Sneak Peek: The Friend Game is Zynga's way of getting back to basics

Aside from FarmVille, Zynga's most iconic and ubiquitous games are based on gaming staples (e.g. Words With Friends and Draw Something). With The Friend Game, a brand new game that's currently in beta testing on Facebook, Zynga seems hopeful to create some of that ubiquity on its own. (Both Draw Something and Words With Friends were products of acquisitions.)

Developed by Zynga New York, a source familiar with the matter tells us, The Friend Game is little more than a trivia game involving your friends on its face. But give the game a few rounds more, and it quickly becomes clear why this could be the next big thing in social gaming much like Draw Something was earlier this year. You see, The Friend Game is a trivia game that focuses on how well you know your Facebook friends.

Players create an avatar and, over time, answer questions about themselves to reveal facts ranging from terribly personal to everyday factoids. Of course, players gain points and level up for answering questions correctly, which notifies those friends to keep the gears turning. Eventually, you'll unlock new play modes and personality profiles. So, an asynchronous trivia game--no big deal right?

Most social games are single-player experiences with either asynchronous or synchronous multiplayer, and The Friend Game certainly fits in the former bucket. But what's most interesting about The Friend Game is that it has tons of potential as a couch multiplayer, with a group of friends hanging around the laptop, answering questions about each other or their mutual buddies.

Frankly, this would make a brilliant tablet game to simulate a board game experience. But even as a Facebook game, The Friend Game could very well be the next Words With Friends when Zynga decides to formally launch it, thanks to its intuitive, beautifully simple design. We'll have more on The Friend Game, including a full review, soon enough. Until then, see for yourself what we're talking about through the link below:

Click here to play The Friend Game on Facebook Now >

Are you interested in The Friend Game? What do you think of Facebook games as couch multiplayer games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.