Wordlefans are continuing to find new ways to put a spin on the word puzzle game, creating new versions ofWordlewith unique twists. Now, a sibling duo have created their ownWordleclone namedBrandle, with a capitalistic take on the original design.
Wordlewas created by Josh Wardle and released in October last year. Since then, casual puzzle gamers have flocked to it in droves, enjoying the simple and addictive nature of the game: solve a 5-letter word each day. The game has been so successful,the New York Timesacquired it for a princely seven-figure sum, incorporating it into their online puzzle collection this year.
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Brandlewas created by Andreas Leopold, a computer science student behind Code A Software, who created the game with their sibling. In a post to the /r/wordle community on Reddit, a user by the name of HalcytheWolf shared details about the project. In contrast to the originalWordle,Brandleuses 6 letters instead of 5, and is based on brand names instead of English words. It also uses a randomly generated word for each playthrough, unlike thedaily word in Wordlethat everyone must solve (though, the developers haven’t ruled out changing this.)
Brandleis an interesting take onWordle, and it has potential, although the list of brands contained in the game is limited only to very famous and popular brands. Even then, a number of leading brands appear to be missing from the database. It was unable to identify Magnum, a popular brand of ice cream, orUNIQLO, which was ranked among the top 10 fashion brands in the world this year. Curiously, it was able to recognize some more awkward entries, such as the retired computer brand Compaq. Some brands are also region specific, which might cause confusion; the brand Dettol will be significant to players in the United Kingdom, but not so much in the United States. As it happens, Dettol is currently not recognized by the game.
The release of newWordleclones continues to be a popular trend, though new variants are becoming stranger in their approach. One recentclone namedSurvivlechallenges players to avoid solving the word, achieving the opposite goal ofWordle. Other theme-based clones that have been documented includeOWLelandWizarding Wordle, designed forOverwatchplayers andHarry Potterfans, respectively.Brandlehas potential too, given the way brands permeate people’s lives. However, the developers will need to build a more robust database of global brands to make it play well.
