Wordle has a flipped a switch for me. I’m enjoying short, free, non-invasive puzzlers.
Neumorphic Knot is a fun, easy-to-play challenge. Solve a level, move on to the next one.
The only nit I have is the game mechanic itself. Once you figure it out (click on a puzzle piece, then click on an adjacent piece to swap them — The shaded piece is fixed in place, unswappable) it’s smooth sailing.
Have other similar games you love? Send ’em at me, please and thank you.
Follow the headline link, click on dailydordle or freedordle. Both will display a Wordle-like word guessing setup, with two words being guessed in parallel.
Once you get one of the words (all green), that word will lock and you’ll be left working on the other word.
Nice twist.
The New York Times:
> The sudden hit Wordle, in which once a day players get six chances to guess a five-letter word, has been acquired by The New York Times Company.
And:
> Wordle was acquired from its creator, Josh Wardle, a software engineer in Brooklyn, for a price “in the low seven figures,” The Times said. The company said the game would initially remain free to new and existing players.
Hard to believe Wordle was just released this past October, less than four months ago. Love this for Josh Wardle, riding a wave of publicity started by a profile in the New York Times and continued by the tech press highlighting the attack of the clones.
Some takes on this purchase call it a bad buy, think of Wordle as a fad that will quickly fade from the zeitgeist. But that’s the wrong way to think about it. The New York Times makes bank on crossword puzzles, acrostics, and other puzzles, that draw people to pay for a subscription to the Times, which gives them access to the articles and features, but also give them access to the games.
Wordle will be free initially, moving the link from Josh Wardle’s site to one nestled inside the Times paywall. As that pattern of play gets established, as that link becomes the place to go for Wordle, I expect ads to appear, offering discount subscriptions. Eventually, I’d expect that free-to-play to drop to once per week, with access to the archives (in effect, endless play) for paid subscribers only.
UPDATE: As Kirk McElhearn points out, not all games offer archives and part of the charm of Wordle is that you are limited to one play per day.
Wall Street Journal:
> Microsoft Corp. agreed to buy Activision Blizzard Inc. in an all-cash deal valued at $68.7 billion, using its largest acquisition by far to grab a videogame heavyweight that has been roiled by claims of workplace misconduct.
And:
> The deal, if completed, would sharply expand Microsoft’s already sizable videogame operation, adding a stable of popular game franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush to Microsoft’s Xbox console business and its own games like Minecraft and Doom. Microsoft said the transaction would make it the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Japan’s Sony Group Corp.
And:
> Shares in Activision had been down nearly 30% since California regulators filed a lawsuit against the company in July alleging sexual harassment and gender pay disparity among the company’s roughly 10,000 employees.
And:
> Microsoft said in its announcement that Bobby Kotick would remain as Activision’s CEO following the deal, and report to Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer.
From Microsoft’s press release:
> Mobile is the largest segment in gaming, with nearly 95% of all players globally enjoying games on mobile. Through great teams and great technology, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will empower players to enjoy the most-immersive franchises, like “Halo” and “Warcraft,” virtually anywhere they want. And with games like “Candy Crush,” Activision Blizzard´s mobile business represents a significant presence and opportunity for Microsoft in this fast-growing segment.
Huge move. Did the cultural problems drive the price down so much that Microsoft felt the headache worth the long term gains?
Apple:
> Apple today revealed the 2021 App Store Award winners, recognizing the 15 best apps and games that helped users tap into personal passions, discover creative outlets, connect with new people and experiences, and simply have fun.
And:
> Ten years after its App Store debut, Toca Life World is masterfully iterating on the art of play and self-expression for kids. The developers behind DAZN guided local sport culture into the global spotlight for everyone to enjoy, while Carrot Weather brought its best-in-class meteorological forecasts — and the witty character behind it — to users’ wrists. LumaFusion made video editing faster, less intimidating, and more portable for creators at every level, and Craft creatively enabled efficiency and artistry through a notebook with seemingly limitless capabilities. The incredible graphics and rich storylines woven into “League of Legends: Wild Rift,” “MARVEL Future Revolution,” “Myst,” “Space Marshals 3,” and Apple Arcade’s “Fantasian” transported players of all ages into immersive gaming experiences.
Scroll through the linked article for the details and some pretty screen shots.
Also check out these links to App Store charts for Top Apps of 2021, Top Games of 2021, and Top Apple Arcade Games.