By Katelyn Wachendorf

A new game app is stealing the attention of many; the game: Trivia Crack. Everyone seems to be glued to their phones playing the new game which allows you to compete with friends and test your knowledge in six different categories: entertainment, geography, art, science, history, and sports. An additional special category is called the “Crown” and allows you to challenge your opponent to steal their character or choose one of your own to try and win by answering the question correctly.

The game allows you to spin a wheel and answer questions on the fallen category until you get one wrong. To win the game you must obtain a character from each category. But just what is it that makes the game so popular? How does it compare to its predecessors such as Draw Something, Words With Friends, and Candy Crush?  Like Draw Something and Words With Friends, part of its popularity comes from the fact that you can interact with your own friends if you choose.

With that, another thing that hangs people on the game it its ranking system. For those of us who are highly competitive, the app displays a ranking board between you and your friends for who has answered the most questions right. This is similar to being able to see what levels your friends were on in Candy Crush. One can look forward to surpassing their friend’s level, or ranking.

There’s just something that draws people to battle with their friends over knowledge. “I think people play it because we as people are naturally competitive”, said junior Bailey Quade. “We want to beat the person we’re playing against to prove that we are smarter than the other person.”

Along with levels, which are achieved by answering questions correctly, it contains a list of achievements, or badges for each player to try and earn, making the game slightly more addictive. Many people seem to have a natural inclination to enjoy these small tests of their knowledge. If you get the question right you feel like Einstein, but if you get it wrong, it’s no big deal!

With new game apps being created every day, game popularity is usually short lived. Will Trivia Crack surpass its predecessors and stick around? One can only guess A through D and wait and see!