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Gotta Solve 'Em All: NYT Opens Wordle Archive to Subscribers

New York Times subscribers now have access to more than 1,000 previous Wordle puzzles to feed their addiction.

Ian Sherr Contributor and Former Editor at Large / News
Ian Sherr (he/him/his) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so he's always had a connection to the tech world. As an editor at large at CNET, he wrote about Apple, Microsoft, VR, video games and internet troubles. Aside from writing, he tinkers with tech at home, is a longtime fencer -- the kind with swords -- and began woodworking during the pandemic.
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Ian Sherr
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Wordle, the New York Times word puzzle

Wordle fans can now dig into the game's archives.

 James Martin/CNET

Your Wordle addiction is about to get a serious boost. The New York Times is launching an archive of its past Wordle puzzles, giving subscribers access to more than 1,000 of the popular daily games. The archive will stretch back to 2021, which is even before the Times bought the game from creator Josh Wardle. The rollout, which the Times says will happen over "the next couple of months," will include giving subscribers access to the archive on the web and NYT Games app.

The daily Wordle will remain free, while access to the NYT Games service costs $6 per month at the company's standard rate. A subscription to the entire NYT service, including games, news, cooking and The Athletic sports news, is $25 per month. 

Read more: Need the Wordle Answer for May 8? How About the Connections Answer for May 8?

"This expansion is not just about playing past puzzles; it's about deepening the connection our community has with Wordle and with each other," Jonathan Knight, head of Games at The New York Times, said in a statement. "We believe this will make the daily puzzle even more engaging and provide even more moments of surprise and delight for our subscribers to share with friends and family."

Read more: Wordle: The Best Starter Words, Strategies, Tips and Tricks To Help You Win 

The NYT's expansion of Wordle is another way the company has been steadily growing the popular word game since acquiring it in 2022. The game started as an online word puzzle and launched in 2021. NYT executives have said "tens of millions" of people have played the game, making it one of the biggest puzzle games on the planet.

The game's success is due in part to the way it encouraged people to post their scores online, tempting others to play too. Its puzzle-per-day nature add an element of community to the game as well.

Read more: Wordle: Your Best Starting Words And More Tips

Another part of Wordle's success was the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced millions of people into isolating lockdowns. Wordle and many other online social experiences helped people reconnect in new ways. 

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are All the Letters of the Alphabet Ranked By Use

The NYT said it plans to continue adding to Wordle by integrating its popular WordleBot into its NYT Games app for mobile devices. The WordleBot, which the NYT released in 2022, which helps players analyze how well they played based on skill, luck and strategy.