Apple’s Fresh Emoji Puzzle Game Steals the Spotlight from Wordle
In the digital realm of contemporary entertainment, the word game phenomenon known as Wordle has undeniably captured the attention and engagement of millions since its inception in 2021. With numerous competitors vying to replicate its success, innovative creations such as Apple’s latest offering, Emoji Game, are emerging as compelling alternatives.
Emoji Game, now available for Apple News+ subscribers in the United States and Canada, presents a unique twist on traditional word puzzles by incorporating popular emojis to complete short phrases daily. This addition complements other offerings within the Apple News+ suite, including crosswords, Sudoku, and Quartiles.
Each day, players are presented with three puzzles featuring partially blanked-out phrases. The objective is to use emojis as placeholders for the missing letters, thereby creating new words. For instance, consider the example provided: “THE” followed by five blank spaces, then “IS” and another five spaces, with the clue, “It’s too early to go home already.” The answer in this case is “The Night Is Young,” with emojis like the night sky or moon representing night, while a baby emoji may symbolize young.
Daily competition is fostered through the Game Center leaderboards, allowing users to monitor their progress and strive for optimal performance. Notably, players are not limited in the number of attempts they can make to solve each puzzle.
Lauren Kern, Editor-in-Chief of Apple News, remarked, “Emoji Game is the ideal addition to our suite of word and number puzzles, transforming the emojis we utilize daily into an engaging and approachable brainteaser.”
Access to Emoji Game is exclusively available for Apple News+ subscribers at a monthly fee of $12.99, granting entry to content from over 400 publications. The game was initially announced at WWDC 2025, with its anticipated release coinciding with iOS 26. In celebration of World Emoji Day on July 17, the company chose to make it available early for users running iOS 18.4.
.
