Wordle hard mode is actually easy mode.

You know that thing they say about spending 90% of the time understanding the problem, and then 10% doing it? Wordle Hard Mode is a neat little case study in that. I’ve written before about how slow is smooth, and smooth is fast and hard mode captures the same principle

When you’re not in hard mode, you can get away with guessing carelessly, burning moves just to see what sticks. But in hard mode, the rules close off that shortcut. You’re forced to carry the knowledge from one move into the next, to play with discipline.

And that’s the paradox: hard mode ends up being easier. Because it forces you into understanding first. And once you’ve understood, the doing flows.