Don't worry, Quordle is not going behind a paywall, says Merriam-Webster

techradar.com:

For all those who feel a certain pride in playing Quordle, the five-letter word game best known for being four times as difficult as Wordle, your word quest is vindicated. Iconic dictionary brand Merriam-Webster bought up the popular online puzzler and announced it on Thursday.

Merriam-Webster, which is owned by Encyclopedia Britannica, quietly snapped up the game, which launched shortly after Wordle became an online phenomenon in late 2021.

Quordle has a lot in common with Wordle. Where Wordle asks you to solve a five-letter word puzzle in five guesses, Quordle asks you to simultaneously solve four five-word puzzles in nine attempts.

Both present you with a standard virtual keyboard and after you enter a five-letter word guess, letters appear across all four-word boards. Correct letters in the right spots are green and correct letters in the wrong spots are orange. Yes, just like Wordle.

The big difference is that one set of letters instantly applies to all four puzzles, which is why Quordle is considered so much more difficult. You're solving four puzzles at once and with just nine attempts.

News of the acquisition was announced on Twitter by the Quordle account and now the Quordle URL https://www.quordle.com resolves to a Merriam-Webster URL.

I'm delighted to announce that Quordle was acquired by @MerriamWebster I can't think of a better home for this game. Lots of new features and fun to come, so stay tuned!January 20, 2023

Quordle doesn't have the same kind of rabid fanbase as Wordle (perhaps it's just too hard), but Merriam-Webster's backing could change that.

What most people didn't know until Friday, however, is that Merriam-Webster purchased Quordle last year.

«The founder was a big fan of us being a home for the