Scrabble, New York Times (NYT) crossword puzzle…Wordle? Word enthusiasts can’t get enough of this game that has taken the internet by storm. With gameplay so simple and familiar, players will find they can’t play previous puzzles again as a twist. But did you know there is a way to do just that? Enter Wordle Archive Game.
If you don’t know it yet, Wordle challenges anyone’s wits when it comes to guessing “the word of the day”. Sounds easy, right? However, Wordle challenges the word “easy” by not giving any clues as to what the five-letter word is at all. This forces hardcore players to want to have a practice level before playing the real stuff. And what better way to practice by going over previous puzzles through Wordle archive game rounds?
So, what is the Wordle archive game? Where and how to access this? These are some questions we will answer in this article.
Related: 40 Best Games Like Wordle That Are Equally Challenging
Inside This Article
- 3 Wordle Archive Game Channels to Try
- Why Is NYT Clamping on Wordle Archive Games
- Are Wordle Archive Websites Legal?
- Bonus: Change Your Date Settings to Play Previous Wordle Quiz
- Final Thoughts
3 Wordle Archive Game Channels to Try
Since New York Times acquired Wordle, the brainchild of Josh Wardle, in January of this year, a number of Wordle archive game channels have already been taken down in the past couple of months. It has become so popular that Wordle copycats have sprouted like mushrooms all over the internet. And this includes websites where people can play past Wordles.
If you wish to practice your word-guessing prowess before taking on the official NYT Wordle, below are some of the Wordle archive game channels that are still running as of this writing.
1. Wordle Time Machine
If you wish to revisit old Wordle puzzles, there’s no better place to be than Wordle Time Machine. It is an open-source web-based application where you can go back in time and play past Wordles and not wait for another 24 hours to play another puzzle.
Its gameplay is quite similar to the official Wordle game. However, as the name of the page suggests, you can go back in time to play past Wordle puzzles by picking a date from the selection menu. You can play Wordle puzzles dating from 19 June 2021 up to — well, the most recent one.
Additionally, the beauty of the Wordle game archive free application like Wordle Time Machine is the no-wait time. In the original Wordle application, you need to wait for another 24 hours before you can play another puzzle after completing the puzzle of the day. This part of the original gameplay does not exist with Wordle archive game platforms.
2. Wordle Archive
Another old Wordle puzzle archive platform is Wordle Archive. Slightly different in terms of interface with Wordle Time Machine, Wordle Archive delivers just the same. Right off the bat, you still get six tries to guess the Wordle of the Day. However, Wordle Archive does not have a date picker. In its place, you simply play the game but you get to play not the word of the day but the word of previous days labeled on the top of the screen stating “Wordle #xxx”.
This archive game platform also does not have a waiting time before you can play another puzzle. It has options to choose a puzzle randomly, after completing a puzzle you choose Next to move to the next puzzle or Previous to review your previously completed Wordle puzzles.
As you may also observe, this platform follows the original Wordle completion row wherein a letter would turn green if it is in the right position, yellow if it is not, and grey if the letter is not part of the Wordle at all.
3. Wordle Play
Wordle Play is another archive game platform wherein you get to go back and guess the word of the day on a specific date. Unlike Wordle Time Machine, Wordle Play lets you pick the number of the puzzle instead of dates. The date corresponding to the puzzle number, however, is shown below the puzzle grid.
All things considered, it still follows the original Wordle indicators of green, yellow, and grey. Additionally, you can customize the puzzle by enabling hard mode and changing the color of the puzzle board. Another thing these Wordle archive game platforms have in common is the ability to be able to select a letter tile from the screen or use your keyboard instead.
Why Is NYT Clamping on Wordle Archive Games
Since acquiring Wordle in January of 2022, New York Times has acted against the laissez-faire in producing bootlegs of Wordle. NYT’s move to acquire Wordle is strategic, considering its crossword puzzle reputation. It is easy to understand, as well, why NYT clamps on the bootlegs of Wordle from an economic point of view; it wants to be the sole proprietary owner of Wordle and its gameplay.
Because of this context, Wordle archive game platforms such as Devang Thakkar Wordle Archive have been taken off the internet after NYT requested the owners of the page to take it down as it breaches copyright laws. Devang has been online for three months before it NYT stepped in and requested it to be taken down.
Nonetheless, this did not stop other developers to release bootlegs of Wordle as made evident by our top picks above.
Related: Paywall for Wordle Might Come; So Are Free Wordles
Are Wordle Archive Websites Legal?
There is no easy way to explain this so bear with us. First, these Wordle archive game websites are essentially legal. However, these websites face legal pressures and possibly challenges in court from New York Times which controls the Wordle trademark. So, does this give the newspaper absolute control?
The answer again is no. Wordle’s gameplay is fashioned after other games like Jotto and Lingo. Hence, NYT does not have the right to file for copyright for Wordle’s gameplay. They can only file for copyright for the name Wordle and the interface design.
However, since NYT owns the trademark for Wordle, these bootlegs and archive game platforms do risk facing legal pressures and being asked to close.
Bonus: Change Your Date Settings to Play Previous Wordle Quiz
If using Wordle archives is somewhat illegal, you might wonder how to play old Wordle puzzles you’ve missed out guilt-free. The solution for this is quite simple: change the date on the device you are playing at. That’s right! By just changing the date setting of your device, you can go back to the previous Wordle quizzes you have skipped.
To change the date setting on Android, go to your phone Settings>System>Date & Time and set the date manually to the particular quiz you want to play.
You can set the date manually on an iPhone by going to Settings>General>Date & Time. Afterward, disable “Set Automatically” and manually enter the date you want.
After changing the date, you are all ready to play the Wordle quiz for that day without relying on an archive website. Take note, though, that you can only use this method for playing an old Wordle. You can’t change the date of your device to play future quizzes.
Final Thoughts
It’s nice to tickle our brains every once in a while. Casual mind games like Wordle maintain an appeal to many people and will continue to do so in the years to come. It wouldn’t be a surprise if, in the future, another World spin-off will break the internet and will also give rise to bootlegs. But for now, let us all enjoy Wordle and these Wordle archive game platforms while they are still online.
