4 Degrees – The Arc of Trivia

T.J. Brumfield | Jul 15, 2009 Games

User rating: (7 votes, average: 3.86 out of 5)
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Admittedly, before I even downloaded ZAPiT Game’s “4 Degrees – The Arc of Trivia”, I was already a fan. I own their Game Wave console. 4 Degrees is my favorite game for that console.

ZAPiT Games is a small gaming company that has been struggling to hit it big time. It hasn’t been for lack of good products. The Game Wave is a simplistic console that hardware-wise is little more than a DVD player with six remotes. But the games are all designed to allow up to six players to play at once without having to wait and take turns. 4 Degrees is a sharp-looking game that I really enjoy playing with friends. I’ve been hoping word would get out, and someday ZAPiT would hit it big time. The Game Wave console itself has yet to be a big hit, so now the company is branching out with online gaming, and iPhone games.

In 4 Degrees, the player selects from one of six categories including Arts & Words, Lifestyle & People, News & Events, Sports & Games, Movies & Television, and Nature & Mankind. The categories are laid out in wedges in a circle that evokes images of Trivial Pursuit. Each category is used once in a six question game. When you select the category for that question, a die is rolled to determine the maximum point value for that question.

You are then presented with 4 clues, each read aloud with an accompanying picture. Sometimes the pictures are clues, but earlier pictures can sometimes be a bit misleading. The 4th and final clue is always a big clue, usually with the answer referred to in quotes. The earlier you answer, the more points you get. However you can’t change your answer, and a wrong answer results in negative points. I had my fair share of those playing the game today.

You can play online with the phone, but all I was paired up with was computer players. It should be noted I never once saw them get a negative score on a question. They routinely spanked me in a six question game. Either I’m an idiot, or the AI settings might need to be tweaked. I wouldn’t rule out the idiot possibility. Though even when I guessed correctly right away, a computer player usually got more points than me for that question.

The game is entertaining none the less and is as good as any trivia game I’ve seen on the iPhone. My only major disappointment is in comparing it to its Game Wave cousin. The Game Wave version has twelve questions in a game, with a mini-game splitting the round. The mini-game is called “The Arc of Time” in which you have to decide where an event takes place in time in relation to other dates you are given. It starts off easy, choosing before or after one date. As you continue, you must now place the new event in the correct place on a time-line. The scores escalate upwards, but one wrong response and you lose all your points for the mini-game. You can stop at any point any keep what you have or gamble for a higher score.

I’m really hoping this feature gets implemented in future versions of the game. I did test the 1.0 version that launched, so we will see what future revisions bring. I did encounter what may be a small bug. In the settings screen, it says I have limited time remaining to play the game, despite playing the full version. The free version is good for two hours of play. Will the full version stop working for me at two hours of play? I’m not sure yet, but if so I will email ZAPiT games so they can fix the issue.

Overall, this is still a very solid, well-polished trivia title. I’m hoping the game is a success and that I’ll have more human opponents online to play with.

The video below technically isn’t for the iPhone game. But it is the official video from ZAPiT Games demoing 4 Degrees for the Game Wave console.

And in tribute to Billy Mays I say, but wait, there’s more! ZAPiT Games has kindly offered up 3 extra promo codes. If you take a code, please be a decent human being and leave a comment letting people know which one you took.

The circles and wedges remind me of Trivial Pursuit.
The circles and wedges remind me of Trivial Pursuit.
I always go for Sports first.
I always go for Sports first.
Hy-Vee, where there is a helpful NFL MVP in every aisle.
Hy-Vee, where there is a helpful NFL MVP in every aisle.

One of the only times I was atop this thing playing against the computer.
One of the only times I was atop this thing playing against the computer.
Note the low average score. I am a sad, sad panda.
Note the low average score. I am a sad, sad panda.
iphone_4degrees-price



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  • tjbrumfield

    What’s this? 3 free promo codes for the game! Play nice kids, and remember to leave a comment. Don’t make me turn this website around!

    AA3MK6RYK6JX
    4RRTMXPEX7MN
    434HWMAHA4WY

  • tjbrumfield

    And the Hy-Vee joke is sadly regional humor. Those outside the Midwest likely won’t get the joke. Not that it is much of a joke. I digress.

  • Marie

    I took the last code. Thanks!

  • kahristin

    took this one >> AA3MK6RYK6JX
    :D thanks

  • Coachpete

    I took the middle code “4RRTMXPEX7MN”

  • tjbrumfield

    That wasn’t so hard, was it?

  • Michael (Admin)

    Nicely done! Maybe it’s time to revise my stock “free codes” comment text that I’ve been pasting.

    Btw, I’m working with a developer on a newer, cooler way of handing out promo codes. It’ll probably be at least a month before it’s ready to roll, but when it does hopefully it’ll make life easier for all the free code junkies.

  • Jim May

    This trivia game is the most sophisticated that I’ve seen on I-phone. If you just want a ‘text message’ question, I quess the others will do. If you want to see what is possible. Check out this app. Pretty amazing stuff.