Opener Lab
ALIEN vs CRANE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
These game-length figures come from the previous complete opener benchmark against its 2,354-answer snapshot, ranked by average guesses among games solved within six. Its answer snapshot and continuation policy are separate from today's solver recommendations.
The same solver played from both openers. CRANE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.55 guesses to 3.60 for ALIEN.
Looking only at the opening row, CRANE has higher entropy (5.73 bits versus 5.60). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
One thing ALIEN does better is damage control. Its worst feedback pattern leaves 224 possible answers, while CRANE can be left staring at 271.
| Metric | ALIEN | CRANE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 96.4% | 96.6% |
| Information | 5.60 bits | 5.73 bits |
| Avg remaining | 86 words | 81 words |
| Avg turns | 3.60 | 3.55 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 99.9% |
| Tier | A | A |
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | ALIEN | CRANE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 37.6% | 43.6% |
| Any green or yellow | 90.5% | 88.5% |
| Whole row gray | 9.5% | 11.5% |
| Worst case answers left | 224 | 271 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with ALIEN: it happens 9.5% of the time, against 11.5% for CRANE.
How these two openers fit together
ALIEN and CRANE share 3 letters (A, E, N). Played as a pair they cover 7 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, ALIEN then CRANE earns 7.95 bits of information in total, 2.22 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- ALIEN: Answer to the puzzle on August 6, 2022.
- CRANE: Answer to the puzzle on June 21, 2023.