Was on my mobile phone just now, getting ready to play today’s live word puzzle Wordle 243.
When I tapped on the Chrome tab (which was displaying yesterday’s solved game), I got a blank screen instead of a new game grid! Not knowing what has happened, I swiped down on the screen to request a refresh.
Sneaky Move There… But Nope, Don’t Like It!
To my horror, a new-look Wordle screen was presented! I immediately knew what it was — that’s New York Time’s own (official) Wordle game, now available for public access.
I was sure because just yesterday, I saw my son play their version of the game. I had told him about my missed Wordle 241 game and asked if he had played it and know the answer. He didn’t; but decided to solve the day’s game anyway — that’s Wordle 242 — at NYT’s gaming site.
Hoping to get back to the original Wordle game produced by Josh W, I visited his powerlanguage.co.uk website to click on the Wordle link…
But the mobile browser was redirected to NY Time’s site and loaded their game code!
I . DON’T . LIKE . IT!
Ouch! It looks like the change is a permanent one — there is now no going back to the good old Wordle we all loved and supported 🙁
WORDLE . IS. GONE . FOR . GOOD!!!
Answer to Wordle 243: SHAKE
Number of guesses: 4
Progression of clues:
- 4
- 0
- 0 + 2
- 5
Step-by-Step Replay of Wordle 243 Puzzle
Guess #1
Yes, what a SHAME it really is to see original Wordle gone!
Guess #2
Can’t imagine the game is agreeable by showing 4 letters at confirmed positions lol. SHA_E can take D, K, L, P, R, or V to complete the word — that’s too many letters to guess at! PRIVY puts 3 of them to the test.
Guess #3
It’s down to choosing one of the first 3 letters listed earlier, so we try to take 2 more away with LIKED.
Guess #4
Which leaves us with SHAKE as the answer.
Quite a straightforward decision there to test for letters instead of guessing away one letter at a time. Of course there is a chance to get lucky at the second move, though statistically that’s just 1 in 6; or a 16.67% probability.
But that answer to Wordle 243 is quite telling — it’s half of the phrase verb “shake up”. Which kind of ties in with the experience I’ve had today with the game!
Quick Update on “Bug” Finding in Wordle Archive
As mooted, I went back to Wordle Archive to check out yesterday’s live game. Wordle 242 is available today as the latest of all previous Wordle puzzles (which can be played on the Archive site).
A quick round of 3 guesses gave the answer I was looking for.
No, I am not too concerned with the answer to the word puzzle; but I’m keen for a possible explanation as to why I couldn’t play Wordle 241 yesterday.
The first try used (J. Wardle’s original) Wordle 242’s answer AROMA, a game I have actually played (live on Feb 16th) and solved. But with Wordle Archive not agreeing, it signals something isn’t right.
Next, I entered today’s Wordle word of the day SHAKE. If this checked out, then the suspected bug in Wordle Archive has been repeated. Alas, this wasn’t the case.
With the letters A and K revealed as present in the mystery word, I then guessed with CAULK. This is the solution to yesterday’s Wordle (game #242) as played on NY Times website. I happen to know the answer to this because my son was stumped by the clues he got: letters A, C, K and U.
With Wordle Archive confirming CAULK as answer to its Wordle 242 game, it became clear that the Archive is referencing NYT’s revised Wordle answer list!
And with the powerlanguage.co.uk site now redirecting visitors away from the original Wordle game it hosted, it is not incorrect to say that Wordle Archive still relies upon (original) Wordle for answers. Since the original Wordle game link now points the NYT’s game, so goes the source of answers for the Archive.
But it is incorrect to say there is a bug in Wordle Archive, as presumed prior to today’s test game.
Case closed, affirmatively.
Is It Goodbye to Wordle for Good?
It probably is more than just coincidence, seeing what today’s Wordle answer is. I tend to believe the Wordle scene has forever changed after being shook up so bad 🙁
Lots of fans have already expressed their dismay about the confusion created by two Wordle versions with differing daily answers. Even if the redirected URL link is in place to promote one (common?) version, i.e. theirs, this is still a change forced upon fans of Wordle.
Yes, there are commercial reasons. Yes, Wordle has a new owner. Yes, they have every right to modify the game. Blah, blah, blah…
And no, there is no real need to fix the game as it isn’t broken! (It could subtly be rebranded with a new look, killer colours, sexier font and what nots — I give you that.)
But what’s been done so far just served to kill off interest in Wordle, to put it squarely.
So it may be goodbye to Wordle… soon? Or even sooner!
A note to NY Times: you just nixed my Wordle win streak and stats with that forced change! Thanks for pushing me away; now I can focus on playing Quordle for more fun and serious challenge 🙂
