Here's Wordle, except for rude words

(Image credit: Lewdle)

When a game as simple and wholesome as Wordle comes along, it's only a matter of time before the foul-minded get their hands on it. Thus, we have Lewdle, a new clone of Wordle created by Rogue One writer Gary Whitta (disclosure: he once edited PC Gamer). To call it a clone oversells it a bit: it basically is Wordle, except it only has five letter words you weren't allowed to say aloud at school.

I managed to win on the second line of my first attempt. Playing Lewdle will probably rank among the most frivolous, wasteful things I do this week, but I am nevertheless proud. The word was "boner," which is slang for an erection of the penis. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, that word fits the category of "impolite" rather than "vulgar" or "obscene." But it is definitely lewd, I guess.

It's funny, but not as funny as this video of Yakuza 7's Crayfish summon, or the works of French Renaissance writer Francois Rabelais, or throwing enemies off cliffs in Dragon's Dogma, or a dog wearing sunglasses.

But still funny. And Lewdle has the added bonus of being playable even if you've already done your daily dash in Wordle proper. Think of it as your second round of Wordle, except for naughty words.

Lewdle isn't the first novelty spin-off of the word puzzle phenomenon. There's also Sweardle, which mixes things up by having only four letter words, each of them profanity. Then there's Absurdle, which is Wordle, except deliberately annoying. Or, if you just want to play the basic Wordle game over and over again, without the 24 hour limit on plays, you can try Wheedle.

If you're interested in becoming a Wordle pro, you should check out our guide to the best Wordle starting words. I just checked, and "boner" is an accepted word in Wordle too, so that's my starter from now on.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.