Codigo Cube Game Review

The Basics:

• For 12 and up
• For 1 to 100 players
• Variable game length

Geek Skills:

• Active Listening & Communication
• Logical & Critical Decision Making

Learning Curve:

• Child – Easy
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• None

Endorsements:

• Gamer Geek rejected!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Child Geek rejected!

Overview

If you’ve got time to sit, you’ve got time to play a new trivia game that can be played just about anywhere. All you need is a smartphone, a couple of players, and the Codigo Cube! Roll the dice, scan it in, and answer the multiple choice questions. The game will keep score for you, freeing you up to enjoy the game with your friends. Roll, scan, think, and win!

Codigo Cube is comprised of a six-sided die. On each side of the cube is a different colored Quick Response (QR) code. You will also need a smartphone or another digital device with the ability to read QR codes and connect to the Interweb.

The Codigo Cube: Smartphone not included, sadly...

What is a QR Code?

A QR code is a 2-dimensional barcode that can store a good deal of information and be read by smartphones and any other device that has a QR reader (software application that can scan in and decode a QR image). Most QR readers are free and shouldn’t be a problem to find or use on your smartphone or other electronic device. A very good QR code explanation can be found on Wikipedia. Give it a read to learn more about QR codes.

A QR code example

Game Set Up

Before you do anything, you will need a QR reader installed on your smartphone or other electronic device. The vast majority of QR readers are free. I use an application called Scan that works very well for iPhones and the iPads. For those of you with an Android, give QR Droid a try. A quick search will help you find more QR readers if you’d like to do some research. Bottom line, don’t pay for one. There are plenty of great QR readers for free.

After downloading and installing the QR reader of your choice, you must then register with the Codigo Cube web site. This is done by scanning in any of the six-sides of the cube. It will take you to the Codigo Cube web site where you will be able to create an account. Once created, you are ready to play the game.

Creating an account is fast, easy, and free.

Playing the Game

To begin with, gather your friends around the playing area. The only space you need is a small flat area where you can roll the Codigo Cube. Scan in any side of the cube and you will be asked to enter in your user ID and password that you created earlier. After being authenticated, you will be asked how many players will be participating and the names for each. Codigo Cube does not keep track of overall scores, so feel free to us any names you like, real or imaginary. You can also group people together to make teams.

The game will then begin and will identify which player (or team) should go first. That player (or member of the team) takes the Codigo Cube and rolls it, scanning in the resulting die face roll with the QR reader. The QR reader will know what category to display and will present the player with a multiple choice question in the category rolled. The player selects one of the four presented possible answers and the results are shown.

If the player gets it right, their points are counted and displayed on a table with all the player names and their total points so far. The player then goes again, rolling the cube and attempts to answer the question correctly. This continues for as long as the player gets the answers right.

If the player gets it wrong, they pass the cube to the next player stated on the screen and game play continues.

It is important to note that the Codigo Cube web site is being updated with new trivia all the time. More and more questions are being added making the odds of you ever answering the same question slim. Additionally, the application knows what questions were asked and will not ask the same question twice for the same category during a single game session. This will keep the game questions fresh and new for a very long time.

There are six possible categories to be rolled and should be familiar to anyone who has played a trivia game before.

• Entertainment
• Sports
• History
• General Knowledge
• Geography
• Science

Winning the Game

Play continues around the table with each player taking turns rolling and answering the questions until one player has correctly answered a question for all six sides correct. The name of the player (or team) is displayed as the winner for all to see.

Learn more about Codigo Cube by visiting the official web site.

Prediction

My little geeks love using my iPhone. I am fairly certain that they just see it as a handheld video game and movie player. I sometimes wonder if they even realize it is a phone. It is their love for my iPhone alone that I believe Codigo Cube will grab my little geek’s attention. However, I have two concerns.

First, because the question categories you are asked is determined by a random die roll, this could make the game length go on too long to keep my little geeks engaged. It is very possible that a player will continue to roll categories they have already answered again and again. Any little or big geek would find this frustrating.

Second, the questions might be too advanced for my little geeks to answer on their own. I can very easily address this by pairing up each little geek with an adult, but they aren’t really participating if they have no clue what the answer is, let alone what the question is even asking. Again, this could create a level of frustration that would cause the little geeks to go find something else to do.

From an adult perspective, Codigo Cube sounds very interesting. The ability to play a trivia game with my friends and family whenever and wherever is very appealing. I can already see this game being used while waiting at restaurants for a table or for our food order. If the questions and interface are easy enough, I could even pass Codigo Cube and my iPhone to my little geeks for them to play with on long car trips.

After I explained the game and the rules, I asked my little geeks what they thought of it so far while I entered their player names.

“It sounds neat and I like how we get to use your iPhone.” ~ Liam (age 7)

“Can I play Angry Birds after this, Daddy?” ~ Nyhus (age 4)

So far, so good. Let’s play a game and see how Codigo Cube scores.

Final Word

Admittedly, I am not a fan of trivia games and I have very good reasons.

First, I am absolutely no good at them. I can hold my own in Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Star Trek trivia games, but as soon as we step out of the geek and pop-culture themed trivia, my game starts to quickly falter and then crash, horribly. I blame my teachers for not engaging me enough in the classroom by dropping obscure pop-culture references during our lessons to keep me focused.

Second, trivia games are determined by a player’s ability to recall random facts that they may or may not have actually ever learned. No other geek skills are utilized. The individual who comes to the table with the most info in their head wins the game. No amount of tactics or strategy can save you from a player who is a living encyclopedia of random facts.

Unfortunately, there were not enough questions that my little geeks could answer on their own. We did have a great time playing as a team and it was easy and fun to do. I’d have my little geeks roll the cube and scan it in using the QR reader. My oldest would read us the question and the possible four answers. Since there is no time limit, we could discuss what the question was asking and which one of the possible four answers made the most sense. This turned out to be a great deal of fun for everyone involved.

Any thoughts of simply handing this game over to my little geeks to play solo were quickly dashed when we went through several games. The questions are not exceedingly difficulty, but I don’t think anyone under 12 would be able to hold their own in the game. For adults, the questions were good ones. A nice mix of challenge and simple solutions, well-balanced and, for the most part, relevant.

Playing Codigo Cube with my good friend and fellow fatherly geek, Karl. He destroyed me...

Gamer Geeks, I don’t think this game is for you. While the mix of technology and the traditional dice rolling game mechanic might be appealing, there is one very big negative to this game’s approach – randomization. I have played several games and have been beaten or lost my lead because the dice results did not show the category I needed. Again and again, I’d roll the same categories I had already answered. This quickly went from silly to frustrating as I would watch my opponents get the lucky rolls and the points. Most Gamer Geeks would appreciate this game more if there was logic built into the game that allowed for a re-roll or a category selection option. Simple enough to add to your game, however, if you want to make some house rules for your group. For example, we made a house rule that said if you rolled and correctly answered a category you already answered, you were able to pick the category you wanted to answer next. Instead of rolling, you just find the side you want and scan it in. Simple.

Parent Geeks, this is a neat little game you can take with you and play with the family whenever time allows. The cube is small and easily fits in a bag or a pocket and needs very little playing area. You’ll also be able to accommodate large or smaller groups. Just you and your significant other? Play a two-player game! Eating out with some family friends, play with the adults and let the kids go do their own thing at their end of the table. Codigo Cube also works very well with teams and serves as a good way to introduce your little geeks to trivia games using technology.

Child Geeks, this is not a game you can play by yourself but it is a fun game to team up with a parent for cooperative fun. The questions cover topics you most likely know little to nothing about, but that doesn’t mean you can’t participate and learn in the process.

Codigo Cube is a neat new way to play an old game. I must also give a node to the creativity behind the team who invented this as the medium in which it is played allows the company to update and add to their game without ever requiring anything from their players. For example, adding new trivia questions under the game covers. That being said, I have a few things on my wish list that could rocket Codigo Cube from “neat” to “HOLY COW!” in a heart beat.

• Add the ability to adjust game difficulty per player (for example, Player 1 is 50-years-old and Player 2 is 11-years-old – adjust the questions asked based on the player’s age)
• Add the ability to select different categories (for example, books, art, and music)
• Add the ability to select different themes (for example, science fiction or fantasy themed trivia questions)
• Keep track of the players and their points as a running total attached to the account
• Add in a built-in timer that can be turned on or off
• Add in some sounds (buzzer, cheers, etc.)

Overall, a pretty cool product that has unlimited potential. I like how it is played and how it works, to a point. Still a little rough around the edges and a lot of room for improvement. There is a lot the game company can do to make this an even better experience without ever demanding anything from their players. I most certainly hope they take advantage of it. Nothing more disappointing then a missed opportunity for greatness.

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.