Wordle Almost Had a Terrible Name

The New York Times probably wouldn't have spent millions buying Mr. Bugs' Wordy Nugz.

By Marc Deschamps

When it launched back in 2021, Wordle quickly became a worldwide sensation, captivating everyone from James Gunn to Vice President Kamala Harris. Every single thing about Wordle seemed perfectly designed to draw in players, from its social media compatibility, to the fact that you didn't need to download an app to play it. The name might have also had something to do with the game's success, which is a clever spin on the last name of creator Josh Wardle. However, at Figma's Config conference, Wardle discussed the success of Wordle, and he also revealed the name he was initially considering when he first came up with the idea. 

"This is true: I was going to call Wordle, Mr. Bugs' Wordy Nugz," said Wardle. "Had I called the game Mr. Bugs, I like to think it would not have been successful."

The world was thankfully spared the name Mr. Bugs' Wordy Nugz and popular culture is all the better for it. It's hard to overstate just how bad that name is. It honestly sounds like a Game Boy Advance game that would have been found buried in discount bins at Toys 'R' Us in 2006. But one of the points of Wardle's presentation at Config 2024 is that he really wasn't trying to come up with a worldwide sensation; he just wanted to create something fun to play with his partner. Basically, he wasn't thinking about something he would one day sell to The New York Times for millions of dollars, so it makes sense that public perception wasn't his top priority. 

That name change might have played a big part in the game's success, though. Wordle really is a fascinatingly simple name, and that can make all the difference when it comes to pulling in an audience. Since Wordle's creation there have been a metric ton of clones released on platforms such as the App Store and even on Nintendo Switch. None of them have had a fraction of Wordle's success, and it's worth noting that none of them have had a name nearly as catchy. 

Related:

How do you feel about the name Mr. Bugs' Wordy Nugz? Do you think Wordle would have been nearly as successful with that name? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: The Verge]

Trending Now: