Basic Gameplay

Players make a move in a game by taking a photo and tagging it with a phrase (3 or fewer words) whose first letter is the same as the last letter of the previous tag. For example, if the most recent photo in a game is tagged "bird", the next photo that a player can upload must be tagged with a word starting with D, like "donut".

Other tagging rules to note are:

• Once a tag has been used in a game, it cannot be repeated
• A tag can only contain a maximum of three words
• Tags must be a word in the English dictionary. Proper nouns such as names of people or beer are not allowed

Creating Games

You can join existing games by browsing or create a new one. Games vary in the maximum number players, # of points required to win and a description set by the moderator/creator of the game. Games can last from few hours to a few weeks depending on the players' activity levels. Any player can start a game after having earned 50 points.

Points

To gain points, players simply need to make moves. The first letter of a player’s tag determines the point value of a particular move:

• 1 point: C, D, P, S
• 2 points: A, B, E, F, I, M, R, T
• 3 points: G, H, L
• 4 points: N, O, U, V, W
• 5 points: J, K
• 6 points: Q, X, Y, Z

In addition to the points gained for each move, points are also earned for ending up in 1st, 2nd or 3rd place. At the end of each game, these points will be added to the player’s aggregate score.


Bonuses

We are experimenting with ways that we can reward players to be creative and take more PicTags. Below are the current bonuses that allow you to have a better chancing at winning games:

• Distance Bonus (+5 points) is given when a player makes a move more than 5 miles away from their previous move in a game. We think that's praiseworthy because you are going out and exploring the world more.

• Speed Bonus (+5 points) is given when a player makes a move within 2 minutes of the previous move.

• ??First Letter Bonus?? (+5 points) is given when...maybe remove this bonus?

About Us

We, the creators of PicTag, are a small team interested in mobile game design's potential to transform the way we experience our everyday environments.

We would love your feedback on PicTag. Share your suggestions, complaints, or ideas on the PicTag community forum.