Quirky App Of The Day: We Spy Turns Your Personal Photos Into A Game
by Kathryn Zane
July 7, 2012
Lately, there have been some apps coming out that mimic or build off of Draw Something. The We Spy app uses personal pictures for the game. Unlike traditional spying games, you get to choose what your opponent is looking for. You outline the object that your opponent is suppose to hunt for. You give a clue to start with, and your opponent only gets three guesses to tap the correct item. After that, they lose the game. If they guess correctly, they get points.
The premise of the game is to guess the item as quickly as possible without any extra hints. Your tap and the outline need to be right over each other. There's no leeway for being in close proximity. My recommendation is to be generous with the outline, especially if it's for a smaller object. That way, if the tap is slightly off, it'll still count as a correct guess.
The app keeps track of where you tapped. It shows up with a fingerprint. This prevents you from tapping the same spot you have tried before. Since you only get three tries to guess the item this comes in handy. The first tap is free, but every tap after that deducts two points from your score.
As far as the points are concerned, I think it's like "Who's Line Is It Anyway" where points don't matter. You don't play to a certain number of rounds, so it's more a game of endurance at that point. Since there's no clear-cut end, the winner seems to be the last person to give up on the game.
In order to play with anyone, you have to either login to Facebook and authorize the app, or you have to connect with an email address. I don't like Facebook integration for apps even though it looks like things are heading in that direction. I don't have any apps activated on my Facebook profile, and I don't like authorizing permission for apps. While some people may enjoy using the app with their friends over Facebook, I'm more private about things like that.
I also don't like having to give out an email address to sign up for an app. To play the game using email, you send the picture to your opponent by typing in their email address. If they've already created an account, your game is set up in the app. I created two accounts using separate emails to test it. Call it paranoia or being overly cautious, but I'd be a greater supporter of the app if there was a way to skip having to use Facebook or email.
While We Spy may have some hang ups with Facebook and emails, it is a free app. It's also universal, so it doesn't matter which device you have on hand at the time.
How do you feel about having to login to Facebook or give an email address for apps that you use for fun?