Inside Social Games

Blackjack Attack, despite the name reminding me of a 80s hip hop group, is a step-up from the more popular Blackjack application on Facebook. Mytopia is creating a line of games that have interconnected economies and interfaces, and better visuals help. But really it’s just a nice new take on a game that’s been done before.

The Flash animation seems to be higher end than most other gambling apps, but the network is what really stands out. Mytopia is trying to create a gaming empire. When you install any app, you get 1000 game tokens up front that can be used in any of the games.

However, it’s just one of the two economies in the system. The other is “gold” - which hasn’t been launched yet. You’ll be able to win prizes in addition to leveling up your skills by playing various games, changing your ranks and title. We’ve seen this before, but not so well integrated.

However, the games aren’t perfect of course. The load time is long, and the Blackjack table can only fit four people. Some basic moves in Blackjack are missing as well. Mytopia should really fix some of these details. (They should also find a way to keep the apps in one window - most users don’t like pop-ups and many people will have pop-up blockers to prevent the game window from opening.)

Developers should watch this application with interest because Mytopia combines partner offer pages, invites, leaderboards, and log-in rewards to make it very easy for players to get tokens and even easier to switch applications. We’ll see if they can get this empire off the ground and truly unfurl all the plans they seem to be working on.

Gameplay: 5

Development: 8 (for now)

Potential for Mytopia: 9

If you’re one of those people who believe golf is more luck than skill, well then welcome to the world of the Golo Golf Dice Game.

The game is essentially a dice game with a golf theme. Think Yahtzee meets plaid hats. You roll all nine dice and select the lowest numbers possible to achieve the lowest score. You can also click “bottoms up” to flip the dice (and thus hope for a better number that way). When you get dice that enable you to go one under par, a bird will fly across the screen (birdie, get it?), and if you get two under you’ll see an eagle. If you get a bogey, meaning going one or more over, a little gopher will appear to taunt you.

Despite the jokiness of the animation, the game is plenty addictive and there is some strategy. Do you roll the dice again or do you settle for a par? When should you go “bottoms up?” There’s a leaderboard, challenging, and a point system that rewards you for the better you play. You get a huge bonus for having the top score of the day or beating an opponent head to head. Though it’s nice to see yourself move up in the global rankings, I’m not sure what the incentive is to acquire points. There doesn’t seem to be a way to trade them in for prizes or open new features… at least yet.

For a golf -dice hybrid, it’s a cheeky little distraction and has some genuinely funny moments. Though the directions and strategy take some getting used to, it’s a fun adaptation of several games to a more social platform. Whether or not people will find this fun enough to want to challenge their friends remains to be seen.

Gameplay: 7

Developers: 6

Luck involved: 75%

No one wanted to be Robin growing up, everyone wanted to be Batman. Robin was kind of a wimp. Similarly, it’s hard to be the second banana to Texas Hold ‘Em, the Facebook poker giant.

Black Jack is made by the developers of Texas Hold ‘Em, and it shows. The game is the lesser known sidekick to Texas Hold’ Em’s Batman, with similar diluted abilities. The rules of Black Jack don’t need to be discussed here, but there is a lot less strategy to the game than its Poker cousin. But all of the rules still apply, so you can double down, split, hit, or stand given the right situation. There’s no greater thrill than doubling down and coming up with a big win.

Still, the strong characteristics that made Texas popular hold here as well. First, you don’t need friends to play and can compete against international players or computer bots (the dealer). You can compare scores with your friends, create a table with just your friends, invite your friends to join, and get chips by taking part in one of the partner page’s offers.

While Texas relies on competition against the other players, Black Jack is more about beating the bots. The developers have to find a way to make that interesting. The hands are quicker too, and you can bet everything (and lose everything) very quickly.

While it’s always bad form to compare games, fans of online poker will notice this game is less developed than its cousin. It lacks the vibrancy, the little bells and whistles (I couldn’t figure out how to pass a drink to a friend, for example) and the community

This feels like an early version of the game, and it might be. Right now, it’s a satisfactory Black Jack application that could use some new creative direction to really make it stand out.

Gameplay: 7

Developer: 7

Room for improvement: 8

Texas HoldEm Poker is the flagship game by Zynga Game Network, and it’s little wonder this game is successful. The combination of simple flash animation, any easy interface, a vibrant community, and an already-addictive game make Texas HoldEm an unsurprising hit.

Developers should pay attention to the plethora of options that Texas HoldEm provides the player. The digital chips used for placing bets can be bought using real cash, won in the game, or earned in a number of ways. Players can earn chips by signing up for an offer at one of the many Zynga partners or installing another application that has integrated support for Texas HoldEm. If that isn’t your thing, inviting your friends is another quick way to get chips and perpetuate the game. Once inside, you and your friends can set up a private table.

Texas HoldEm has a distinct advantage over other games by because so many people are already familiar with the game (and often play it with people they don’t know). But Zynga smartly invested in some decent Flash animation and a few bells and whistles to make the experience more than just a card game. In order to prevent the game from stalling due to indecision or idleness, each player is given a timer to call, raise, or fold. This helps prevent a game’s arrest at the hands of someone who left their desktop to go make a sandwich.

You can play anyone in the world - not just your friends - just simply click “play” and you’re at the table with several other players from all over the world. There is a ranking system that is kept up to date so players know how they stand in the larger million plus community. One can also achieve a star status that corresponds to an ability level (Shark, Playa, Poker Pro, etc). During the game, a side-scrolling text window shows the last few moves of the table and a chat window allows players to communicate with one another. There are also digital “drinks” players can pass each other to further lend to the atmosphere. Each player can add their own icon (your poker face, if you will) to enhance the interactive experience.

Beyond the game itself, the supporting features are quite staggering. In addition to the ranking system, there are player profiles, leader boards, an active forum, and a help tab for players who are new to the game. I had to refresh my memory on some of the rules and the help tab was largely informative, though it skips on some of the more obtuse rules.

Overall, Texas HoldEm is the definitive poker app on Facebook. The developers do everything in their power to make the game as interactive and personal as possible. The game is able to survive not only because of partnerships and not only because of its invites = chips economy, but because the game is just really, really fun.

Developer’s rating: 9/10

Gameplay: 9/10

Likelihood you’ll be caught at work playing this game: 9/10