Absurdle
A Wordle clone that changes the solution to prolong gameplay.
Absurdle is a word game released in 2022, created by Sam Hughes (also known as qntm). It is a variation of Wordle where the player tries to guess a five-letter word, but the game alters the answer as the player plays. Hughes was inspired by his earlier project, Hatetris, and designed Absurdle to capture the same passive-aggressive feel.
In Absurdle, the player guesses five-letter words just like in Wordle. However, instead of choosing one secret word at the start, Absurdle acts as if it has a single answer while actually tracking every possible word that fits the player’s previous guesses. After each guess, the game selects the color feedback that removes the fewest possible words from the list, giving the player the least useful information and deliberately stretching out the game. Unlike Wordle, players can make as many guesses as they want.
Hughes said his idea for Absurdle came from Hatetris, a Tetris variant that always drops the worst possible piece. He wanted to take that kind of difficulty and apply it to Wordle.
Graham Smith of Rock Paper Shotgun called Absurdle his favorite Wordle clone, noting that its difficulty pushed players to be efficient. Critics also liked that the game allowed unlimited guessing.
- creator
- Sam Hughes (qntm)
- year_created
- 2022
- type
- Web-based puzzle word game
- platform
- Web
- known_for
- Wordle clone with adversarial solution selection
Lore & Background
In Absurdle, the player attempts to guess a five-letter word, similarly to Wordle. However, while Wordle picks a single secret word at the beginning of the game, Absurdle gives the impression of picking a single secret word, but actually considers the entire list of all possible secret words which conform to the player's existing guesses. On each guess, Absurdle picks the word coloring which prunes the possible word list the least, giving the player the least possible amount of information and attempting to intentionally prolong the game. Unlike Wordle, Absurdle has infinite guesses.
According to qntm, his inspiration to develop Absurdle came from Hatetris, one of his projects in which the game spawns the worst possible tetromino in a Tetris game. He wanted to take the difficulty of Hatetris and apply it to Wordle.
Ranking Absurdle as his favorite Wordle clone, Graham Smith of Rock Paper Shotgun felt the game's difficulty encouraged efficiency. Reviewers appreciated the ability to guess freely.
Reader's Guide
Absurdle is significant as a deliberate subversion of the popular word game Wordle, introducing an adversarial model that actively resists the player's progress. By selecting the least informative feedback for each guess, the game forces players to think strategically and efficiently, rather than relying on luck or simple deduction. Its creation by Sam Hughes (qntm) extends his pattern of designing games with passive-aggressive mechanics, following his earlier project Hatetris. The game's reception, particularly the praise from Rock Paper Shotgun's Graham Smith, highlights its appeal to players seeking a more challenging and intellectually demanding puzzle experience. Absurdle's legacy lies in its demonstration of how a simple rule change—making the solution dynamic rather than static—can transform a casual game into a rigorous exercise in logical deduction and optimization. It also serves as a notable example of an online algorithm that adapts to user input in real time, a concept referenced in its 'See also' section alongside 'Adversary model' and 'Online algorithm.'
Did You Know?
- Absurdle was created by Sam Hughes, commonly known as qntm, in 2022.
- The game considers the entire list of possible secret words that conform to the player's existing guesses.
- Absurdle was inspired by qntm's other project Hatetris, which spawns the worst possible tetromino in Tetris.
- Unlike Wordle, Absurdle gives the player infinite guesses.
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