Zynga Does It Right With ‘Draw Something 2’ App
Remember when Draw Something exploded onto the scene in early 2012 and we were suddenly addicted to the Pictionary-esque app? Within seven weeks of its debut in the App Store, 50 million users were hooked on using their touchscreens to sketch images for their Facebook friends in turn-based games. But even though Zinga spruced up the app when it purchased it from New York startup OMGpop in March 2012, the novelty eventually wore off, and a lot of players got bored with the app, moving back to old standbys like Words With Friends or newer options such as SongPop.
Draw Something is back with a badass sequel, and it’s bound to draw users back to the game in hoards. With Draw Something 2, Zynga has added new drawing tools, and players can add special patterns and textures to drawings. But those additions are only the tip of the iceberg. Draw Something 2 includes a social interface that almost guarantees players won’t get bored anytime soon.
So how does it work? Well for starters, Draw Something 2 features a “Gallery” of art from the game you’ll never believe was drawn with a finger. Seriously, we’re talking shit that belongs in a museum. Before I downloaded this app I felt pretty good about how creatively I could draw my stick figures and basic shapes. I took one look at some of these users’ drawings and felt ashamed to play there for a while.
Even though I didn’t want to send any drawings to other players, Draw Something 2 still offered plenty of other activities to keep me occupied. From the Gallery, players are free to “follow” other users. The “Me” screen looks a lot like a Twitter profile page. It lists my number of drawings, followers and likes, as well as how many players are following me. I can see a list of recommended artists, and follow them if I choose. I can also see a list of my drawing achievements and invite friends from the Me screen.
The “Home” page is the most exciting addition to Draw Something 2, however. The page looks like Facebook’s News Feed, but the posts feature Doodles of the Day and other drawings highlighted for players to like, comment or even share with others. The Home page also offers the chance to win free coins by drawing a random word or guessing another image. Each consecutive day you play, the coin value of the games increases.
All in all, Draw Something 2 kicks ass. I’m actually disappointed that none of my contacts have it downloaded yet. I can still play against random players, but those games are usually iffy at best. It’s usually either a player that is so good I’m ashamed to send my finger-drawn stick guys, or one of those ass-wipe cheaters that just writes the word down and sends it over, or the guy that quits every time he’s losing. So hopefully everyone downloads this app pronto and we can get our games on!