Review: Fictionary is Incredibly Entertaining, Stimulating and Addictive
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 3, 2012
Just when you thought the days of good old-fashioned word games are over, you encounter this rare gem: `Fictionary! 300 Word Games for Kindle.'Fictionary is a simple word game where you must guess the correct meaning of a given word from a list of five choices. And believe me, it's not easy: true to its title, the words you encounter in Fictionary are indeed obscure--you've probably never heard about 95 percent of these words ever used in actual conversations by actual living people. I mean, what is up with words like "fanfaronade" or "grassation"? And there's the rub: it's so simple yet so addictive.You get a certain sense of satisfaction when you make the correct "intelligent" guess on the meaning of the word "achromatopsia," for example. In my case, I managed to guess it correctly about 60 or 70 percent of the time by mentally dissecting the probable etymology of a given word: again, with the aforementioned "achromatopsia," the keyword "achroma" I knew to mean "without color," and it didn't matter that I had no idea what "topsia" meant as I correctly guessed it as a form of color blindness. What makes it much more challenging is that each of the five possible answers are all believable--somehow, the obvious correct answer does not stand out. And this further adds to the fun and excitement in playing the game.But that's just me playing by myself. The great thing is, Fictionary is perfect for everyone--for adults and teenagers, for those trying to kill time at a waiting room, or on a long road trip. It's a deeply engaging solitary as well as a social game: use it as an "ice breaker" at dinner parties or as the main event on trivia nights or sleepovers. Basically, you can enjoy the game whether you're alone or with a group of friends. But of course, if you're with like-minded friends who know how to have a good time, then the fun factor is just magnified.For those who are new to this game, the most common way to play it with friends is by following the directions provided in the ebook. Say, you're with a group of five friends. One of you assumes the role of the "points tracker": the one who records or jots down the points of each player. This can be a dual role, of course. Now, to start a round, you have to choose the "Picker": he or she chooses a random word from Fictionary whose meaning, ideally, no one in the group knows. If anyone is familiar with the given word, they should declare it so that the Picker can choose another one. The Picker then says the chosen word and spells it out loud, and reads the provided definitions. The Picker also inserts his or her own made-up fake definition. Everyone on the group declares their bet on which is the correct definition, or they can accuse one of the given definitions as "fictionary"--declaring it as the fake definition created by the Picker. When the Picker reveals the correct meaning, points are given. Then the Kindle or the device the ebook is being read is given to the next player to start another round.That's it. What's more, playing Fictionary is very versatile--there are no hard and fast rules. You can even invent your own rules or versions, if you are so inclined.Essentially a Kindle ebook, it's something you can actually play on your Kindle. And if you download the free Kindle app, you can also play it on your PC, iPad, iPhone, or any Android device.I couldn't recommend Fictionary enough. For its sheer value and caliber (300 words mean 300 rounds and several hours of fun), the Amazon Kindle price is a steal. However, the downside: Fictionary! is so addictive that even with the first book's 300 words, you come out aching for more. But the huge upside: there are actually four more books in this series you can sink your brain-teeth into:Fictionary! 300 Addictive Word Games (Letters F-J) (Fun and Games),Fictionary! 300 Addictive Word Games (Letters K-P) (Fun and Games),Fictionary! 300 Addictive Word Games (Letters Q-T) (Fun and Games),Fictionary! 300 Addictive Word Games (Letters U-Z) (Fun and Games)I just wish that there would be an offer in the future to buy all five ebooks for a discounted price--that would be most convenient and would further enhance the Fictionary experience. But overall, if you have friends coming over this weekend or if you're spending a day out in the cabin or however you intend to spend your off day, getting Fictionary on your tablet PC or Kindle is an assurance that your day is going to be not only fun but also intellectually rewarding. Take it from someone who has downloaded all the five ebooks--you won't regret it.