The Sam Sanders Show How Did Wordle Become a Pop Culture Icon?
Mar 27, 2026
Everdeen Mason, editorial director of games at The New York Times, oversees Wordle, Connections and the Crossword. She explains why Wordle became a shared daily ritual and how it fit into NYT Games. She talks about word scheduling, balancing difficulty, sensitive word choices, testing at scale, and why it is fine to skip or cheat for your own fun.
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Why Wordle Became A Daily Ritual
- Wordle became a pop culture ritual because millions play the same daily puzzle and share reactions.
- Everdeen says that shared, snack-sized experience during lockdown created a comforting collective moment that fueled virality.
Wordle's Humble Origin Story
- Wordle started as a personal project by Josh and his girlfriend curated the word list, then it accidentally went viral.
- Everdeen explains The New York Times approached Josh and acquired Wordle because it fitted the Times' games vibe.
Why Wordle Is Programmed In Weeklong Batches
- The Times programs Wordle weeks in advance in week-long batches to protect the daily ritual.
- Everdeen says batching avoids back-to-back words that are too similar, too hard, or too easy so players don't get turned off.