11–20 of 29 posts
Not having a back button is a big deal. You sit there and think "well, I better just whip out a drawing so I can get back to my list of games" -- the only alternative is to exit back to the homescreen and wait some undetermined time (perhaps for the app to be moved out of memory?) But the point is that forcing you to play the next turn in the round instead of picking another game acts to perpetuate engagement very ef…
Not having a back button is a big deal. You sit there and think "well, I better just whip out a drawing so I can get back to my list of games" -- the only alternative is to exit back to the homescreen and wait some undetermined time (perhaps for the app to be moved out of memory?) But the point is that forcing you to play the next turn in the round instead of picking another game acts to perpetuate engagement very ef…
You can force quit the app, and it will relaunch to your list of games.
EDIT: something else occurs to me too. When you are presented with a list of words to draw, you have the option to "bomb" the list and get new words. As I mentioned, if you force quit the app at this point, and come back to that round, you will be offered different words, for free (definitely an exploit if you are patient enough to go through the process of force-quitting and restarting). I guess putting a back button on this screen would pretty much obviate the need for the "bomb" button, and would directly impact their bottom line since people wouldn't have as many opportunities to use their bombs. I have a suspicion that that's the reason there is no back button...the fact that it doesn't give players a chance to back out and keeps them a little more engaged it probably just a happy side effect.
Its unplayable on my iphone 4 (up to date) I really dont see why its so popular? its SO slow. Personally I prefer depict!
Finally, I'd add that the game has a few annoyances. For example, the popup requesting you to rate the game in the app store can't be ignored. You must either rate the game, or postpone doing so. I also lost all of my purchased colors after an update. Clearly they're having growing pains, but my enthusiasm is waning.
1. Watching friends screw up is fun
This is genius. Draw Something combines the benefits of asynchronous gameplay (easier to play with friends instead of strangers because they don’t have to be online) with the benefits of synchronous gameplay: watching the action in quasi-realtime. Watching your friends painfully draw a crude Tom Hanks stroke-by-stroke is just good ol’ fashioned fun. Even better, this acts as an indirect communication channel for users to write messages and clear the screen before starting the actual drawing.
2. There isn’t a freaking back button
When you tap on a game to have a turn, there is literally no way back. You are forced to complete the turn before you can view your other games. Given most players have a lot of games on the go, they are keen to get back to the home screen and see who is ready to play. If you play Words With Friends, how many times have you tapped on a game, not thought of a move then tapped back to try another game? Draw Something forces you through the turn which keeps the whole machine ticking over faster.
3. Play for seconds or hours
The amount of time you want to dedicate to playing is completely variable. If you are waiting in a queue you can spend 10 seconds drawing a quick move on a single game. If you really want to knuckle down, you can slave over every pixel for 20 games and spend hours playing it. This is vital for a mobile casual game to fit into all sorts of time-killing / entertainment situations.
4. Natural encouragement to start new games
You just finish 5 moves and are waiting on everyone to have their turn…what do you do? Start another game of course! Why wouldn’t you when you can see all those other fun Facebook friends are ready to play?
5. Cooperative playing where scoring actually doesn’t matter
Most game developers spend a huge amount of time trying to tune scoring systems and get the balance right. In Draw Something it’s all kinda a bit vague…and that’s a good thing. If you are really into scores, you can dive into it. Most regular players just have fun guessing drawings from their friends (and maybe getting a decent streak). You are essentially working together, which can be a lot less intimidating for people who are worried about not being good at games.
6. Virtual ice breaker with Facebook crushes
Seriously, don’t tell me you didn’t start a sneaky game with that guy/gal you don’t really know but thought “why not”. Given the tight Facebook integration, it makes it socially acceptable to start a game with someone on the outer edge of your social circle. Because there isn’t a chat option, it forces you to communicate purely through drawing which can be far less awkward.
7. Words are taken from pop culture
Rather than just ripping a bunch of words straight from the dictionary…you end up drawing things like Lady Gaga or Dubstep. Far more stimulating!
I've enjoyed the game, but it seems to have a short shelf life. I started playing with about half a dozen co-workers last week, and now almost all of them have quit playing. This may in part be due to a.) not enough words (I'm seeing a lot of repeats), b.) time required to play -- drawing an elaborate picture (or watching it be drawn) takes considerable time (on an iPhone), and I often find myself shying away from th…
I believe there's a skip button? Never tried pushing it, though.
Not having a back button is a big deal. You sit there and think "well, I better just whip out a drawing so I can get back to my list of games" -- the only alternative is to exit back to the homescreen and wait some undetermined time (perhaps for the app to be moved out of memory?) But the point is that forcing you to play the next turn in the round instead of picking another game acts to perpetuate engagement very ef…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can force quit the app, and it will relaunch to your list of games.
Heh, which I find myself doing frequently. Every time I get to the point where there are no "easy" choices for words to draw, I find myself force-quitting the app, relaunching, and playing a round with someone different, and then coming back to the round I skipped (incidentally, you get offered new word choices in this case). Hard to say whether having a "back" button would end up discouraging people from continuing…
Minor quibble, I know, but it does seem odd that you get new choices just by quitting when they really want you to pay for them.
For those having a hard time getting to the article. 1. Watching friends screw up is fun This is genius. Draw Something combines the benefits of asynchronous gameplay (easier to play with friends instead of strangers because they don’t have to be online) with the benefits of synchronous gameplay: watching the action in quasi-realtime. Watching your friends painfully draw a crude Tom Hanks stroke-by-stroke is just goo…