A new trivia game called QuizUp has surfaced on the iOS platform and since its launch on Nov. 7, 2013 it has gained more than four million users playing across the world. QuizUp is a free, social trivia game that allows you to battle against your friends’ knowledge in a variety of subjects.
To connect with your friends, sync QuizUp to Facebook, Twitter or your phone’s contacts. Through the app, you can chat and challenge them to a game of trivia. Unfortunately, an internet connection is needed to play since all matches happen in real time. This affects the game’s mobility because internet isn’t always readily available.
There are currently over 300 topics (and counting) for you to choose from in a variety of categories, from history to music, sports, movies and more. The app is said to have a topic for everyone’s taste; however, if you don’t see something for you, you can contribute a topic to the game. There are many educational topics to stimulate yourself — a feature that may help you feel less guilty for becoming addicted.
If your friends can’t keep up with your skills, there is the option to play with a stranger that you are paired with based on the topic you choose. You can test your Disney knowledge with someone in Ireland or see how your geography skills stand up to someone in North Carolina. Gain titles and climb up the ranks to compare how you stand against your friends and the community on the app.
Though the game is fun and entertaining, there is some educational value mixed in, according to Neal Ostrov, chief marketing officer for Plain Vanilla Games.
“I feel that QuizUp can be extremely educationally stimulating to college students, if the user chooses so; i.e. it depends on the specific topics users choose to play. We have numerous educational topics catered to specific subjects in school. The gamification and the head-to-head nature of the app has the potential to make the learning experience much more ‘fun’ and pleasurable,” said Ostrov in an email interview.
While playing, you gain points, and the player with the most points wins in the end. Points are determined by the speed and accuracy of a player’s answers. Faster answers are given more points, but if you answer incorrectly, you receive zero points. There are seven rounds and each has a time limit. However, there is a final round which is worth double the points. Even if you’re in the lead, this last round can boost your opponent to victory.
The trivia battles last only a minute and the game is very simplistic and easy to get the hang of. The quick and easy nature of the game paired with the competition makes it easy to get hooked, especially as your points and rank rise with every game.
Although it is currently not available for Android users, Plain Vanilla Games is working to change that in the near future
“[We are] aiming to launch the Android version around the end of January,” Ostrov said.
[…] QuizUp hits campus The gamification and the head-to-head nature of the app has the potential to make the learning experience much more 'fun' and pleasurable,” said Ostrov in an email interview. While playing, you gain points, and the player with the most points wins in … Read more on The Aggie […]