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"Snood": New Game Fad Smiles Upon America
A new fad is sweeping the country. It's not in the shape of a cuddly Beanie Baby or Furby; instead it's a little game that is downloaded off the Internet called "Snood."
Snood
Published on February 15th, 2002
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More than 5 million copies of Snood have been installed on computers across the world. Tens of thousands of downloads of Snood occur each day.
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Developed by a Guilford College marine geology professor, David Dobson, the game started out as a present for his wife, who likes playing Tetris-type puzzle games. It was originally released as shareware in 1996, but college kids got wind of it and it is now the rage on campuses across the country and elsewhere.
"The popularity of Snood at Princeton cannot be contested," said Belinda Elisa Schubert, a student at the university. "Everyone knows of it, and most everyone has played it." Several college campuses have even held Snood tournaments.
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Snood's popularity has grown so much it is now enjoyed by people of all ages, from grandparents to young children just learning how to use a mouse. It is one of those rare games that has universal appeal.
Erica Westcott, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Va., explained its popularity: "By combining arcadelike elements like aiming, a certain degree of strategy, and a number of different levels, it is a game that can appeal to anybody." She first got hooked when she was home sick and her college sister suggested that she check it out. "It really made the time fly."
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Snoods are characters that have only a face. There are eight different kinds of Snoods. A game opens to a screen in which the top part is full of animated Snoods all touching each other. The Snoods smile, frown or stick out their tongues. The objective of the game is to "rescue" — take off the screen — all the Snoods on the playfield before the ceiling drops to a point that prohibits the player from taking action.
So why choose Snood instead of one of the other thousands of downloadable games on the Net? "Snood is an amazing game, not because of its complexity, but rather its simplicity," said Reginann Rohlfs, a sixth-grade teacher at Forest Edge Elementary School in Fairfax, Va. Rohlfs uses Snood in her classroom because it teaches "logic, geometry and strategy."
"Snood is sneaking" up in many places. Last June, a middle school in Wilmington, Vt., hosted a "Snood" tournament as part of an all-day education program about tobacco, drugs and alcohol awareness. And the VizCogLab program at Oberlin College, Ohio, is developing a special version of "Snood" for autistic children.
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Many people who are ill undergo painful and difficult procedures including chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants and dialysis, where the slow passage of time is an issue. Snood helps to pass that difficult time.
A chemo patient herself, Rohlfs thinks "Snood" is an ideal game for anyone who is hospitalized. Because of its simplicity, she noted, patients can have fun and "build up their mental acuity, eye-hand coordination and physical endurance without investing a great deal of exertion."
Dobson has been surprised by the many ways people are using "Snood." "I've had people write about using "Snood to stop smoking and to diet," he said.
"We get many touching letters at Snood,", said Larry Grogin, vice president of special projects for the Snood Co. In one, a teen-age girl named Serra, credited Snood with helping her get through some tough times during her bone marrow transplant.
"After 9/11, we have got a bunch of letters from parents saying how happy they are that their children are able to play Snood, because it is a peaceful and happy distraction." Grogin said. "Healing can come in different packages, and sometimes it is a funny, silly computer game."
"Snood" can be downloaded at http://www.snood.com/ for $14.95. To get a taste of what it is like to go "snooding," the Web site offers a free limited demo.
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There is also a Game Boy Advance version by Destination Software for $39.99, a version for Nextel phones, and one for Palm operating system. Later this year, "Snood" will debut on Game Boy Color, PlayStation1, and Game Cube.
All software is judged on a five star scale by looking at the following five factors:
educational, fun, ease of use, value, technical.
Jinny Gudmundsen is the Editor of Computing With Kids magazine. If you have
questions or comments, please write to: .
© 2008 Computing With Kids
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