What is Artle?
Artle is the National Gallery of Art's daily game for art lovers. It's a "Wordle-like" game, but instead of guessing a five-letter word, your goal is to guess the name of an artist.
The clues are not letters; the clues are actual works of art from the museum's collection.
Artle Game Rules
The rules are simple but challenging:
- Four Guesses: You have a total of four tries to guess the correct artist.
- One Artist Per Day: Each day features a new mystery artist.
- Visual Clues: Each incorrect guess reveals another, different work of art by the same artist.
- The "Win": You win by correctly identifying the artist within the four-guess limit.
Unlike Wordle, there are no gray, yellow, or green letter tiles. Your only feedback for a wrong answer is a red 'X' and a new painting to study.
How To Play Artle
Here is a step-by-step walkthrough of a typical game.
Step 1: The First Clue (Guess 1)
- The game presents you with Artwork 1. This is often a lesser-known or more abstract piece by the artist to make it challenging.
- You study the artwork (style, subject, era) and make your first guess. The game provides an auto-fill search bar with all possible artists in the collection.
Player Guesses (1): Claude Monet
- Feedback: A red 'X' appears. This is incorrect.
Step 2: The Second Clue (Guess 2)
- Because your first guess was wrong, the game now reveals Artwork 2 by the same mystery artist.
- You now have two pieces to compare. You might notice a similar theme, color palette, or brushstroke.
Player Guesses (2): Edgar Degas
- Feedback: A red 'X' appears. Still incorrect.
Step 3: The Third Clue (Guess 3)
- The game reveals Artwork 3. Now you have three works from the artist's portfolio. The puzzle is becoming much clearer.
- Let's say all three works are portraits of women, with a very distinct, soft-focus style. You recognize it now.
Player Guesses (3): Mary Cassatt
- Feedback: A green '✔' appears!
Step 4: The Victory
- You guessed the artist correctly on the third try!
- The game flips the cards over to show all four artworks, their titles, and the artist's name.
- It also provides links to "Learn more about this artist" and "Explore these artworks" on the National Gallery of Art's official website, making it a great educational tool.
- If you had failed on guess 4, the game would have revealed the answer.
Is There an Unlimited Version?
Yes! While the main Artle game is a daily challenge (one new puzzle per day), the National Gallery of Art also provides Artle Unlimited.
This unlimited version is not an infinitely random game. Instead, it is an archive that allows you to:
- Play all past daily puzzles.
- Play special themed collections (e.g., "Pumpkin Spice Artle," "Sculpture Scavenger," "Artle in Love").
This is the perfect way to practice or play more if you enjoy the daily game.
Where To Play Artle Game
You can play both versions on the National Gallery of Art's official website: