Drawception

About

Drawception.com^[1] is an online social game that combines the activity of drawing with the classic children's game Chinese Whispers.

In the game, players cooperate with others to play and complete various "games", in which each player completes a turn by either 1) drawing an image corresponding to the text-based description or 2) describing an image (in words) that has been passed down from the preceding player in a queue, using a limited color palette within allocated time limit. The result of each round cannot be seen until it has been completed.

History

Drawception was created by game designer Jeremiah Freyholtz^[2] (nicknamed "Reed") in March 2012. The first game was launched later that month.^[3] The website has undergone several upgrades since then, and players have themselves made advancements in its code ^[4].

Features

Gameplay

The game of Drawception takes place over a length that can be anywhere from a few hours to days. A game begins when a player creates a phrase, or draws something. The caption or drawing is then randomly put into another player's queue of games he or she can be in. to be received by other players who will either write a description of the drawing, or draw an example of the phrase. Like the game of Chinese Whispers, the drawing or phrase gets consistently mutated over the course of the game, usually becoming something completely different from what the original player intended.

Games usually have twelve to fifteen players that draw or write. When everything is completed, the phrases and drawings are placed next to each in other in the order that they were created in for public viewing. With XP earned from playing, players can level up and unlock more benefits, such as being able to play in up to thirty-two games at once.

Community

Drawception is, in a way, a form of social media forum. Players can interact in ways that do not involve games. The site has a forum devoted not only to the game itself, but also a wide range of other subjects. Contests are held around holidays such as New Year's or Valentine's day, and participants receive "coins", a system of faux virtual currency that can be used to level up.

Highlights

In-jokes

Drawception has multiple ongoing gags that transcend into different games. Some of the most persistent ones include "Trouble Muffin" (a muffin with an eyepatch that consistently causes mayhem), The "Subliminal Batman" (a drawing fad in which players subliminally hide batman's head in their drawings) and "PS3 Controls Intuitive Enough for Seal" (centering on the misinterpretation of a seal as the singer Seal and shown above).

Reception

Drawception has received attention from larger personalities and site in the past, such as celebrity Felicia Day^[5] and the popular YouTube channel Drawfee.^[6] It was also noticed by the video game blog Kotaku shortly after creation.^[7] Since its launch in 2012, the website has drawn approximately 12,800 users^[8].

Search Interest

External Reference