Skribbl.io is a fun online multiplayer drawing and guessing game for players of all ages. It was created by ticedev and launched in 2017, and is perfect for friends, family, and casual gamers looking for a creative way to spend time together online. I played this game with a group of 6 friends as we chatted over discord.
Judging is used in the game to fulfill multiple psychogenic needs (Murray, 1938) which makes for a really fun experience for players. For instance, Skribble.io players can gain more deference for creative drawings that other players are able to decipher. Since Skribble.io promotes fellowship by allowing both the drawer and other participants to gain points for a successful drawing, players often compliment the person drawing in this mutually beneficial process. Skribbl.io’s designers are clearly aware of this, as they have included a “like” and a “dislike” button in the game for players to express their praise or disapproval. In addition to attending to a player’s psychogenic need for power, this mechanic also increases the player’s sense of achievement, because a successful drawing simultaneously allows the player to accumulate points and to receive praise praise from their peers. In Skribbl.io, players rely on exposition and understanding to be able to progress through the game. As one player finds creative ways to relay information about what their secret word is, other players are busy trying to understand what the word is from the drawing. Therefore, judging fulfills all the players’ need for information, albeit in different ways. Lastly, judging coupled with time pressure is able to fulfill players’ sensual need for play. Without the time pressure, players would be incentivized to take more time in order to produce better drawings. However, Skribbl.io players have about a minute to produce a drawing, which creates an environment where players produce really hilarious art. When I played the game, there was not a single round where players did not laugh at one another for an exceptionally terrible drawing. In summary, judging in skribbl.io is able to fulfill multiple psychogenic needs. I found it quite impressive that such a simple game is able to attend to a variety of psychogenic needs for different players at the same time.
By mixing multilateral competition and cooperative play, Skribbl.io creates interesting group dynamics that center around fellowship. After a couple of rounds, the game decides the three winners that have accumulated the most points. Since players gain more points by guessing the drawing first, they compete with each other throughout the game. However, when it’s a player’s turn to draw, they need to create drawings that other players understand, otherwise no one gets points and the turn is not very interesting as a result. In other words, since players are aware that other players need to be able to accurately judge their drawing, they are incentivized to cooperate. Skribbl.io players are dependent on each other to succeed in the game, which makes fellowship an important type of fun that Skribbl.io players experience, alongside challenge and expression. Players need to find creative ways to communicate well with one another, and those who are better able to do so are able to win the game.
