Shovelware's Brain Game

Overview

Shovelware's Brain Game is a Roblox quiz show game in which players take turns answering trivia questions from a number of categories for the chance to win prizes. The game, produced by Shovelware Studios, is hosted by the "Dancing Banana," an anthropomorphic banana who resembles the Peanut Butter Jelly Time flash animation. The game was published in March 2023 and became notably popularized that month, inspiring Let's Plays, fan art and memes featuring The Dancing Banana.

History

On March 11th, 2023, the Shovelware Studios YouTube^[1] page posted a "first look" trailer for their new Roblox^[2] game Shovelware's Brain Game, announcing that it was now available to play, garnering over 141,000 views in two weeks (shown below). They also posted an announcement to the @ShovelwareDev Twitter^[3] page, garnering over 2,700 likes in the same span of time. The game was favorited over 115,000 times and visited over 5 million times in two weeks.

On March 15th, the @ShovelwareDev Twitter^[4] page made a post thanking players for supporting the game and announcing a new update, writing, "We've been blown away by the response to Shovelware's Brain Game!" The post also shares concept art for the Dancing Banana (shown below).

Gameplay

The game plays like a trivia quiz show. One player picks a category and a question is asked relating to the category. The player answers and if they're correct, are awarded 10 points. Other players also answer, with the fastest player getting five points, or 10 points if the player who chose the category is incorrect, every other correct player receives one less point. Winning players are awarded coins to use at the game's shop, which are used to purchase cosmetic items like new podiums and buzzer sounds.

Online Presence

Following the game's release, players began drawing fan art and memes featuring the Dancing Banana character. On March 15th, 2023, Twitter^[5] user @PaperySomething posted a piece of art that gained over 1,700 likes in a week (shown below).

The game also became the subject of numerous Let's Plays. On March 17th, YouTuber^[6] KreekCraft posted a video playing the game, garnering over 500,000 views in six days (shown below).

On March 18th, Twitter^[7][8] users @Cookie_Docinha and @LakeFoundExit posted fan art and a meme about the game, respectively, garnering over 433 likes and 4,300 likes in five days (shown below, left and right).

On March 19th, Twitter^[9] user @Farris_wheel_ posted an original animation in which they animate a clip from Family Feud using the characters and settings of Shovelware's Brain Game, garnering over 7,600 likes in four days (shown below). On March 21st, YouTuber^[10] Dawko posted a let's play of the game, garnering over 100,000 views in a day.

this is so rushed i'm sorry #shovelwarebraingame pic.twitter.com/3XkgBq6Mtp

— Farris_Wheel (@Farris_wheel_) March 19, 2023

Fan Art / Meme Examples

Search Interest

External References