Rule34dle is a game that mashes up Wordle and smutty cartoon art
The internet has long been a playground for creativity, and one of its most notorious yet humorous concepts is Rule 34: “If it exists, there’s porn of it.” This tongue-in-cheek adage, coined by a British teenager in 2003, reflects the vast and often unexpected corners of online content, particularly in the realm of adult material. While the landscape of the internet has evolved dramatically since the early 2000s—transitioning from a time devoid of Instagram and TikTok to an era where age-verification laws are becoming commonplace—one thing remains constant: the presence of adult content. This notion has inspired a new online game called Rule34dle, which combines the essence of Rule 34 with the popular word game Wordle, offering a playful twist on the way we engage with pop culture and internet lore.
Rule34dle invites players to engage in a guessing game that pits fictional characters against each other based on the volume of pornographic content associated with them. Players are presented with two characters, such as those from beloved franchises like Pokémon, and must determine which one has more explicit posts online. By guessing correctly, they continue their streak, unlocking new characters and challenges along the way. The game includes various modes, such as a “hard mode” that increases the difficulty by hiding explicit post counts and a daily challenge that offers a standardized set of rounds for all players. The game has quickly gained traction, with streamers showcasing their gameplay on platforms like TikTok, leading to humorous and engaging content that resonates with both fans of gaming and adult humor.
In addition to Rule34dle, fans of fan fiction can also enjoy a similar experience with AO3dle, which challenges players to guess which character has more erotic works published on the popular fan fiction site Archive of Our Own (AO3). This expansion of the concept highlights the intersection of gaming, fandom, and adult content in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. As the internet continues to evolve, games like Rule34dle serve as a reminder of the enduring nature of Rule 34, blending nostalgia with contemporary gaming culture while sparking conversations about the complexities of adult content in the digital age. Whether you’re a casual gamer or a devoted fan, these games offer a unique lens through which to explore the quirky and sometimes absurd world of online content.
If you’ve been on the internet long enough, you know Rule 34: If it exists, there’s
porn
of it.
That may sound crude, especially in the time of
age-verification laws
requiring users’ personal data to visit NSFW sites (and sometimes SFW sites, too), but
Rule 34 was coined
by a British teen in 2003, according to a 2016
Washington Post
article. The early 2000s were a wildly different time on the internet. Pre-Instagram, pre-TikTok, pre-age verification. But porn? Porn always existed online.
SEE ALSO:
All the states Pornhub is blocked in now
While the web has changed a lot over the past 20 years since “Rule 34” was defined, it still rings true — especially when you look at
Rule34dle
, a mashup of the infamous rule and everyone’s favorite word game,
Wordle
.
Like Wordle, Rule34dle is a game, but distinctly different. When you go on the site, you’ll be paired with two fictional franchise characters (like Pokémon) and told how many pornographic posts exist of the one on the left. The number of smutty posts for the character on the right is hidden. You must guess which of the two has more explicit art out there online.
If you’re right, you’ll then be paired with the character with the higher smut count and a new character — and you’ll build your streak from there.
There are also several variations to play the game, including franchise characters, removing AI results, and “hard mode,” which makes you choose between three characters, and with all explicit post numbers hidden.
Rule34dle, created by Reddit user u/DandelionGaming based on an idea from
u/PensAndEndorsement on Reddit
, according to the website, also features a daily challenge. Each day, you can play 10 comparison rounds with different characters in each round. You’ll have to guess blindly — the number of porny art posts for both characters will be hidden. The daily challenge is the same for everyone, and even if you get one wrong, you can still play through all 10 rounds.
And good news for fan fiction fans: There’s also an alpha version of
AO3dle
out there, where you can guess which of two characters has more erotica works written about them on the fan fiction website Archive of Our Own (also known as AO3). AO3dle features both a unique pairing and a daily challenge, like Rule34dle does.
As Kotaku pointed out,
streamers are playing Rule34dle
with their friends, and with hilarious results, on
TikTok
.
