Inside Social Games

There is something to be said for name recognition. If people recognize your brand, you’re more likely to get customers. That said, cashing in on the name of a superior product is the saddest form of imitation.

CrazyTaxi, the Facebook game, is just such an imitation. The game is a cheap knock-off of the popular Crazy Taxi series of video games while possessing none of the charms, humor, or graphics of the original. The gameplay is essentially limited to steering your taxi cab left, right, forward, or up (as in jumping). You must guide your taxi to the checkpoint before time runs out, and must maneuver through a never-ending traffic jam worse than anything you’ve ever witnessed on the 405.

The graphics are hokey, the gameplay gets tedious, and though it’s challenging, there isn’t enough here to keep people coming back. You can invite your friends and see the top scores of the global world and your friends, but the only way to unlock the extra features (limited to the “collection” tab), is to invite people.

The game includes sponsors and ads, so the developers have done a good job on that front. But gameplay itself doesn’t open up new features, leaving the game far behind much of its competition. You can’t achieve the customization of other games and the game isn’t fun enough by itself to warrant continued investment. Leave this one by the curb.

Gameplay: 4

Developers: 6

Boredom Sets in: 5 (minutes)