Wordle creator Josh Wardle has unveiled his new puzzle game Parseword, which looks to make cryptic crosswords “more accessible”.
Parseword is an interactive cryptic crossword game, with each clue a puzzle that needs to be solved to reveal the answer. Players will need to learn the different puzzle types, look for familiar patterns and discover synonyms. “Parseword is challenging! Don’t worry if it takes a while to master,” warns the game’s intense tutorial.
Like the original version of Wordle, Parseword is free-to-play with a new puzzle shared every day. Check it out here.
I've released a new word game called Parseword, that tries to make cryptic crosswords more accessible. You can play it here: https://t.co/obwHrGi9tM
— Josh Wardle (@powerlanguish) March 10, 2026
Wordle launched in October 2021 and quickly became a viral sensation, with more than two million people playing it every day by the end of that year. In January 2022, The New York Times confirmed it had acquired Wordle in a seven-figure deal. “I’ve long admired the NYT‘s approach to their games and the respect with which they treat their players. Their values are aligned with mine on these matters and I’m thrilled that they will be stewards of the game moving forward,” explained Wardle in a statement.
In a new interview with the New York Times, Wardle said he found the success of Wordle uncomfortable and hasn’t played it since selling it. “I’m not sure humans are built to handle going viral.” However, after listening to The Last Of Us showrunner Craig Mazin explain the appeal of cryptic crosswords and how to play them on a podcast, he wanted to help “guide” others – which is what inspired Parseword.
“Releasing Parseword is happening more on my own terms, instead of happening to me,” Wardle explained, hoping to simply “reduce the problem space for new solvers.”
“The king is back with a new game! Super interesting concept and at first play, not an easy one,” wrote one fan on X. “I’ve never been able to understand cryptic crosswords but this makes it so easy,” said another.
In other news, Donald Glover has been announced as the voice of Yoshi in the upcoming The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. He’ll be joining fellow newcomers Brie Larson (Princess Rosalina), Bennie Safdie (Bowser Jr.), Luis Guzman (Wart) and Issa Rae (Honey Queen).
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