“Buzzword” for iPhone Turns Your Phone Into a Party Game
Sunday, 03. 15. 2009 – Category: Apple, Technology
I constantly tell friends that the feature I use least on my iPhone is the phone itself. Since the release of the App Store, developers around the globe have proven that the iPhone can do just about anything you would want on a mobile device and more. I can easily calculate the tip at a restaurant, tune my guitar, read a book, or track my fuel economy — all with my iPhone. These utility applications have demonstrated the usefulness of the iPhone, but what about entertainment?
While game developers such as Pangea Software, Inc. and Electronic Arts have released single-player strategy games for the iPhone, developer Brandon Trebitowski of Treb Apps recently released Buzzword ($0.99) (link opens in iTunes), his first application for the iPhone which turns the device into a party game. After playing around with the game for a few days, I came to the conclusion that Buzzword is a combination of Taboo, Charades, and Hot Potato. Trebitowski lays out the game rules below.
To play the game, players need to split up into two teams. You should sit in a circle alternating every other person as a member on your team.
First, the teams will need to decide on a category in which the words will come from. This is done by pressing the “Category” button. Next, pick a team to begin the game with the first word.
The game starts by pressing the “start/stop” button to start the timer. The player holding the iPhone/iPod will try to describe the word on the screen. They can say and do whatever they want without saying any of the words on the screen, saying “rhymes with”, or saying “starts with”. All of the members on their team will then try to guess the word or phrase the player is trying to describe.
Once the word has been guessed, the iPhone/iPod is passed to the next player on the opposite team. This player will press the “Next” button to receive a new word to describe.
The game is played until the buzzer goes off. At this point, the team NOT holding the iPhone/iPod gets a point. This is done by pressing either the “Team 1″ or “Team 2″ buttons. The first team to 7 wins!
From brandonTreb.com
After playing around with Buzzword for a few days, I gathered some tips and opinions. First of all, make sure that your iPhone or iPod touch is not on silent. The sound of the ticking timer must be audible for time to be kept. Since the first-generation iPod touch did not have an external speaker, Buzzword cannot ideally be played on it, unless you use a separate timer of your own. Also, when selecting a category at the beginning of the game, be sure to notice the “All” category which will select words across all categories, making the game slightly more challenging. The fast-paced nature of Buzzword makes it an exciting game for any occasion. Letting other people get their sweaty paws on my iPhone, however, might take some getting used to.
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