Even if you’re not playing, you’re probably already familiar with Wordle. The browser game was flooding social media back in 2022, and it’s still extremely popular now that its owned by the New York Times. If you’re already a big fan of Wordle and are looking for a similar game to play, Apple may just have the answer.
The tech giant’s new brainteaser is dubbed the Emoji Game. It officially landed in Apple News+ today, and seriously reminds me of Wordle. But with faces, symbols, and little yellow men.
Emoji Game tasks you with filling in blanks in three short phrases using a curated selection of emoji. Each puzzle comes with clues, though using them means you rack up more moves. Fewer moves equals bigger bragging rights, naturally. Oh, and points too – since they matter a bit more. There’s even a leaderboard via Game Center, for those who enjoy showing off their emoji fluency to friends and complete strangers.
There is a twist as well! You’re not just dragging and dropping smiley faces. Some of the emoji come from Apple’s own Genmoji stash, courtesy of Apple Intelligence. That means they’ll be entirely original creations, that might require a bit more brainwork.
At launch, there’s a full archive of games you can play, and from now on there’ll be daily puzzles. You’ll find it tucked into the Puzzles section of the Apple News app. Although, you will need to be a News+ subscriber to play. Apple says there are more games on the way. Plus, it’s planning to roll Emoji Game into the upcoming Apple Games app this autumn.
If you’re already hooked on Apple News+ crosswords or Quartiles, this latest entry might just be the one that pushes you to justify a News+ subscription. If nothing else, it’s a new excuse to send screenshots of your gaming prowess to your group chat – since you can share results via Messages, Mail, and social media.
Emoji Game is available now for Apple News+ subscribers in the US and Canada. Apple News+ will set you back $12.99/£12.99 per month. You can also get the subscription as part of Apple One.
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