In a similar fashion to how the original Doom has been ported to countless systems, including retro handheld consoles and even a calculator, Wordle is now available to play on the BBC Micro.
The machine was released in 1981 in partnership with BBC and Acorn Computers, in order to appeal to schools and users who wanted a PC to cater for classrooms and literacy projects.
If you grew up in the eighties and nineties, there’s a good chance you’ve just had a nostalgic flashback, as other games such as PODD, Mr Mephisto and Elite would most likely be installed on a BBC Micro in the corner of a classroom. But in 2022, Wordle looks set to arrive on this iconic machine, if you have one still laying around.
If you're unaware, Wordle is a daily game where you have to guess a five-letter word in six tries or less. There are guides in which letters are correct, but if you lose, you end your winning streak, until you win another.
This unofficial port by Chris Bradburne has a 12,000 dictionary of five-letter words, so you won’t be in danger of words repeating anytime soon.
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Playing the game on a BBC Micro works as intended - you get six tries and if you guess the correct letters in the right order, they will be highlighted in green. If they’re right but in the wrong order, these will be yellow.
It’s a testament to Wordle’s creator, Josh Wardle, that in the space of five weeks, we’ve seen copycats, ports, and unofficial spin-offs such as Lewdle to scratch that five-letter puzzle itch further.
It’s a simple concept but it works brilliantly, but it’s also simple enough that t could be played on almost any device that features some kind of keyboard support.
The next step could be voice control perhaps to help users with accessibility needs. Or one that uses AR to translate sign language into words.
There’s countless possibilities for Wordle, but Wardle hasn’t attempted to profit off any of this. It’s just a game that has a sole aim to be enjoyed, something that sometimes feels all-to-rare these days.
And in the current gaming world of $70 billion acquisitions and what it could mean for certain franchises on non-Microsoft systems, it’s a breath of fresh air.
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