Apple’s New Daily Puzzle Game Mimics Emoji Wordle

Okay, so it’s World Emoji Day—who knew that was a thing?—and Apple’s got a little surprise for everyone who’s already diving into the rabbit hole of their News+ app. So, picture this: A puzzle game. But with emojis. Sounds quirky, right? Basically, you’re putting tiny pictures where words should be. Kind of, sort of.

Apple cooked this up in-house, so it feels pretty Apple-y. It slots into the lineup with Crossword, Mini Crossword, Sudoku, and something they call Quartiles. Haven’t tried that one? Me neither. But this Emoji Game stands out. It’s… different. Like iOS is giving you a cheeky wink with all its features.

So here’s the lowdown. Each day, you’ve got to complete six word or phrase puzzles. What’s waiting for you? A bunch of those little emoji guys at the bottom. Let’s say your clue reads Disap_ _ _ _, and there’s a pear sitting there grinning at you. Duh, drag it up there. Disappear. Well, hopefully. But here’s the catch: Emojis aren’t one-trick ponies. That pear might be starring as “fruit” next time. Feels like someone’s playing mind games.

And when you want more of a head-scratcher, you’ve got phrases that need, I don’t know, a bit more brain juice? Think multiple words, abstract thoughts. An example was thrown at me—_ _ _ _ _ _ Year _ _ _ k. You’ve got a fish and ghost to work with. Ghost in there, boom, Yearbook. Fish is suddenly a “school.” See where this is going? Ta-da! School yearbook. Your reward? A teeny hint to keep your sanity.

Not just emojis, though. The game dances with your iOS 18’s Genmoji wizbang thing. Saw an apple turned into “core”—cute, right?

Apple’s definitely taking a page from Wordle’s playbook—those daily hooks, archives, your stats (because bragging rights are crucial), and streaks. Oh, and you can rope in fifteen buddies to compare high scores and maybe humblebrag. It feels like, well, if you like Wordle, you might dive into this. Or maybe you won’t. It’s just there, like an extra topping you didn’t order but won’t say no to on your Apple News+ pizza.

Anyway, if you’re holding an iOS gadget, you’re already set to check it out today. Enjoy the emoji chaos!