If you thought Wordle was old news, here’s something even older: Dialup.net created and released Windle, a Wordle clone designed to run on Windows 3.1 and the early 90s PC hardware it was supposed to run on. Windows 3.1.
You can run Windows 3.1 and its applications on modern hardware in a virtual machine or DOSBox, but for maximum authenticity, Windle was built and runs on the right hardware with the right tools. The PC used was a Gateway 2000 4DX2-66V with an Intel 80486 DX2 66 MHz processor, Windows 3.11 for Workgroups, and the very first version of the Borland Delphi development environment. Working on the original hardware helped uncover issues that might not be noticeable in a virtualized copy of Windows 3.1, such as a system hang when the entire dictionary was loaded into memory by the 66 MHz processor.
Windle was designed to fit in with Microsoft Entertainment Pack games such as Chip’s Challenge, JezzBall, Minesweeper and Rodent’s Revenge, making its look instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up around the bulky beige PCs of the early ’90s. Like these games, it also works well on early 32-bit versions of Windows such as Windows 95 and 98. I tested it with a Windows 98 Second Edition install that I installed in DosBox-X to run older games and other software.
If you want to run Windle without digging out an ancient PC or setting up a 90s virtualized Windows environment, Dialup.net also provides a 32-bit build of Windle that will run on modern 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. It won’t look as classic as Windows 3.1.”64-bit versions of Windows cannot run 16-bit software without some kind of virtualization or emulation.
Windle is not the only retro Wordle clone in existence – the game has also been ported to the original Game Boy and various Palm handhelds. Hardware limitations prevent these ports from sharing the same vocabulary and user interface as the web version, but the core gameplay is simple enough that even on a Game Boy’s monochrome screen, the basics can be understood.