Akinator

Akinator, the Web Genie
Platform(s)

Release date(s) 2007
Genre(s) Twenty Questions
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution Digital distribution

Akinator, the Web Genie (formerly Akinator, the web Genius) is an internet game and mobile app based on Twenty Questions that can attempt to determine which character the player is thinking of by asking him or her a series of questions. It is an artificial intelligence program that can find and learn the best questions to be asked to the player. Created by three French programmers in 2007, it became popular in November 2008, according to Google Trends. While playing "Akinator, the Web Genie" the questions are asked by a cartoon genie. The game became famous in Europe in 2009 and Japan in 2010 with the launch of mobile apps by French mobile company SCIMOB,[1] reaching highest ranks on app store.[2]

Gameplay

In order to begin the questionnaire, the user must hit the play button and think of a popular character (musician, athlete, political personality, actor, fictional film/TV character, YouTuber, Viner etc.). Then, it begins asking a series of 25 questions, with "Yes", "No", "Probably", "Probably not" and "Don't know" as possible answers, in order to narrow down the potential character that the user is thinking of.[3][4] If the answer is narrowed down to a single likely option before 25 questions are asked, the program will automatically ask if the character it chose is correct. If the character is guessed wrong three times in a row, then the program will prompt the user to input the character's name, in order to expand its database of choices.[5] It predicts the answer based on the tree match algorithm.

Critical reception

L'Express rated Akinator a 5 out of 5 on their list of iPhone Apps of the Week for September 9, 2009.[6] Excite France stated that Akinator "is just that interactive. It is revolutionary, attractive, and entertaining."[7]

References

  1. ↑ Akinator Mobile Apps | SCIMOB (10/09/2009)
  2. ↑ Akinator - Daily Ranks | App Annie (10/05/2011)
  3. ↑ Jen Chaney (August 3, 2010). "Summer time waster: Stumping the Akinator". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Akinator, el genio que leerá tu mente". Medio Tiempo (in Spanish). October 19, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  5. ↑ "アップ・スウェル、『Akinator』のモバイルサイトの提供を開始". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). July 21, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Paybuddy, Stand o'food et Akinator". L'Express (in French). September 9, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Akinator, vraiment le plus fort!". Excite France (in French). November 23, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2011.

[1]

External links

  1. ↑ "The Akinator game: Play Ask-and-Answer with Arabic Genius". Freemake Blog. 2014-09-01.