If you’re like millions of other Americans, you’ve probably heard of, if not already played, Wordle. This addictively simple word game has boomed in popularity due to its virality, ad-free nature, and lack of a price tag. Unfortunately, this may change soon. In late January, it was announced that the New York Times bought Wordle. The news rattled many users who fear that their favorite game may soon be put behind a paywall like many of the Times’ own games and articles. This notion was confirmed when the Times stated that the game would “initially remain free” to new and existing players.
Luckily for players, there’s a way to play this game for free should it go behind a paywall. Wordle runs on a browser, which means that all of its code is saved as plaintext on the game’s website. To grab the free version, players only need to right click in their browser, select “save page as webpage”, and save Wordle as an HTML file. Then, the original game can be played offline. By clicking on the saved HTML file, it should then open the game in a browser, even if you’re offline. Further, because the game is based on a list of over 2,000 five-letter solution words, an offline version should (in theory) allow users to play free every day for seven years. Before dashing to download the HTML, be aware that you may not be able to save your streak, and sharing would be messy- if even possible. If you’d like to learn more about optimizing your technology and devices, feel free to reach out to us at info@optfinity.com.
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