Arkadium launched Hurdle, a new Wordle as Twitter’s second most popular game of 2022, resting just behind popular MMO, Genshin Impact.
As Wordle continues to garner attention, some game developers have attempted to mimic a fraction of its popularity by creating so-called clones. These games share Wordle’s basic principle and design, tasking players with solving some kind of puzzle within a limited amount of guesses. Many Wordle clones offer a unique variation on the game, too, such as adopting a specific theme, like Fortle, which tests years of Fortnite updates. Other clones have done more to change the game, altering the format of Wordle from a text-based word guessing game to something more auditory or visual. For example, Heardle tests a player's knowledge of iconic soundtracks from fighting video games, presenting music from a given IP. Moviedle, a Wordle clone for movie buffs, has become popular in its own right, testing knowledge with clips from a film rather than words or pictures.
Arkadium launched its own Wordle clone, Hurdle, which gives players five puzzles to solve per day. The game is structured similar to the original, tasking players with guessing the five-letter word within six guesses. The catch is that the player has to finish a total of five puzzles, one after the other, with all four previous puzzles culminating in the fifth and final challenge. The fifth Hurdle puzzle is then prefilled with the answers from the previous ones, leaving players only two chances to solve it. Players who fail to finish any of the five puzzles are locked out of the game until the next puzzle is released at midnight the following day. Hurdle is playable on Arkadium, a browser-based game company.
Hurdle is very similar to other Wordle clones, like Octordle, which offers eight Wordle puzzles. The main difference is that Hurdle’s puzzles are presented one after the other, like hurdles, whereas games like Octordle and Quardle, a Wordle clone that contains four puzzles, present all the puzzles at once. Hurdle offers a variation to the traditional Wordle strategies, too. While solving a Wordle puzzle is important, many attempt to guess the correct word in the fewest guesses possible, competing against others through the Wordle box. Hurdle, however, seems to trade speed for endurance. Guessing each word correctly within six tries is imperative to solving all five puzzles, and using as many different letters in the alphabet for the first four puzzles makes guessing the final word much easier.
While no Wordle clone has mirrored the original’s massive virality, the variations are usually unique enough to garner a dedicated community. If for nothing else, Wordle clones like Marvle or Wheredle are a good way to solve more puzzles after guessing the original’s daily five-letter word.
Source: Arkadium
