The Game in One Paragraph#
Nerdle is a free daily puzzle at nerdlegame.com where you have 6 tries to guess a hidden 8-character math equation, like 12+35=47. After each guess, tiles turn green (right character, right spot), purple (in the equation, wrong spot), or black (not in the equation). Everyone plays the same equation each day, and a new one drops at midnight GMT. If you know the Wordle loop, you already know the Nerdle loop — the difference is that every guess must be a mathematically correct equation. New to it? Start with our complete how-to-play guide.
The History of Nerdle#
Nerdle was born in a traffic jam in January 2022. London-based data scientist Richard Mann and his daughter Imogen were talking about Wordle, then at the peak of its viral moment, and wondered why there was no math equivalent. The rules were sketched out within minutes, and the name "nerdle" came just as fast.
That same evening, Richard's son Alex computed every valid equation — all 17,723 possible answers — and software developer Marcus Tettmar built the game. Nerdle launched on January 20, 2022, three days after the idea. Within three weeks, more than a million people had played; the Guardian, Newsweek, and the BBC covered it, and math teachers around the world adopted it as a daily classroom warm-up (we wrote a teacher's guide for exactly that).
Since then the game has grown into a whole "Nerdleverse" of variants — from 5-character Micro to 10-character Maxi — which we break down in our guide to every Nerdle variant.
Nerdle vs Wordle#
The two games share DNA but play very differently in practice:
| Feature | Nerdle | Wordle |
|---|---|---|
| What you guess | A math equation | A five-letter word |
| Grid width | 8 characters | 5 letters |
| Guesses allowed | 6 | 6 |
| Symbols available | 15 (digits 0-9 and + - * / =) | 26 letters |
| Possible answers | 17,723 equations | Roughly 2,300 curated words |
| “Wrong spot” color | Purple | Yellow |
| Guess validity | Must be a mathematically correct equation | Must be a dictionary word |
| Launched | January 20, 2022 | October 2021 (public) |
The biggest strategic difference is the size of the answer space. Wordle draws from a curated list of a couple of thousand common words, so vocabulary and letter frequency carry you far. Nerdle's 17,723 answers follow strict mathematical structure instead — which means the game rewards logical deduction over recall, and a well-chosen opening equation is measurably more valuable. That structure is exactly what our solver and strategy guide are built on.
Nerdle by the Numbers#
All figures computed from the full answer set — dig into the details in the strategy guide.
Frequently Asked Questions#
Who created Nerdle?
Nerdle was created in January 2022 by London-based data scientist Richard Mann with his daughter Imogen and son Alex, and built by software developer Marcus Tettmar. It launched on January 20, 2022 at nerdlegame.com.
Is Nerdle related to Wordle?
Nerdle is not made by the Wordle team, but it was directly inspired by Wordle. It borrows the six-guess, color-feedback loop and applies it to math equations instead of five-letter words.
How many Nerdle answers are there?
There are exactly 17,723 possible Nerdle answers — every valid 8-character equation without a standalone zero. Counting guess-only equations, 67,346 equations can be entered.
Is Nerdle free?
Yes, Nerdle is free to play in any web browser at nerdlegame.com, with no download required. Official mobile apps are also available.
What color scheme does Nerdle use?
Green means correct character in the correct position, purple means the character is in the equation but in a different position, and black means the character is not in the equation. Purple plays the role of Wordle's yellow.
Try It Yourself
The fastest way to understand Nerdle is to play a round with hints turned on.