Wordle copycat creator apologizes for ripping off the popular free word game
Developer Zach Shakked — the creator of one of several controversial copycat versions of Josh Wardle’s popular free word-guessing game — has responded to Apple removing his app from the App Store after an internet backlash that followed his boasting about the money-making potential of his clone.
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“I realize I crossed a line. And I surely, surely will never do anything remotely close to this again. I fucked up,” tweeted Shakked. He goes on to explain that “Wordle” itself wasn’t trademarked and that Wardle’s game was similar to Lingo, an older TV game show with a similar word-guessing mechanic. Shakked also says that he planned to expand on Wordle with more functionality and change the overall design of the app to less resemble Wardle’s own game, had he been able to before Apple removed his app from the store.
Here were my calculations: a) Wordle is a ripoff of another game b) Wordle the word isn't trademarked and there's a bunch of other unrelated word apps named the same thing c) Wow, I'll hack together something on the weekend and see if I can make a buck
Wordle has skyrocketed to popularity over the past several weeks, with its minimalist design, bite-sized daily puzzles, and the now-iconic grids of grey, yellow, and green squares. The original game is completely free and solely played through a web browser, leaving an opportunity for any number of copycats to try and make a quick buck off the concept on the App Store.
Shakked’s clone (called “Wordle – The App”) was one of the more high-profile copies, thanks to the developer’s celebratory tweets about the project and the eyebrow-raising price tag — an optional $30-per-year annual subscription that would allow players to play an unlimited number of
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