Apple battles Wordle with new Emoji Game

Newspapers have long been associated with all manner of games and puzzles, including crosswords, sudoku and so on. This is something that has endured the crossover from print to digital, with the likes of Wordle from the New York Times remaining incredibly popular.

Now Apple is looking to get in on the action, announcing a new puzzle called Emoji Game. The puzzler is just the latest addition to the Apple News+ collection, giving subscribers a new challenge every day.

The aim of the game is simple: determine a short phrase in as few guesses as possible. It is not rocket science, but Apple thinks it has hit on something a little different by – as the name would suggest – using emoji as well as words.

Is this enough to stand out from the ever-growing selection of games there is to choose from? Apple obviously believes so, with Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News saying:

Emoji Game is the perfect addition to the Apple News+ suite of word and number puzzles, turning the emoji we use every day into a brainteaser that’s approachable and fun.

The game (or puzzle… Apple seems undecided quite how to refer to it) is also being used as something of a platform for Apple Intelligence, as it is possible to use not only emoji, but also AI-created Genmoji within it.

Apple introduces Emoji Game, saying of it:

Emoji Game challenges players to use a selection of emoji — including Genmoji created using Apple Intelligence — to fill in the blanks of three short phrases using as few moves as possible.

It is a familiar concept that has been used many times before, including in gameshows. Is Apple’s spin on the idea enough to reinvigorate interest? The company goes on to say:

Each phrase is accompanied by a clue, which the user can choose to reveal, but that will count toward the player’s total number of moves. Results can be tracked on Game Center leaderboards, or shared with friends and family through Messages, Mail, social media, or other platforms. Subscribers can access daily and archived Emoji Game puzzles in the Puzzles section of the Apple News app.

Looking to the future, Apple says that there will be more ways to access the game later in the year:

Apple News+ subscribers will also be able to access Emoji Game this fall through the Apple Games app, an all-new destination designed to help players jump back into the games they love, find their next favorite, and have more fun with friends. Emoji Game joins existing Apple News+ puzzles like crossword, crossword mini, Quartiles, and sudoku.

For now, Emoji Game is only available in English for Apple News+ subscribers in the US and Canada. Apple has not indicated when, or if, it will expand to other countries where Apple News+ is available, such as the UK and Australia.

Having shared this new idea for a puzzler with the world, it is surely only a matter of time before clones spring up that are available globally, and do not require a subscription to Apple News+.