Versedle

A DAILY PUZZLE FOR LITERATURE LOVERS

Versedle challenges you to identify the author of a short passage in six guesses. Recognizing a familiar line might give you the answer immediately, but if the author does not come to mind, each guess provides more clues.

A new puzzle appears every day at midnight in your device’s local time zone. The site also lets you revisit a selection of earlier puzzles.

HOW TO PLAY VERSEDLE

Read the opening line, then type an author’s name and select it from the suggested list. After you submit a guess, Versedle reveals another line of the passage and gives you clues based on the authors’ birth years.

Understand the Birth-Year Clues

A left-pointing arrow means the correct author was born before the one you guessed; a right-pointing arrow means they were born after. The approximate year difference tells you how far apart their birth years are. You will also see a proximity percentage: a higher number means your guess is closer in birth year, while 100% means you found the correct author.

Use these clues to narrow down the period, then read each new line for hints in the subject, language, or style. You have six attempts to identify the writer.

Make Your Next Guess Count

If you do not recognize the passage, use the birth-year clue before choosing another author. The arrow and year difference can help you rule out whole periods. As more lines appear, pay attention to the wording, rhythm, and subject matter.

You can also switch to Easy Mode. It shows authors’ birth and death years in the selection list and sorts them by birth year, making the timeline clues easier to use.

WHAT DOES “VERSE” MEAN IN VERSEDLE?

“Verse” usually refers to poetry or writing with a distinct rhythm. Versedle draws on that idea but is not limited to poems: its passages can also come from songs and prose.