Introduction

A desktop implementation of the popular word game Wordle, built using C++ and SFML framework. The game features a clean user interface, word validation, and visual feedback similar to the original web version.

Features

  • Daily word challenges
  • Keyboard input handling
  • Real-time visual feedback
  • Word validation system
  • Score tracking
  • Animated tile reveals

Implementation Details

Game Core

class WordleGame {
public:
    WordleGame();
    void processInput(char letter);
    void checkWord();
    bool isGameOver() const;
    
private:
    std::string targetWord;
    std::vector<std::string> attempts;
    int currentRow;
    int currentCol;
    bool gameWon;
    
    void loadWordList();
    bool isValidWord(const std::string& word);
    std::vector<LetterState> evaluateGuess(const std::string& guess);
};

UI System

class GameUI {
public:
    GameUI(sf::RenderWindow& window);
    void draw();
    void updateTile(int row, int col, char letter, TileState state);
    void updateKeyboard(char key, KeyState state);
    
private:
    sf::RenderWindow& window;
    std::array<std::array<Tile, 5>, 6> tiles;
    std::map<char, Key> keyboard;
    
    void initializeTiles();
    void initializeKeyboard();
    void animateTileReveal(int row);
};

class Tile {
public:
    void setLetter(char letter);
    void setState(TileState state);
    void animate();
    void draw(sf::RenderWindow& window);
    
private:
    sf::RectangleShape background;
    sf::Text text;
    TileState state;
    float animationProgress;
};

Word Validation

class WordValidator {
public:
    WordValidator();
    bool isValid(const std::string& word);
    std::string getRandomWord();
    
private:
    std::unordered_set<std::string> wordList;
    std::vector<std::string> dailyWords;
    
    void loadWordList(const std::string& filename);
    void loadDailyWords(const std::string& filename);
};

Technical Features

Graphics

  • Custom UI components
  • Smooth animations
  • Color-coded feedback
  • Responsive keyboard display

Game Logic

  • Word validation against dictionary
  • Letter position checking
  • Multiple attempt tracking
  • Win/lose state management

Input System

  • Keyboard input handling
  • Virtual keyboard support
  • Input validation
  • Backspace and Enter key handling

Development Challenges

  1. Word List Management

    • Efficient storage and lookup of valid words
    • Daily word selection algorithm
    • Word difficulty balancing
  2. UI Design

    • Responsive tile animations
    • Color state management
    • Keyboard layout implementation
    • Text rendering optimization
  3. Game State Handling

    • Progress tracking
    • Game state persistence
    • Error handling
    • Input validation

Future Improvements

  1. Statistics tracking
  2. Daily challenge mode
  3. Custom word length options
  4. Multiplayer support
  5. Theme customization
  6. Achievement system

Resources