'Wordle' tops Google's most searched list for 2022

Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Google's annual Year in Search list is a microcosm of all that collectively grabbed people's attention throughout the year and in 2022 the game Wordle was No. 1.

The word game was popular globally, challenging players to guess a word everyday and giving them the chance to show off their skills on social media. You could not log into a social media app without observing the Wordle prowess of people you are connected with. In fact, it was so popular that it was entered into the search bar more than "Ukraine" or "Queen Elizabeth."

Wordle started as a prototype in 2013, created by Josh Wardle. It did not immediately take off, but a reworked version of the game made a splash in 2021. Within just a few months it was acquired by the New York Times and is now playable on its website and as a mobile app.

"India vs England" was the second-most searched term, referring to the Twenty20 World Cup in cricket. England defeated India by 10 wickets in the tournament's semi-final round.

Ukraine was the most searched news subject, due to the ongoing war with Russia. Queen Elizabeth was next, heightened by her death on Sept. 8. "Election results," "Powerball numbers" and "Monkeypox" rounded out the top five.

When searching for recipes, the biggest appetite was for Indian cuisine. Paneer pasanda was searched for more than any other recipe throughout the world. It is a hot dish with a fried, stuffed sandwich that soaks in a creamy gravy.

The need for speed and thirst for vengeance was not enough for the uber-popular films Top Gun: Maverick or The Batman to beat Thor: Love and Thunder as the most popular movie titles on Google.

Celebrity feuds fueled searches of people's names. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were among the top five people searched, flanked by Will Smith and Chris Rock. Raphael Nadal had the most stunning moments on the tennis court in 2022 but he fell behind Novak Djokovic in the athlete category.

To accompany the top searches of 2022, Google introduced a new feature called the "Local Year in Search." With this new feature you can see what searches trended in any part of the United States.

"While Year in Search reveals a lot about what we all have in common, every community showed they were unique, too," a blog post from Google said.