Wikipedia has changed the way we can learn and research about any given topic. It’s easy to learn about something new all the time. What if you could make a learning game out of Wikipedia? That’s the concept behind the new app 3 Degrees of Wikipedia.
The game is the brainchild of Ivan Zhao from Vancouver. I met Ivan at the Vancouver Startup Hackathon where he introduced his upcoming iPhone app, 3 Degrees of Wikipedia.
Here’s how it works:
The idea is very simple: in each puzzle, you will be given two Wikipedia pages, and your goal is to navigate from one to the other, using only the available web links.
For example, starting at the “Halloween” page, can you find your way to the “Candy” page?
“That’s easy. I would look for the “Trick-or-treating” article, which must have a link to the “Candy” page, you answered.
Features:
+ Solve a problem by connecting two Wikipedia page through their links, in 3 degrees total
+ Social gaming: submit a problem to challenge other players, and earn “LIGHT-BULB” points if your problems are well-received
+ Excerpted Wikipedia articles for quicker gameplay.
+ Review your completed or favorite problems to reinforce the learning
+ Just learn something new? Create a problem for it. You will remember it for the rest of your life.
+ “Most Enlightening Problems of the Week”
+ Connect to your Facebook & Twitter account, share your problems, and challenge your friends.
+ Badges, badges, and badges!
+ Made for Retina Display
So here’s a problem I solved within 3 Degrees of Wikipedia: I connected ‘iPhone’ to ‘Compass’, which then led to ‘History of China’. As I was scrolling through the article on the iPhone, I was trying to find that missing link to ‘History of China’. So of course when I saw the word ‘Compass’, I tapped on it and progress bar at the bottom moves you along.
After you’ve solved your problem, you can rate it as Enlightening, Average, or Waste of Time. You can also share your results on twitter and facebook to share with your friends. You can also create problems for the community to solve and earn ‘light bulb’ points. One thing I’d like to see is the inclusion of Gamecenter, as that will really make this game fun.
3 Degrees of Wikipedia is on sale for $0.99 at an introductory price to build the community. It’s an innovative idea that takes Wikipedia to another level, and we all can learn something in the process. The interface is easy to use and the concept makes it very enjoyable. If you’re a Wikipedia fiend, you’ll want to check this out.
