Wurdle and Casual Games

Wurdle is essentially “Boggle” for the iPhone. Wurdle is a single user, non-cooperative game. Players can post particularly stellar scores online, however, most of the time a player can only attempt to outplay his/her own high score. Of course, the motivation to play a game like Wurdle is not competition, but simple non-commital entertainment. Wurdle is part of the growing sector of “Casual” games. Mastery and achievement of high scores can motivate players, but the real appeal of casual games like Wurdle is their easy accessibility and quick learning curve. Even more importantly, since Wurdle is mobile, it can help you pass the time in line at Starbucks or at the theatre (if you happen to get dragged to Cats).

Screen shot of Wurdle for iPhone

“Casual” Gameplay

Casual games are nothing new. They have been deployed electronically for years—how many people have killed time at work playing solitaire? The beauty of casual games is their simplicity. Take Wurdle for example: quick to download, quick to learn, and quick to enjoy playing. When the “New Game” button is tapped, a random jumble of words appears on the screen. From there, the player drags a finger over the top of the letters he/she wishes to connect to make a word. If a word is successfully identified, it will be recorded below. Players try to find as many words as possible in the allotted time. A user can select time limits as long as five minutes and as short as one minute. The perfect “while you wait” game.

Motivation and Mass Appeal

Wurdle is really nothing special, it’s not even the only Boggle knock-off for the iPhone. However, the simplicity is the point of casual games. Video game storylines continue to get more and more lengthy and gameplay has become more and more challenging, but there is still a large market for simple, easy to use and play games. In fact, casual games can be said to have the biggest potential market due to their mass-appeal. While video games have historically attracted almost exclusively men, developers have found that casual games seem to have a significant appeal to women. Firms have done extensive market research to learn how to attract female gamers and in the process they have learned that casual games are the one type of game that appeals to women without having to be specifically tailored to their interests. Casual games seem to have an almost universal character.

Simplicity seems to be the initial hook, but in terms of motivation, the thing that keeps people coming back is flow. Like Wurdle, the challenge of casual games is usually singular. With Wurdle the user is strictly focused on creating words. Not navigating a jungle or figuring out how many shield points is needed in a battle. Plus, the challenge increases, but on par with the player. As the player gets better, his/her high score increases, giving the player a new (and attainable) goal. The user can easily get lost in the flow of the game chasing after his/her latest high score. Plus, with the iPhone a player can be comfortably distracted in almost any miserable location or situation. Apple may not have created the casual game category, but the portability of the iPhone certainly seems to be helping the category grow.

More Info on Wurdle and Casual Games

• YouTube: Video of how to play Wurdle – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8t2-vDT_W8
• Wall Street Journal: Videogame Firms Make a Play for Women – http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704882404574463652777885432.html
• Ezine @rticles: What Type of Women Play Casual Games? – http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Type-of-Women-Play-Casual-Games?&id=1898010