Build the next Wordle game with React | Code with Beto

Learn how to create a simple hidden letter game in React, inspired by Wordle-style gameplay. You build a board filled with similar letters and try to find the one letter that is different. The game tracks your time to solve 10 rounds, with the board size and letters changing each game.

It’s a practical project for React developers looking to improve their skills with object-oriented programming, dynamic rendering, and game logic. The code is organized into components and utility functions for clarity and reuse.

What's inside

Creating a React project and setting up folders for components and utils
Building a utility function to create individual cells with row, column, and letter data
Generating a 2D board matrix filled with letters and one hidden different letter
Selecting random letter pairs that are visually similar for the game challenge
Assigning the hidden letter and normal letters dynamically on the board
Managing board size and random positions for the hidden letter each game
Using React state and rendering to display the board and track game progress
Tips on extending the game and accessing the full project on GitHub

Creating a React project and folder structure

I start by creating a new React app using . After installing dependencies, the project is opened in Visual Studio Code.

Inside the folder, two new folders are created: for React components and for helper functions. This separation keeps the code organized and easier to maintain.

Building a utility function to create cells

A utility function is created in . This function initializes each cell object with properties: , , , and a flag set to false by default.

This abstraction helps keep cell creation logic out of components and makes it reusable when building the board matrix.

Generating a 2D board matrix

The core game board is a 2D array (matrix) created by the function in . It builds rows and columns dynamically based on random sizes.

For each cell, is called with the row, column, and a letter chosen from a random pair of similar letters. The board array is returned for rendering.

Selecting random letter pairs

The game uses pairs of letters that look similar (like 'b' and 'd', or 'p' and 'q') to make the hidden letter challenging to spot. These pairs are stored in an array.

Each game randomly selects one of these pairs. One letter fills most of the board, and the other is the hidden letter placed in a random position.

Assigning the hidden letter dynamically

A random index decides which letter in the pair is the hidden letter and which fills the board. The hidden letter’s position is randomly chosen by generating random row and column indices.

This logic ensures the hidden letter is always different from the rest and placed unpredictably each round.

Managing board size and random positions

The board’s width and height are randomized each game to add variety. Random row and column numbers are generated with and adjusted to avoid zero size.

This randomness keeps the game fresh and tests the player’s observation skills with different board dimensions.

Using React state and rendering

Although not fully detailed in the transcript, the game uses React state to hold the board data and track the player’s progress and time. Components render the board cells and handle user interactions to find the hidden letter.

I encourage extending the game with additional features and improving the UI.

Tips and GitHub project access

I mention the project will be available on the Code with I website under the projects section. You can download the full source code and follow along.

I also suggests this simple game is a good exercise to improve programming skills, especially object-oriented design and React fundamentals.

Resources

CourseReact course

Learn React fundamentals and build projects with practical examples.

YouTubeBuild a Wordle-like game with React

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