The new viral web-based word puzzle game Wordle has a new app competitor, and players are very unhappy with it. Wordle has taken over people's Twitter feeds, with its simple play pattern and sharable blocks - which have themselves become something of a meme. But Wordle's creator has been vocal that he does not want to make Wordle into just another game.
Part of the appeal of Wordle, and a big reason why it has taken over the internet, is the fact that not only is the game simple, but its interface isn't cluttered with ads. Unlike most service or free-to-play games, Wordle doesn't require any sort of subscription, there is no option to purchase more guesses or new words, and there are no ads that need to be sat through. This is an aberration in an era where games have been accused of being exploitative and including predatory features like loot boxes. In fact, Wordle creator Josh Wardle recently came out and gave an interview, in which he promised that Wordle would never become overrun with ads or other forms of microtransactions. Unfortunately, it does not seem that one of Wordle's copy-cats is not adhering to Wardle's philosophy.
According to screenwriter Gary Whitta, who brought this to the public's attention on Twitter, a new Wordle app that is a near carbon copy of the Wordle browser game. While the app does expand on the game in some ways (like offering 4, 6, and 7 letter words that players can solve), it also has brought much of that dreaded monetization to the game. According to a report by Kotaku, the Wordle app has a pro version for players who want unlimited plays and a subscription plan for unlocking additional features. Unsurprisingly, players around the world have reacted with outrage, calling it a naked rip-off of Wordle that's so bad the app doesn't even bother to change the name of the game!
At the initial time of writing, it seems that the creator of the Wordle app has set his Twitter to private after receiving harassment from angry gamers. Before that, though, the app had received over 12,000 downloads from various mobile app stores. It also appears as if the creator curiously previously expressed disdain for "copycats," according to a Tweet from June 2021:
The creator of the Wordle app copycat game later responded to the negativity:
While this level of backlash may have been a bit excessive, it goes to show how gamers have begun to push back against some of these more nefarious microtransactions. Wordle's accessibility is one of the biggest attractions, as anyone with an internet browser can play. The Wordle app, on the other hand, completely ruined the integrity of the game it was ripping off.
Sources: Gary Whitta/Twitter, Kotaku, zachshakked/Twitter