diff --git a/game.go b/game.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39d855d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/game.go
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+)
+
+type CellStatus int
+
+const (
+	STATUS_EMPTY     CellStatus = 0
+	STATUS_CORRECT   CellStatus = 1
+	STATUS_INCORRECT CellStatus = 2
+	STATUS_WRONG     CellStatus = 3
+)
+
+type GridCell struct {
+	Letter string
+	Status CellStatus
+}
+
+type Grid = [][]GridCell
+
+type Game interface {
+	Play(word string) (bool, error)
+	HasEnded() bool
+	GetScore() (int, int)
+	OutputForConsole() string
+}
+
+type game struct {
+	complete bool
+	attempts int
+	answer   string
+	grid     Grid
+}
+
+func (g *game) Play(word string) (bool, error) {
+	// TODO check the word length here and error if too long/short
+
+	// Create the row for the grid
+	parts := strings.Split(word, "")
+	answerParts := strings.Split(g.answer, "")
+	row := make([]GridCell, len(parts))
+	numCorrect := 0
+	for i, chr := range parts {
+		var status CellStatus
+		if chr == answerParts[i] {
+			status = STATUS_CORRECT
+			numCorrect++
+		} else if stringInSlice(chr, answerParts) {
+			status = STATUS_INCORRECT
+		} else {
+			status = STATUS_WRONG
+		}
+
+		row[i] = GridCell{chr, status}
+	}
+
+	// Update the game
+	g.grid[g.attempts] = row
+	g.attempts++
+
+	return word == g.answer, nil
+}
+
+func (g *game) HasEnded() bool {
+	return g.complete || g.attempts == len(g.grid)
+}
+
+func (g *game) GetScore() (int, int) {
+	return g.attempts, len(g.grid)
+}
+
+func (g *game) OutputForConsole() string {
+	str := "\n" + strings.Repeat("-", len(g.answer)+2) + "\n"
+	for _, row := range g.grid {
+		if len(row) == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+
+		str += "|"
+		for _, cell := range row {
+			switch cell.Status {
+			case STATUS_CORRECT:
+				str += COLOUR_GREEN
+			case STATUS_INCORRECT:
+				str += COLOUR_YELLOW
+			}
+			str += cell.Letter + COLOUR_RESET
+		}
+		str += "|\n"
+	}
+	str += strings.Repeat("-", len(g.answer)+2) + "\n"
+
+	return str
+}
+
+// TODO include valid entries
+func CreateGame(answer string, tries int) Game {
+	grid := make([][]GridCell, tries)
+
+	return &game{false, 0, answer, grid}
+}
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..48918f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package main
+
+func stringInSlice(a string, list []string) bool {
+	for _, b := range list {
+		if b == a {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 6f692c3..9f6d8ec 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"sort"
@@ -34,6 +35,35 @@ var answersIncorrectAll []string
 var board []string
 
 func main() {
+	wordPtr := flag.String("word", "tapir", "The game's answer")
+	playPtr := flag.Bool("play", false, "Whether to play the game")
+	flag.Parse()
+
+	reader := bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)
+
+	if *playPtr {
+		g := CreateGame(*wordPtr, NUM_ATTEMPTS)
+
+		for {
+			fmt.Print("Enter your guess: ")
+			input, _ := reader.ReadString('\n')
+			word := strings.TrimSpace(input)
+
+			success, _ := g.Play(word)
+
+			fmt.Println(g.OutputForConsole())
+
+			if success {
+				score, of := g.GetScore()
+				fmt.Printf("Great work! %d/%d\n", score, of)
+				return
+			} else if g.HasEnded() {
+				fmt.Printf("Better luck next time! X/%d\n", NUM_ATTEMPTS)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Read the valid words
 	fmt.Println("Reading words...")
 	err := readValidWords()
@@ -42,7 +72,6 @@ func main() {
 	answersCorrect = make([]string, NUM_LETTERS)
 	answersIncorrect = make([][]string, NUM_LETTERS)
 
-	reader := bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)
 	for {
 		// Generate histogram
 		fmt.Println("Building histogram...")
diff --git a/wordle b/wordle
index e6b16de..eae32c7 100755
Binary files a/wordle and b/wordle differ