Game of the Year Shortlist: Draw Something

Before we knew it, December was upon us and all the games had arrived in stores in time for everyone to buy them as presents. We’ve got the reveal of our Game of the Year coming after Christmas, but for 24 days starting December 1 we’ll bring you a new contender for the title. Please note that these games are in no particular order, but feel free to speculate on where they might appear in our final list.

Tom Orry, Editor

I’m not the biggest Draw Something fan in the world, but I’ve still put more time into it than I care to share. I excel at making even the simplest objects look like someone’s trippy hallucinations, yet I have a pretty good success rate when it comes to people guessing my work. I’ve never sat down and lost myself playing Draw Something for hours on end, but it is a game I’ll go back to every now and again, which is more than I can say for most games.

Martin Gaston – Reviews Editor

Bit hard to remember Draw Something, isn’t it? If you ask me the game took off because they came up with the word ‘Drawsome’, which is why it was temporarily the coolest game in the entire world in the history of for ever earlier in the year. Hah – Drawsome! I get it. Still, that bit of 2012 when we were all playing Draw Something was three really great weeks. And even though it fell flat on its face in the following months, I managed to get more fun out of it than most games.

They’re trying to bring out an actual pen-and-paper version now, though, which looks utter balls.

Neon Kelly, Video Production Editor

Draw Something is the kind of game that starts arguments. Purists will cite it as the latest nail in the coffin of traditional gaming; others will champion it as evidence that our medium is embracing a bright, inclusive future. Which side is right? Who cares – let’s spend another five minutes drawing Elton John with our fingers.

You could argue that Draw Something had a very specific time and place, and if you did, you’d probably be right. But for that two-month period when everyone was playing Draw Something, it ruled the roost. It’s a simple idea, done well. And for a casual title, it could also be surprisingly hard. I mean, how do you get your mate Barry to guess that you’re painting “Dallas”? He couldn’t get “hockey stick”, so your stickman depiction of the JFK assassination doesn’t stand a chance…

David Scammell – Deputy News Editor

For the amount it paid to acquire Draw Something owners OMGPOP, Zynga could have bought 6,257,536 Pictionary sets. And I know which I’d have rather bought.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course, but in a market filled to bursting with low-cost alternatives and distractions, there was never any doubt that Draw Something wouldn’t be much more than a fad. There’s the Angry Birds argument, of course, but that’s a franchise that is being kept alive by transmedia opportunities, merchandise and fresh takes on the initial formula. All the areas Draw Something would have struggled to succeed in, in other words.

And after all, the appeal of drawing penises and sending them to your friends was only ever going to last so long.

Also in VideoGamer.com’s Game of the Year 2012 Shortlist:

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 | Draw Something | Hotline Miami | Need For Speed: Most Wanted | Spelunky | XCOM: Enemy Unknown