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QuickMe

Published by Spiksoft
Price $0.99
Primary Genre Secondary Genre

How to describe this one? I'll start with the description from their Facebook page. "QuickMe is the perfect conversation starter right in your pocket. The app allows you to quickly get to know someone as well as generating discussion and deeper conversation. What do you think of lava lamps? Libertarians? Contraception? Civil disobedience? How well do you think agree with your friend, mum or potential partner?"

Sarah Palin and Bruce Wayne compare opinions on... Smurf Hits? Bizarrely, it seems the two have more in common than we might think.

While I've yet to encounter any of these topics, I've been asked about a number of others. These include Volvos, thongs/flip-flops (I was under the impression these were different things!), fox hunting, Ernest Hemingway, reggae, nihilism, George Clooney, fantasy (the genre, not the pop hit), Skype and 50s nostalgia. All natural topics for discussion when out on a first date! QuickMe is one of the oddest games I've encountered in my Bytten career, especially as it's a matter of some subjectivity whether it truly is a game. But it's fun, and a little silly, and it encourages interaction with friends and family - there are some proper games out there that do far worse on those aspects.

QuickMe is an app for your iPhone or iPad designed for two players. Each takes one end of the device. A series of topics are displayed, and each player must adjust a slider to indicate their level of like/dislike for that topic. Be quick! You only have a few seconds to answer each question! At the end of the game, your responses are compared and a percentage is given for your compatibility.

There are three moderately suggestive game modes to choose from. "Quickie" is a short round for when you don't have much time. "One Night Stand" is a longer bout, and "Deep and Meaningful" is longer still. Obviously the more questions you answer, the more "accurate" your result will be. You can play in English or Swedish, and if you wish to announce your score to the world there's an option to post it on Facebook. Both players have the option to stop the game at any time by tapping on an X button.

So what does it play like? Graphics are very simple, with smileys depicting moods, and pretty standard iPhone graphics for sliders and so on. The trick of splitting the display in two and showing one half upside down is rather neat. There is no sound - this seems a little odd, and I'd have liked the option for some background noise.

If you're solo, this app will be useless to you. There is no single player mode and no means to play against random people online - one way I could see this working would be to have a bank of responses and compare single players against the average, but at present there is no such option. Two players are needed. They may, however, struggle somewhat with the split screen, especially on the smaller iPhone - I'd love an option to play against someone remotely on a different device, which would be easier for both to operate and also prevent you being influenced by your partner's choices.

QuickMe features over a thousand topics to compare your preferences against, so you won't be running out of them in any hurry, and it should be easy for the developers to add new ones to the system through Apple's updating system if they so desire. The main issue with them is clarity - you only have a matter of seconds to decide on your opinion on any topic, and while my opinion on garden gnomes (yes, that's one of them!) is pretty straightforward, it's not so easy to decide when the topic is "Country". Which country? Oh, hang on, it's labelled underneath in smaller text as "Music" - damn, too slow. You may also encounter authors, musicians and so on that you simply do not know. A lot of younger players may have no idea who David Lynch is, for instance.

A quirky little offering, QuickMe is a little bit of fun to try with your friends and family. Will it help you find true love? Probably not, but it might help you start the conversation that leads you there.

Graphics 50%
Sound n/a
Playability 70%
Longevity 65%
Overall Score 60%
Bronze Star

Published on 22 Jul 2011
Reviewed by Andrew Williams

Keywords: quickme review, spiksoft reviews, spiksoft games, quickme scores, pc game reviews, indie game reviews, independent gaming.