Draw & Guess

If you were ever looking for the most blatant definition of gameplay within the video game's title - it would be Draw & Guess. There aren't any twists and turns, nor are there any esoteric concepts behind the title. The game only asks its players to draw and guess - Occam's razor operating at full steam in this nifty title.

While the concept may appear simple in nearly every aspect - sometimes the most straightforward ideas are the most entertaining. Party games have become all the rage in the last couple of years, given many of us being inside. Draw & Guess strips down the fancy interfaces and forced mechanics to give players a more liberal approach to gameplay. But why play this instead of just using a pen & paper?

Let The Guessing Games Begin

Frankly, it might as well be a pen and paper game. Draw & Guess really doesn't add much visually into the game with an interface that looks like hand-drawn as the players' efforts. However, that is the whole point. The drawings are the centerpiece in a game that serves as a digital version of what can only be described as stripped-down Pictionary.

Draw & Guess allows 4-16 players to compete in a casual, wholesome guessing game. Each player will take turns as the artist, drawing a randomized word for other players to guess. The fastest player to guess the correct word receives points - and after three rounds, the one with the most points wins. There's probably not a player in the world who couldn't instantly grasp this concept.

So is such an elementary interpretation of a drawing and guessing game any fun? It's sort of hard not to be when you've got a whole host of players mucking around with their questionable art skills. The thing about Draw & Guess is that it feels like it's been quickly made to maximize audiences. It wants to monetize rather than offer the player any sort of unique take on the party game.

Taking nothing away from the fun factor, Draw & Guess is something that's been done before. Many times, in fact, and most are arguably better. While it's nice that you can take the game just about anywhere, it won't be long before you find yourself competing against a player base that is as bored as you are. Draw & Guess argues itself as a liberal party game, but honestly, it just seems lackluster.

Does What It Says On The Tin

You can't argue that Draw & Guess doesn't do what it says it is. It's actually quite the elegant solution if you need something to do with your friends on a night in. Even though your pen is the oyster in this game, you can't help feel limited in what you can actually do with it. The reward system simply isn't enough to get anybody to get competitive.

Pros:

• A simple game that gets players immersed quickly
• Liberal drawing mechanics can pull a lot of entertainment
• Feels wholesome with its pen and paper visuals

Cons:

• No interesting objectives or reward system
• Little diversity in gameplay
• Feels as if the game was developed for the wrong reasons