Hurdle is a multi-stage Wordle game of survival

Hurdle, a Wordle alternative
(Image credit: Alan Martin)

Another day, another Wordle clone arrives to join our list of the best Wordle alternatives. But rather than offer a totally different take on the original, Hurdle takes the classic format we all know and love then gives you five successive games to play. 

Not to be confused with another Wordle clone — the musical guessing game Heardle — Hurdle is aimed at those who find guessing one word a day a bit too limiting. However, it adds to the pressure by requiring you to clear four Hurdles before the final word appears. With each one, the answer will then become the first guess for the next puzzle — so you won't be able to use the best Wordle start words for most of them.

Then, once you get onto the final word, four of the traditional guess slots are pre-filled with the previous correct words, leaving you with just two attempts to uncover the final answer and complete the series. If you fall here, or at an earlier Hurdle, then you’re out and have to wait until tomorrow to try again.

Otherwise, it’s the familiar Wordle that we all know and love. You’re presented with a mystery five-letter word, and you get six guesses to deduce what it may be. Every letter in the right place is marked in green, while a correct letter in the wrong place gets shaded yellow. From there, you have to work backwards to figure out what the gaps could be. In other words, the usual Wordle tips and tricks should work for you just fine here. 

Hurdle

(Image credit: Hurdle)

Whether you’ll enjoy this new twist depends on how you treat a successful Wordle completion. For me, it’s a sense of relief that the win has ensured my streak is safe for another 24 hours, but with Hurdle you’re immediately presented with another and the pressure starts all over again. Getting three rounds in successfully was a thrill, but I wouldn’t say it’s exactly relaxing. 

It is, however, less stressful than the battle royale multiplayer Squabble and at least you only have to guess one word at a time, unlike Dordle, Quordle and Octordle which feature two, four and eighth words consecutively respectively. It’s also more straightforward than Semantle, which requires you to figure out a word based on its semantic closeness and which can take hundreds of guesses a time. 

If you want a break from guessing, you could always try setting the mystery word. Adverswordle has you doing just that, while an AI ruthlessly runs through all the possibilities based on you marking its work. Or you could just make words for your friends with Wordle Unlimited and watch others sweat for a change.

TOPICS
Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

Read more
Wordle displayed on a smartphone
Today's Wordle hints and answer — solution #1,362, March 12
Wordle answer for #1,244, Thursday, November 14
The 10 most difficult Wordles of 2024
Grok 2
I just created a video game using Grok — here's how
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #286 (Saturday, December 14 2024)
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #360 (Wednesday, February 26 2025)
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #369 (Friday, March 7 2025)
Latest in Gaming
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Wednesday, March 12 (#640)
Nintendo Switch 2 promo image
Nintendo Switch 2 patent hints at a major improvement — and it could be the reason for the mysterious “C” button
Horizon Forbidden West on PC
AI-powered PlayStation characters are being tested at Sony — what we know
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #374 (Wednesday, March 12 2025)
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Tuesday, March 11 (#639)
Xbox handheld
Xbox handheld reportedly arriving this year, new PC-like console in 2027
Latest in News
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge back
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge price comes into focus with latest leak
Apple iPhone 16 Plus Review.
Apple just released an emergency security update for a flaw used in an ‘extremely sophisticated attack’ — update your devices right now
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Wednesday, March 12 (#640)
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels in Hacks
Max reveals 'Hacks' season 4 release date and trailer — here's when it's coming
Google Pixel 5 review
Google Pixel 10 lineup leaked in new renderings — here's what they look like
A person trying to set up a new Wi-Fi router
Thousands of TP-Link routers have been infected by a botnet to spread malware