and because human beings have an innate desire, maybe even a need, to play.
Sometimes adults lose sight of that, but Wordle gives them permission to regain a part of themselves they’ve grown alienated from. In the end, that’s enough.
Sam Liberty is a gamification expert, applied game designer, and consultant. His clients include The World Bank, Click Therapeutics, and DARPA. He teaches game design at Northeastern University. He is the former Lead Game Designer at Sidekick Health.
