In between meetings and need something to pass the time? Is the weather looking a tad questionable? Well, there’s some exciting news in the world of indoor entertainment—namely, board games.
In fact, Hasbro recently partnered with the New York Times to turn its famed word-guessing game, Wordle, into a board game: “Wordle: The Party Game.” After seeing such online success from the game, Hasbro knew it would fit in perfectly with the rest of its pop-culture portfolio, which includes its Monopoly editions based on acclaimed series like “Stranger Things” and renowned movies like “Jurassic Park.” While Wordle isn’t an Academy Award-winning motion picture, it gained immense attention and millions of players within just months of its October 2021 release.
Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle is the expert behind the beloved word game. Within months, it took off—and the New York Times purchased it in January 2022. This new acquisition to the Times’ brand boosted the number of digital subscriptions for the newspaper, and the action hasn’t slowed down yet. People across the country have turned to social media to share their wins and losses, cracking jokes at the Times for seemingly choosing words nobody has heard of—all while creating a collective activity for people to connect over.
Upon the agreement, Hasbro developed many versions of the new Wordle game before landing on the one that will be released this fall—October 1, to be exact, almost the exact anniversary of the game’s first release by Wardle. Pre-orders are now available, and upon release, it will be sold on Hasbro’s website, Target, Amazon, and Walmart at a suggested price of $19.99.
Now, the question many may have: Will the game still be played the same? The answer is yes, for the most part—just add in a little extra fun. While the online version is set up for solo playing, the board game will include alternative versions like fast, timed, teams, and classic, pitting you against opponents or limiting the amount of time you have to guess the word. It also comes equipped with dry erase boards and markers, protective partitions to prevent cheating, green/yellow tiles for hints, and even an official word list curated by the New York Times.
So, whether you have some time to kill in between corporate meetings or you’re looking for something your group can do together on a rainy day, board games are a timeless activity that anyone can get behind—and come this fall, you can put your group members’ vocabulary to the test with a new game already enjoyed by millions.
