News I’ve played every Wordle and lost only once — here are my tips

[admin]

You learn a lot of Wordle tips and tricks from playing all 272 games — so here are the 11 things to consider when you play today's game.

I’ve played every Wordle and lost only once — here are my tips : Read more

 

[Dr. Ormand von Kleigstadt]

I've played since December and only lost once as well. FYI you can still play the whole archived series at the Web Archive here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20220114013237/https://metzger.media/games/wordle-archive/?day=1

It's highly unlikely that the NYT will be able to get them to remove it, but play while you can.

 

[saaaah]

Strongly disagree with point #3 about Hard mode.
What your example shows is that starting with xATCH is a weak play, not that Hard mode is "stupid."
Hard mode is more complex. It's more than just lighting up the board with the same old strategy based on word and letter frequencies. A fine result for your first guess is 5 black squares. Narrow the field safely with eliminated letters before making a play at the word to avoid getting entrapped.

 

[ViciousGame]

Once you mentioned your steak was in easy mode, you lost all credibility. A word like WATCH can burn anyone in both modes. Easy mode bails you out. Using a throwaway word IS easier; hence, the name. You can rationalize all you want, but you’re easy mode streak is pretty weak in comparison.

Like the saying goes: “I’d rather be lucky than good”. Besides, fortune favors the well prepared.

 

[Jeannie567]

I use most of your guidelines, but when I played the games you listed as difficult, I solved most of them in 3 guesses (though also lost 78). One difference in our strategies is that I’ve observed that Wordle seems to preferentially choose words with duplicate letters; thus I prioritize rather than delay ruling these in or out. I also generally start with the same TWO words, unless I feel emboldened by enough hits from my first word to go for it. The only words I’ve failed to solve are those with way too many possible solutions (thus I wouldn’t dream of so-called hard mode; where’s the fun in that?!). I could do better by expanding my repertoire of multi-consonant “throwaway” words, which I dubbed “probe words” before I learned the web’s term for them. Like you, PLUMB and its near relations are favorites, but often I’m down to such obscure consonants that I can rarely fit 3 of them into a word, let alone 4. Do you have access to a resource for these? Enjoyed your piece.

 

[Marc McLaren]

I've played since December and only lost once as well. FYI you can still play the whole archived series at the Web Archive here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20220114013237/https://metzger.media/games/wordle-archive/?day=1

It's highly unlikely that the NYT will be able to get them to remove it, but play while you can.

Thanks for the tip — definitely worth knowing and I'll update the article with that info.
Marc

 

[Kentix]

I'm at 56 games today in hard mode so that's how long ago I discovered the game. I haven't missed one so far.

I start with a different word every time. The way I look at it is I play for fun and using the same word every time wouldn't be much fun. I go with inspiration. One of my best opening words ever was f l i c k. It probably violates every first guess rule but I got it in 2. To me, that's fun. So far, at least, having five more guesses has always been sufficient (with one or two close calls). Most of my first guesses are probably closer to the type you talked about but I mix it up.

I tried 78 and got it in 4. It definitely was unusual, though.

I tend to play quickly. The first guess and the second don't need much thinking about since there are so many possibilities. If you're lucky, by the third guess, things are coming into focus. If I can get it in 3, it doesn't take much time at all (< 1 min). But I have made that DOYEN kind of mistake, of too quickly picking a less common word, once or twice.